Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
These may be obtained from us or from other sources.
From the filings
Roto-Rooter
Home servicesRoto-Rooter, part of Chemed, operates 448 locations nationwide — 333 franchised and 115 company-owned. Item 8 sets a specifications-only procurement model: any supplier meeting Roto-Rooter's standards qualifies, with no maintained approved-supplier list. Item 11 of the FDD states that franchisees need not buy or use any particular electronic cash register or computer system.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
448
333 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-1.187%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$0.15
per unit
Investment range
$123K–$282K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Standards based
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
6 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 12 explicit no's; 16 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
How the franchisor buys
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
“The following independent franchisee organization has asked to be included in this disclosure document.” Roto-Rooter Franchisee Association, PO Box 2190, 251 S.L. White Blvd, La Grange GA 30241 Telephone:(706) 333-7438, Website: www.rrfa.org, Email: cbaker@asginfo.net
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
685691Item 8
In the year ending December 31, 2025, our revenue from the sale of these items to our franchisees was $685,691, and our total revenue was $46.0 million.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 22
Permit Company to enter Franchisee's premises and vehicles to inspect them to assure compliance with the terms of this Agreement.
Marketing
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 22
During each Agreement Year, Franchisee shall expend for local advertising conducted during such Agreement Year not less than (i) the Minimum Local Advertising Per MRDP for that Agreement Year, times (ii) the MRDP then in effect.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 22
Keep all service personnel in uniform and easily identifiable as bona fide Roto-Rooter service personnel in accordance with the then-existing Mark identification policies of the Company.
The filing answers no to 12 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?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 a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?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 equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 15
- Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
- Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
- Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?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.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
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The vendor opportunity at Roto-Rooter
Roto-Rooter's 2026 FDD reports 448 total units — 333 franchised and 115 company-owned. The system is part of Chemed. Franchised outlets fell 1.187% year over year, and the FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation.
Who controls software purchasing
Item 2 names President Thad Reinhard and directors Spencer S. Lee and Kevin J. McNamara. Item 8 runs a specifications-only procurement model: Roto-Rooter maintains no designated-supplier list or supplier-approval criteria, so franchisees may use any vendor meeting the standards Roto-Rooter sets — for now, that covers required van markings and uniform patches — and Roto-Rooter will say on written request whether an item is approved. Across the operator footprint, 254 operators run about 278 located units, including 1 multi-unit operator, concentrated in Ohio, California, Iowa, Alabama, and Missouri.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
Item 11 of Roto-Rooter's FDD states that franchisees need not buy or use any particular electronic cash register or computer system; the Roto-Rooter equipment and parts line is available for purchase at the franchisee's option.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
With no maintained approved-supplier list, Roto-Rooter's specifications-only model leaves more room for a vendor to compete on merit than a designated-supplier system would. The initial franchise term is 10 years; under Item 17, a franchisee not in default is offered a new 10-year agreement on the terms then offered to renewing franchisees, which Roto-Rooter can reasonably revise. Combined with the recent 1.187% dip in franchised outlets, renewal season is a reasonable point to open a vendor conversation with individual operators.
How to read the Roto-Rooter FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Roto-Rooter's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full; Items 8, 11, and 17 hold the detail summarized here.
Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list of home-services franchisors with looser procurement models like Roto-Rooter's.
Questions vendors ask
Roto-Rooter, answered from the filing
Roto-Rooter's Item 2 officers are President Thad Reinhard and directors Spencer S. Lee and Kevin J. McNamara. Item 8 sets a specifications-only procurement model rather than a designated-vendor list, so a vendor meeting Roto-Rooter's standards can qualify without going through an approved-supplier list.
Item 11 of the FDD states that franchisees need not buy or use any particular electronic cash register or computer system; Roto-Rooter's equipment and parts line is available for purchase at the franchisee's option.
Roto-Rooter's 2026 FDD lists 448 total units — 333 franchised and 115 company-owned — in a home-services system that's part of Chemed. Franchised outlets fell 1.187% year over year.
Item 8 uses a specifications-only model: Roto-Rooter maintains no designated-supplier list or supplier-approval criteria, so any vendor meeting its specifications (such as required van markings and uniform patches) can supply franchisees, and Roto-Rooter will say on written request whether an item is approved.
Roto-Rooter's initial term is 10 years. Under Item 17, a franchisee not in default is offered a new 10-year agreement on the terms then offered to renewing franchisees, which Roto-Rooter can reasonably revise. With franchised outlets down 1.187% year over year, renewal season is a reasonable point to open a vendor conversation.
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Roto-Rooter's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full; Items 8, 11, and 17 hold the detail summarized here.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
254 operators run 278 mapped locations. 1 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit253
25+ units1
Top states by locations
| OH | 19 |
|---|---|
| CA | 14 |
| IA | 13 |
| AL | 12 |
| MO | 11 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Roto-Rooter
unknown of chemed.
Related Home services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.