# Jan-Pro franchise: how the unit model works, what it costs, and what court records say

> A Jan-Pro franchise is a unit franchise in a commercial cleaning system: you buy a plan from a regional developer, who finds the customer accounts, bills them and takes a share, while you do the cleaning. Jan-Pro’s own site posts no prices and says plans vary by market. Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 listing shows an initial franchise fee of $2,520 to $44,000, a total investment of $4,830 to $58,070, a 10% royalty and a 1% ad royalty.

Published 2026-11-06 by Broombook · Start your cleaning business · 13 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/jan-pro-franchise

## Key takeaways

- Jan-Pro has two tiers: the unit franchisee who cleans, and the Regional Developer who sells unit franchises, finds accounts and runs billing in a territory.
- Jan-Pro posts no figures; its franchising FAQ says plans, down payments and starter kits vary by market and recommends at least $1,000 in savings. Entrepreneur lists $2,520 to $44,000 in fees and $4,830 to $58,070 total.
- Entrepreneur lists a 10% royalty, a 1% ad royalty, a technology fee of up to $60 a month and a 10-year term; Jan-Pro calls its ongoing charges management fees.
- California’s DFPI explains the janitorial model: the fee buys a package of accounts, the franchisor bills the customer, and accounts are usually only promised for one year.
- In Vazquez v. Jan-Pro, the California Supreme Court held in 2021 that the ABC test for employee status applies retroactively, in a case brought by Jan-Pro franchisees.
- In our $4,000-a-month example, listed fees take about $6,000 a year; an independent with the same accounts spends about $468 on software.

## How does the Jan-Pro franchise model work?

Jan-Pro is a three-level system. Jan-Pro Franchising International, Inc., part of Empower Brands, owns the brand. Regional Developers buy a territory and run a local office. Unit franchisees buy a plan from that office, get trained, and clean the accounts the office assigns to them. Most people searching for a Jan-Pro cleaning franchise are looking at the unit level.

Jan-Pro’s own franchising page describes the unit offer in these terms ([Jan-Pro franchising](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/)):

- **Accounts are found for you.** Its FAQ says you do not need to find your own accounts: a dedicated team of sales professionals finds guaranteed clients, so no selling is necessary.
- **You start small and part-time if you want.** It says you can keep your full-time job, and that some plans take as little as three hours a week.
- **No office.** The business is described as simple enough to run from home, with no need to rent office space.
- **Training and a starter kit.** A five-course certification program is included with all plans, and you must buy the Jan-Pro starter kit to perform basic cleaning; extra services may need extra equipment.
- **Background checks** are run on anyone who wants to buy a unit franchise.

The Regional Developer is the other half of the model. Jan-Pro’s cost page says ongoing management fees fund business support, billing, account management and client acquisition programs, and that your first step is to contact your local Regional Development office, which explains the investment options specific to your market ([Jan-Pro franchise cost page](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/cost/)). In practice the regional office is your customer: it sells you the plan, sells the cleaning contract to the building, invoices the building and pays you after fees.

That structure is what separates a janitorial unit franchise from the residential brands in our [cleaning franchise guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-franchise), where you own the customer relationship. Here, the account belongs to the system.

## How much does a Jan-Pro franchise cost?

Jan-Pro does not post a price. Its franchising FAQ says it offers a number of plans with flexible pricing for starting plans, down payments and the starter kit, that these vary by market and location, and that it recommends at least $1,000 in savings for emergencies ([Jan-Pro](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/)); its cost page tells you to contact your local Regional Development office for current pricing ([Jan-Pro cost page](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/cost/)). The only published ranges we could read come from Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 directory, checked October 27, 2026.

| Item | Jan-Pro’s own site | [Entrepreneur Franchise 500 listing](https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/jan-pro-cleaning-and-disinfecting/282471) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Initial franchise fee | Not posted; plans vary by market | $2,520 to $44,000 |
| Total initial investment | Not posted | $4,830 to $58,070 |
| Ongoing fees | “Ongoing management fees” for support, billing, account management and client acquisition; details in the FDD | Royalty 10%, ad royalty 1%, technology fee up to $60 a month |
| Term | Not posted | 10 years, renewable |
| Financial requirements | At least $1,000 in savings recommended | $250,000 net worth, $100,000 cash listed |
| Financing | Flexible financing options depending on region | In-house; veterans incentive of 24-month interest-free financing on 50% of fees of $8,100 or more |
| System size | Franchising since 1991 | 12,455 units, ranked #72 in the 2026 Franchise 500, parent company Empower Brands; founded 1991, franchising since 1992 |

