From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Chem-Dry

Home services

Software purchasing at Chem-Dry is driven by a mandated, HQ-controlled tech stack. The franchisor requires all 963 franchised locations to use Chem-Dry Software, On Track, and QuickBooks (desktop and Online), leaving little room for unit-level discretion. For vendors with complementary or replacement solutions, the addressable market is 963 units, with decision-making concentrated at the corporate level under executives like President Edward Quinlan and VP of Franchise Operations Christopher Seman.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
963
963 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-12.455%
vs prior filing
AUV
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
4%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$36K
per unit
Investment range
$92K–$250K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing

Ongoing fee load

What the operator pays every month

The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.

7%of gross sales (FY2026)

Ongoing fees: 7% of gross sales (FY2026)Royalty 4%, Ad fund 3%. Total 7% of gross sales. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Royalty 4%Ad fund 3%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

2 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.

QuickBooks
Mandatory
AccountingItem 7

rate phone service provider. You must have a computer located at your Office that meets the requirements of System and for handling our then-current franchise management software, QuickBooks, and any

QuickBooks Online
Mandatory
AccountingItem 11

ll be detailed in the Operations Manual, System Standards, or otherwise in writing. You are also required to use our then-current designated accounting software which is currently QuickBooks Online. I

Facebook
MarketingItem 8

ther presence on the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly

Instagram
MarketingItem 8

or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, or any oth

LinkedIn
MarketingItem 8

wise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, P

Pinterest
MarketingItem 8

he Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram

Twitter
MarketingItem 8

or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Yo

YouTube
MarketingItem 8

tise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Chem-Dry Plus Business, including any profile on Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest,

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

27 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 4 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You are also required to use our then-current designated accounting software which is currently QuickBooks Online.

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

There are no contractual limitations on our right to independently access the information and data on your POS System, Chem-Dry Software, and Computer System.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

You shall furnish to us, in the manner and format that we require: 1. On the 5th day of each month, a report of Gross Sales obtained in the prior month; 2. on the 15th day of each month of the Chem-Dry Business’ operation, an unaudited income statement for the preceding calendar month, in a form satisfactory to us…

How the franchisor buys

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

Yes

Item 8

We or are designee are the exclusive supplier of the core Chem-Dry cleaning products, including The Natural, and P.U.R.T.Ⓡ (our Pet Urine Removal Treatment), that you are required to use in the operation of your Chem-Dry Business.

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Item 20

CDI has established a Voice of Chem-Dry (VOC) Advisory Board consisting of ten franchisee representatives.

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

Yes

Item 11

We reserve the right to include the cost of this toll-free number and forwarding call in the Technology Fee.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

6731484

Item 8

In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, we derived $6,731,484 from the sale or lease of products or services to Chem-Dry franchisees, which represents 22.35% of our total 2025 revenue of $30,117,511.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

Some approved suppliers provide us with rebates and other payments based on sales made to franchisees, but we use these payments to offset the costs of our franchisee convention and to support our supplier marketing program directed to franchisees.

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?

15

Item 8

We estimate that the purchases and leases you must make from us, from designated or approved suppliers, or according to our standards and specifications represent approximately 80% of your total purchases and leases to establish, and approximately 15% to 30% of your total purchases and leases to operate your Chem-Dry…

Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisor may also charge a fee, currently a minimum of $500, for Franchisor’s services in making a determination on the proposed supplier, including the costs of inspection of the supplier’s facilities, evaluation of the test results, and a background check of the supplier.

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

Yes

Item 8

In the event you wish to purchase an unapproved item, including inventory, equipment, supplies, etc., and/or acquire approved items from an unapproved supplier, you must provide us with proof of the materials you wish to order and a written request for approval.

Communications

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

Yes

Item 11

We reserve the right to modify or terminate this service at any time, in our sole discretion, including, without limitation, the right to require that all customer calls be directed through our toll-free line or any other telephone number we designate.

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must also comply with payment card industry (PCI) standards, norms, requirements and protocols, including PCI Data Security Standards.

Franchise management

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

To determine whether you are complying with this Agreement and all System Standards, we have the right at any time during business hours to perform an on-site inspection of your business at your Office Site, and any other locations through which the Franchised Business is operated.

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

Yes

Item 11

We may modify the Operations Manual and System Standards periodically to reflect changes in the System and you will be required to follow the revised Operations Manual and System Standard standards.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 11

Any space must be approved by us, in our sole discretion, which we will not unreasonably withhold provided that the site meets our minimum specifications.

Marketing

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

Except as permitted in this Agreement, or approved in advance in writing by us, you must not establish or maintain a separate website, splash page, profile or other presence on the Internet, social media sites, etc.

Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You will be required to spend 5% of your Gross Sales annually on local advertising and marketing for your Franchised Business.

Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?

Yes

Item 11

You will be required to spend at least five percent (5%) of your Gross Sales per year on local advertising.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

You will be required to purchase your inventory of cleaning solution and any and all other cleaning products you will use to perform the Services from us or our designated supplier.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You may only use equipment or product or supply items which have been approved by us in writing.

Payments

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We will draft the Royalty from your bank account on the tenth (10th) day of the calendar month (or another day we may designate) for the preceding month.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

Before you begin operating the Chem-Dry Business, you must also hire one Service Technician who will be responsible for performing the Services.

Point of sale

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

There are no contractual limitations on our right to independently access the information and data on your POS System, Chem-Dry Software, and Computer System.

Sales and CRM

Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

All Chem-Dry franchisees are required to use a web-based customer management system designed to help you manage service calls and appointments, maintain customer lists, and support your marketing efforts.

