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HQ-led decisions

American Leak Detection

Home services

Software purchasing at American Leak Detection is controlled at the corporate level, where Chairman and CEO Patrick DeSouza and VP of Operations Tracy Forbes are key executives. The franchisor mandates QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. across its 140-unit system, which includes 93 franchised and 47 company-owned locations. This creates a concentrated addressable market for vendors offering complementary or replacement financial and operational tools.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
140
93 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
-13.889%
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19
Royalty
6%–10% component; full terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
—
percentage component
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$77K–$260K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
3 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

10% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.

QuickBooks OnlineIntuit
AccountingItem 11

If you are a new franchisee, you will purchase a business management accounting software, currently QuickBooks Online. If an existing franchise has been sold or transferred to you, you are responsible for purchasing a business management accounting software package of your choice usually at a cost of approximately $30.00. per month We recommend that you purchase the most current version of QuickBooks Online for the gathering of statistical information on your business to be forwarded to us in an acceptable electronic format to be used in system analysis, royalty reporting and calculation, and comparisons. (Franchise License Agreement, Section 8.1.)

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

12 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 10 explicit no's; 12 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

We are the only approved source for the equipment that makes up the Equipment and Products Package, as described in the Exhibit to the Franchise License Agreement.

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Item 20

The American Leak Detection Advisory Council or ALDAC is comprised of eight (8) ALD franchisees.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We may change the standards, specifications and other requirements set forth in the Manuals and may change the methods of operation, marketing, products and services to be offered by you and otherwise change the American Leak Detection methods of doing business.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

10

Item 8

We estimate that in most cases the proportion of required purchases (or leases), which includes job invoice forms, incidental equipment, parts and supplies, insurance, to all purchases and leases by an American Leak Detection Franchisee in operation (and not counting the Equipment and Products, and Training Packages…

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

We are glad to discuss the appropriate criteria for any existing or proposed item or supplier with any franchisee on a case-by- case basis.

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You acknowledge that we have the right to all telephone service, numbers, listings and advertising (the “Telephone Service”) with respect to the franchised business and that any direction by us is conclusive evidence of our rights in and to such Telephone Service and our authority to direct their transfers.

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We and/or our agents have the right, at any reasonable time and on reasonable notice to you, throughout the term of this Agreement and for two years after, to: (a) inspect your office, vehicles, and methods of technical and other operations;

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We may change the standards, specifications and other requirements set forth in the Manuals and may change the methods of operation, marketing, products and services to be offered by you and otherwise change the American Leak Detection methods of doing business.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Item 11

You shall not establish or use a website without our prior written approval.

Operations

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We are the only approved source for the equipment that makes up the Equipment and Products Package, as described in the Exhibit to the Franchise License Agreement.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

We may charge a fee for any optional training programs.

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Item 11

In addition, attendance at our annual convention is mandatory for one (1) out of every three (3) years of operation of your business;

The filing answers no to 10 questions
  • Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
  • Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?Item 11
  • Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
  • Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
  • Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 11
  • Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
  • Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?Item 8
  • Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 11

The vendor opportunity at American Leak Detection

American Leak Detection operates 140 total units, split between 93 franchised locations and 47 company-owned outlets. The system contracted by 13.9% year-over-year, a notable decline that may signal operational consolidation or churn. For software vendors, the addressable market is concentrated: a single corporate entity controls purchasing decisions for the entire network, and the franchisor already mandates specific financial software. No average unit volume (AUV) is disclosed in the 2024 FDD.

Who controls software purchasing

Purchasing authority sits at the corporate headquarters. The FDD lists Patrick DeSouza as Chairman and CEO, Tracy Forbes as VP of Operations, and Lisa Keeton as Director of Business Development. These executives form the likely buying center for any software evaluation. Julissa Perez, Franchise Relations Liaison, and Robert Knell, Managing Director, round out the named leadership team. There is no parent company on file; the brand appears independently owned. Vendors should direct initial outreach to the VP of Operations or the CEO’s office, as no dedicated CIO or CTO is listed.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2024 FDD mandates QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. This is the only technology explicitly required in the disclosure document. No other operational, POS, CRM, or field-service management platforms are named as mandated or recommended. For vendors selling complementary tools—such as scheduling, dispatch, leak-detection IoT, or advanced reporting—the QuickBooks mandate represents both an integration requirement and a displacement opportunity if the franchisor is open to consolidating its financial stack.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so the procurement model remains unspecified. There is no indication of designated or approved supplier lists, which suggests vendors may have a direct path to pitch HQ without pre-approval hurdles. Franchise agreements carry a 10-year initial term and can be renewed for an additional 10 years, provided the franchisee is in substantial compliance, signs a new agreement, completes refresher training, and reimburses the franchisor’s renewal costs. The renewal provision notes that the new agreement may contain materially different terms. With a shrinking unit count, renewal-driven software evaluations may be infrequent; vendors should focus on immediate operational pain points rather than waiting for contract cycles.

How to read the American Leak Detection FDD

The full 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the legal and financial disclosures that govern the franchise system, including Item 1 (executives), Item 11 (mandated technology), and Item 17 (renewal conditions). Reviewing the FDD directly is the most reliable way to validate the franchisor’s obligations to franchisees and identify gaps in the current tech stack. For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software category, FranCloud can help.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

American Leak Detection, answered from the filing

Key decision-makers include Chairman and CEO Patrick DeSouza and VP of Operations Tracy Forbes. Director of Business Development Lisa Keeton may also influence vendor evaluation. Purchasing control is centralized at the corporate level.
The 2024 FDD mandates QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. No other operational or POS systems are disclosed as mandated in the most recent filing.
There are 140 total units: 93 franchised and 47 company-owned. The system contracted by 13.9% year-over-year, with mapped operators in Oregon and California.
The FDD does not provide an Item 8 extract regarding designated or approved suppliers. Vendors should assume an open or unspecified procurement model and engage HQ directly for requirements.
Franchise agreements run for 10-year terms. With a 13.9% unit decline, renewal-driven evaluation cycles may be limited. Pitch timing should focus on immediate operational needs rather than term expirations.
The 2024 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can read the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source

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Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

2 operators run 2 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit2

Top states by locations

OR1
CA1

Ownership

The portfolio behind American Leak Detection

Ownership: american leak detection holding.

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Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.