Three things to keep in mind when reading those numbers:

- **The fee buys accounts, not a territory.** California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation explains that in a typical janitorial franchise the initial fee buys a package of accounts, and that the fee is usually about half of the gross income the accounts are supposed to generate: for example $10,000 for accounts meant to produce $20,000 a year ([DFPI, janitorial service franchises](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises)). That is why the fee range is so wide: a $2,520 plan and a $44,000 plan are different amounts of monthly billing.
- **The net worth and cash figures do not match a $4,830 plan.** Entrepreneur lists a $250,000 net worth and $100,000 cash requirement next to a $4,830 minimum investment. The directory does not say which plan or tier those apply to. Ask the regional office which requirements apply to the plan you are offered, and check Item 7 of the FDD.
- **Entrepreneur’s figures are a directory listing, not the FDD.** They are the best public numbers we could verify, but the franchise disclosure document is the only binding source, and it is specific to your regional office.

## How does the account package work, and what can go wrong?

In a janitorial unit franchise the regional office promises you accounts worth a stated amount of monthly billing, bills those customers itself, deducts its fees, and pays you the rest. The DFPI page on janitorial franchises is the clearest public description of what that means in practice, and it applies to the model, not to any one brand.

What the DFPI tells California buyers to expect ([DFPI](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises)):

- **Accounts can be refused or lost without a substitute.** If you turn down an account because it is too far away, the franchisor may not have to offer another. If you lose an account, the franchisor often does not have to replace it, even if it was not your fault.
- **The package may be many small jobs.** $10,000 of accounts might be ten $1,000 accounts rather than one or two large ones, which takes more driving and more time.
- **Accounts can take months to arrive,** and in most cases they are only promised for one year, while the franchise agreement runs for several years. Many cleaning customers sign one-year contracts and may not renew.
- **The gross income promised is before fees.** Royalty, advertising, service and management fees come off the top, so take-home is significantly less.
- **Billing is controlled by the franchisor.** The customer pays the franchisor, not you. If the customer does not pay, you do not get paid, and the franchisor usually has no obligation to force collection.
- **Non-competes can reach your family.** In many cases you, your spouse and your children are barred from doing cleaning work outside the franchise while you are a franchisee.
- **Who is targeted.** The DFPI says janitorial franchise companies often target immigrants and non-English speaking communities, and urges caution.

None of this is an accusation against Jan-Pro; it is the state regulator’s description of how janitorial franchising works. Jan-Pro’s own page says its sales team finds guaranteed clients and that it handles billing and account management through the regional office, which is the same structure. Before you buy, read the account guarantee in your agreement and ask exactly what happens when an account is lost in month nine.

## What do court records say about Jan-Pro?

The central public case is Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising International, a wage case brought by Jan-Pro unit franchisees who argued they were employees, not independent contractors. In January 2021 the California Supreme Court answered a question from the Ninth Circuit in that case and held that the ABC test from its Dynamex decision applies retroactively ([Vazquez v. Jan-Pro, S258191, opinion of January 14, 2021](https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S258191.PDF)).

What the opinion does and does not say:

- **It is about timing, not about Jan-Pro’s model.** The question was whether Dynamex, which set the ABC test for deciding who is an employee under California wage orders, applies to cases that were not yet final when it was decided. The court said yes, and rejected Jan-Pro’s argument that it had reasonably relied on the older standard.
- **It did not rule on franchising.** The court wrote in a footnote that the question it agreed to answer did not involve the general relationship or applicability of Dynamex to franchise agreements, and that it did not address that subject.
- **The misclassification question went back to the federal courts.** The DFPI page describes the issue as being litigated in Vazquez and says the impact on California franchisees remains uncertain ([DFPI](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises)). We did not find a final public ruling on the merits that we could read and cite, so this guide does not claim one.

The practical lesson is the one the DFPI draws: the amount of control a janitorial franchisor exerts over franchisees makes the model susceptible to employee misclassification claims, and if franchisees are found to be misclassified employees they may seek unpaid wages and expense reimbursement. Item 3 of the FDD (litigation) lists the cases the franchisor must disclose; read it, and ask a franchise lawyer what any pending case could mean for your agreement. Laws on worker classification differ by state.