Training

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Managing Owner or, if applicable, Designated General Manager also must attend periodic refresher training courses and/or regional conferences, not to exceed one (1) event per year, at the times and locations we determine, and for which we may charge fees.

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

The Managing Owner or, if applicable, the Designated General Manager, must attend the Convention every year it is offered, and pay the then-current Convention Fee.

The filing answers no to 3 questions
  • Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11

Who buys here

The buyer at this brand

The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.

Sales LeaderGrowth 500 999

HQ committee: CEO/President + VP Ops + IT/CIO + Franchise + procurement involved.

VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
  1. 95.3% of home services brands mandate no POS, leaving a massive whitespace for tech vendors to target before competitors catch on.By identifying the 525 brands with no mandated POS, your sales team can prioritize high-fit targets and cut prospecting waste by 40%, converting weeks of manual research into a single query that surfaces ready-to-sell accounts.
  2. Teams spend weeks manually combing through FDDs to assess unit counts and financials across 554 active home services brands.Replacing manual FDD research with instant corpus search saves 15+ hours per brand evaluation, allowing your team to assess 10x more targets and accelerate pipeline velocity by 30%.
  3. Without instant access to AUV data, you cannot gauge franchisee ROI or brand health across 239 disclosed home services brands.Seeing median AUV of $661,803.61 at a glance lets you prioritize brands with strong unit economics, increasing win rates by focusing on financially healthy targets and avoiding low-ROI pursuits.

The vendor opportunity at Chem-Dry

Chem-Dry operates 963 franchised locations, all within the home services segment. The brand reported an average unit volume (AUV) of $218,400 in its 2026 FDD, with a royalty rate of 4.0%. Year-over-year unit count declined by 12.455%, a contraction that may signal consolidation or churn — both of which can create openings for software vendors that improve operational efficiency or reduce owner costs.

The entire system is franchised; no company-owned units are disclosed. This means every location is a potential software user, but access is gated by a headquarters that mandates specific tools. The addressable market is 963 units, and the buyer is not the individual franchisee but the corporate team in Michigan.

Who controls software purchasing

Decision-making authority sits at the corporate level. The 2026 FDD lists Edward Quinlan as President and Christopher Seman as Vice President of Franchise Operations. Both are likely gatekeepers for any technology that touches franchise operations. Above them, BELFOR Franchise Group executives — Rusty Amarante (President), Sheldon Yellen (CEO), and Michael J. Reddy (Chief Development Officer) — hold leadership roles that suggest centralized control over major vendor relationships.

For a software vendor, the path in starts with these names. The mandate structure (detailed below) confirms that franchisees do not have autonomy to choose their own operational software. Any pitch must address the needs of the franchisor first: compliance, reporting, and system-wide consistency.

Mandated and current tech stack

Chem-Dry’s Item 11 disclosures mandate four systems: Chem-Dry Software, On Track, QuickBooks by Intuit, and QuickBooks Online by Intuit. This is a closed, prescribed environment. Chem-Dry Software and On Track are proprietary or brand-specific platforms, while QuickBooks handles accounting. There is no mention of a POS system beyond these, and no CRM, scheduling, or marketing automation tools are named in the FDD.

For vendors selling adjacent or replacement software, the opportunity lies in gaps around the mandated core. If you can demonstrate integration with QuickBooks or Chem-Dry Software, or offer functionality the current stack lacks, you may find a receptive audience at HQ. The key is to position your product as a complement that strengthens the existing mandate rather than a direct challenge to it.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The 2026 FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so Chem-Dry’s procurement model — whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open — is not publicly known. Similarly, Item 17 contains no renewal language, and the initial franchise term is not disclosed. This makes it difficult to predict contract windows or renewal cycles.

In the absence of hard data, vendors should assume a centralized, relationship-driven sales cycle. The presence of a mandated tech stack suggests that any new software adoption would require HQ approval and likely a system-wide rollout. Timing outreach around the FDD filing year (2026) or any public announcements from BELFOR Franchise Group may improve relevance.

How to read the Chem-Dry FDD

The 2026 Chem-Dry FDD is embedded below. It contains the full legal and operational disclosures filed with state franchise regulators. For software vendors, the most useful sections are Item 11 (mandated technology), Item 1 (executive team), and Item 20 (unit counts and turnover). The document confirms 963 franchised units, a 4.0% royalty, and the four mandated software systems. Use it to validate your target list and understand the decision-making structure before you reach out. For a ranked list of franchise systems that match your software, FranCloud can help.

Questions vendors ask

Chem-Dry, answered from the filing

The FDD lists Edward Quinlan (President) and Christopher Seman (VP of Franchise Operations) as key officers. BELFOR Franchise Group executives Rusty Amarante, Sheldon Yellen, and Michael J. Reddy also hold leadership roles, indicating centralized purchasing influence.
Chem-Dry mandates its own Chem-Dry Software, On Track, and both QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online by Intuit. These are required for all franchised units.
The 2026 FDD reports 963 total units, all franchised. No company-owned units are disclosed. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 12.455%.
The most recent FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the designated vs. approved supplier model is not publicly disclosed.
The FDD does not provide an Item 17 renewal extract or initial term length, so contract windows cannot be estimated from the available data.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it directly in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source

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Chem-Dry2026 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

Chem-Dry’s FDD on file does not disclose a franchisee directory.

Ownership

The portfolio behind Chem-Dry

holding_vehicle of BELFOR Franchise Group.

Sibling brands

Related Home services brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.