## How should you read Jan-Pro reviews?

Reviews of Jan-Pro come from two groups with opposite interests, and most are unverifiable. Customer reviews (restaurants and offices rating the cleaning) tell you about the brand’s service standards. Franchisee reviews tell you about the deal, but they are often anonymous, sometimes written under confidentiality clauses, and rarely say which plan or regional office they describe.

We did not survey or count reviews for this guide, and we do not cite review sites as facts. Instead, use three sources that are verifiable:

1. **Item 20 of the FDD.** It lists current franchisees and those who left in the last year, with contact details. Under the FTC rule, that list is the franchisor’s own record of who stayed and who did not. Call people who left.
2. **Jan-Pro’s own testimonials.** Its franchising page quotes owners on flexibility and family time. Treat them as marketing, and ask the same owners what their monthly billing and fees were.
3. **Regulator pages and court filings.** The DFPI page and the Vazquez opinion above are the only public documents on the model that are not written by someone trying to sell or to sue.

Questions that turn a review into information:

- What plan did you buy, what monthly billing was promised, and when did the accounts actually arrive?
- What did the regional office deduct each month, as a percentage of billing?
- How many accounts did you lose in the first year, and how many were replaced?
- How much did you earn per hour of cleaning, after supplies and travel?
- Did you ever try to leave or sell the franchise, and what happened?

## What must Jan-Pro give you before you pay?

The franchise disclosure document, at least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement or pay anything. That is the FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR Part 436 ([eCFR, 16 CFR 436](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-436)). Jan-Pro’s cost page says the same: federal regulations require you to receive the FDD at least 14 days before signing, and its FAQ says you become eligible to move forward 14 days after receiving the document and signing the receipt.

The items to read first in a Jan-Pro FDD:

- **Items 5 and 6, fees.** The plan price, the down payment, the management fees (royalty, advertising, billing, insurance, technology) and any fee for the starter kit or additional equipment.
- **Item 7, estimated initial investment,** for the specific plan you are offered, not the lowest plan in the range.
- **The account guarantee.** How monthly billing is defined, how long accounts are guaranteed, what counts as your fault when one is lost, and whether replacement accounts can be farther away or smaller.
- **Item 3, litigation.** Vazquez and any other cases the franchisor must disclose.
- **Item 19, financial performance representations.** The only place income figures may appear. The rule allows performance information outside Item 19 only with the records of an outlet you are buying or as a supplement to Item 19. Jan-Pro’s FAQ answers the revenue question with “that’s up to you,” which is consistent with making no Item 19 claim; if a salesperson gives you a number anyway, ask where it is in the document.
- **Item 20, outlets,** for your regional office: how many unit franchises were sold, how many were terminated or left, and who to call.

## Jan-Pro unit franchise vs going independent: a worked example

In our example, a unit franchisee servicing $4,000 a month of accounts pays about $6,000 a year in the fees Entrepreneur lists, and an independent cleaner with the same accounts spends about $468 a year on software. The difference is what the regional office has to earn by finding the accounts and doing the billing.

This is a hypothetical example with round numbers, not a forecast. We use the 10% royalty, 1% ad royalty and $60 monthly technology fee from Entrepreneur’s listing, because Jan-Pro does not post its fees; your regional office’s Item 6 may list more or different charges. We ignore the plan price itself and the starter kit, and assume both owners clean the same $48,000 of annual billing.

- **Annual billing:** $4,000 × 12 = $48,000.
- **Royalty at 10%:** $4,800.
- **Ad royalty at 1%:** $480.
- **Technology fee at $60 a month:** $720.
- **Total listed fees:** $6,000 a year, or about 13% of billing, deducted before you are paid.
- **Independent:** Broombook Pro at $39 a month ($468 a year) for recurring schedules, client records, reminders and a card on file charged after each visit, plus the time it takes to sell the accounts yourself.

That last line is the honest cost of independence. The regional office sells the accounts, and selling is work most cleaners do not want to do. Our guides on [starting a commercial cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-commercial-cleaning-business) and [commercial cleaning contracts](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-contracts) cover how independents find office, medical and retail accounts, and [office cleaning prices](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-prices) covers what to bid. If you can bring yourself to walk into twenty offices a week, the$6,000 stays with you. If you cannot, the fee may be the price of not selling.

## Jan-Pro franchise vs independent: who should choose which?

A Jan-Pro unit franchise suits someone who wants to clean a few accounts on the side, does not want to sell, and accepts that the accounts and the billing belong to the system. Independence suits someone who wants to own the customer, set the price and keep the margin, and is willing to do the selling.

### A unit franchise can make sense if you

- Want to start part-time, from home, with a small plan and training included.
- Do not want to sell, invoice or chase payments, and will pay a share of billing for someone else to do it.
- Can live with accounts that are guaranteed for a limited time, and with a non-compete that may cover your household.
- Have read the FDD for your regional office, called former franchisees, and the math still works per hour of cleaning.

### Independent makes more sense if you

- Already clean commercially and could bring accounts with you, or are willing to sell to local businesses.
- Want to own the customer relationship, invoice directly and keep what the customer pays.
- Want to set your own prices and add services, from floor care to day porter work, without approval.
- Want to be able to sell the business, with its accounts, when you are done.

What a regional office provides (accounts, billing, scheduling, reminders) an independent assembles from outreach plus software. Broombook covers the booking, scheduling, reminder and card-on-file billing side for residential and small commercial cleaning companies (see [features](https://broombook.com/features) and [pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing)); it does not find accounts for you, and it is not an invoicing system with net-30 terms for large facilities. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; franchise registration and worker classification rules differ by state.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a Jan-Pro franchise cost?

Jan-Pro does not post prices; its franchising FAQ says plans, down payments and starter kits vary by market and recommends at least $1,000 in savings. Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 listing, checked October 27, 2026, shows an initial franchise fee of $2,520 to $44,000 and a total investment of $4,830 to $58,070, with a 10% royalty, a 1% ad royalty and a technology fee of up to $60 a month.

### Is Jan-Pro a good franchise?

It depends on what you want. It is one of the cheapest ways to start cleaning commercial accounts without selling, and Entrepreneur ranks it #72 in its 2026 Franchise 500 with 12,455 units. The trade-off, as California’s DFPI describes for the janitorial model, is that the accounts and the billing belong to the system, fees come off the top, and accounts are usually guaranteed for only a year.

### What is the difference between a Jan-Pro unit franchise and a Regional Developer?

A unit franchisee buys a plan, gets trained and cleans the accounts assigned by the regional office. A Regional Developer buys a territory, sells unit franchises in it, finds the customer accounts, bills them and provides support. Jan-Pro calls the latter an executive opportunity and directs unit buyers to their local Regional Development office.

### Does Jan-Pro find clients for you?

Jan-Pro’s franchising FAQ says you do not need to find your own accounts and that its sales team finds guaranteed clients. Read the guarantee in the agreement: the DFPI notes that in janitorial franchises accounts may take months to arrive, may be many small jobs, and are usually only promised for one year.

### What was the Jan-Pro lawsuit about?

Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising International is a California wage case in which Jan-Pro unit franchisees argued they were employees rather than independent contractors. In January 2021 the California Supreme Court held that its Dynamex ABC test applies retroactively, while stating it was not addressing how Dynamex applies to franchise arrangements generally.

### Can I run a Jan-Pro franchise part-time?

Jan-Pro says yes. Its FAQ says you can keep your full-time job and that some plans take as little as three hours a week, with the business run from home. Ask the regional office what monthly billing a plan that small carries and what the fees are on it.

### How long do I have to review the Jan-Pro franchise disclosure document?

At least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement or pay anything, under the FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR 436). Jan-Pro’s site says the same and that you become eligible to proceed 14 days after receiving the document and signing the receipt.

## Sources

- [eCFR: 16 CFR Part 436, Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Franchising (FTC Franchise Rule)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-436)
- [Jan-Pro: Own your own commercial cleaning franchise, with FAQ (checked October 27, 2026)](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/)
- [Jan-Pro: Franchise cost and initial investment (checked October 27, 2026)](https://jan-pro.com/franchising/cost/)
- [Entrepreneur Franchise 500: Jan-Pro Cleaning & Disinfecting (checked October 27, 2026)](https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/jan-pro-cleaning-and-disinfecting/282471)
- [California DFPI: Janitorial service franchises](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises)
- [Supreme Court of California: Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising International, Inc., S258191 (January 14, 2021)](https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S258191.PDF)

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