What is the MaidPro franchise and who owns it?
MaidPro is a residential cleaning franchise: you buy the right to run a MaidPro-branded house cleaning business in a protected territory, hire and schedule the cleaners, and pay the franchisor a share of your revenue. Since 2021 the brand has belonged to Threshold Brands, a group of home service franchises.
The company’s own history page says MaidPro started in the fall of 1991 in a small office on Boston’s Beacon Hill, founded by Richard Sparacio and Mark Kushinsky, and sold its first franchise in February 1997. It says it joined Threshold Brands in 2021 and now has over 250 franchise locations in the United States and Canada (MaidPro: Our Story). Entrepreneur’s franchise directory, which draws on the disclosure document, lists 273 units, a founding year of 1991, franchising since 1997, Threshold Brands as the parent company, and a rank of #395 on its 2026 Franchise 500 (Entrepreneur: MaidPro).
The business model is the standard maid service model. MaidPro’s FAQ describes the owner’s job as recruiting, hiring and training cleaning technicians, scheduling and dispatching crews with the brand’s proprietary software, and acquiring and keeping customers through local marketing and referrals. Most owners work from a small office, and as the team grows the owner’s role shifts from hands-on management to strategic oversight (MaidPro FAQ). If you have never run a crew-based cleaning company, read our overview of the cleaning business franchise model first; this page goes deep on one brand.
How much does a MaidPro franchise cost?
MaidPro posts a franchise fee of $45,000 in the US ($55,000 CAD) and a total initial investment, including that fee, of $109,860 to $158,650 US ($125,650 to $166,150 CAD). It also requires a minimum of $45,000 US ($55,000 CAD) in liquid cash (MaidPro: investment page). Every figure in the table below was read on the page named next to it on October 28, 2026.
| Item | Figure | Where it is posted |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45,000 US / $55,000 CAD | MaidPro investment page; Entrepreneur lists the same $45,000 |
| Total initial investment (includes the fee) | $109,860 to $158,650 US / $125,650 to $166,150 CAD | MaidPro investment page; Entrepreneur lists the same US range |
| Minimum liquid cash | $45,000 US / $55,000 CAD | MaidPro investment page |
| Net worth requirement | $150,000 | Entrepreneur only; not posted on MaidPro’s site |
| Veteran discount | 20% off the initial franchise fee (VetFran) | MaidPro FAQ; Entrepreneur lists the same 20% |
| Multi-unit discounts | Offered on franchise fees for additional territories; amount not posted | MaidPro FAQ |
What the total covers
The total initial investment is the Item 7 figure from the franchise disclosure document: the franchise fee plus the office, equipment, supplies, insurance, opening marketing and the additional funds you need to pay wages and bills while you build a client list. It does not include your own living expenses, so plan for savings on top of the $45,000 liquid cash minimum. Why the range is almost $50,000 wide: rent, insurance and how quickly you hire crews differ by market.
How owners fund it
MaidPro says more than half of its owners fund the start-up with cash and savings, around 10% to 20% use a 401(k) rollover program, and many use business loans, including SBA loans the franchisor helps arrange (MaidPro: investment page). A 401(k) rollover (often called a ROBS arrangement) has tax rules of its own; talk to an accountant before you use retirement money to buy a franchise.
What are the ongoing MaidPro royalty and fees?
Entrepreneur’s directory lists a 6% royalty fee, a 2% ad royalty fee, a technology fee of $500 a month and a 5-year term of agreement that is renewable (Entrepreneur: MaidPro). MaidPro’s own franchise site does not post the royalty or the technology fee, so treat these as figures to confirm in Items 5 and 6 of the current FDD, where every recurring fee must be listed.
Here is what those percentages mean in dollars, using hypothetical revenue:
| Annual revenue (example) | Royalty at 6% | Ad fee at 2% | Technology fee at $500 a month | Total paid to the franchisor that year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $12,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $22,000 |
| $400,000 | $24,000 | $8,000 | $6,000 | $38,000 |
| $700,000 | $42,000 | $14,000 | $6,000 | $62,000 |
Three things to check in the FDD before you rely on this table. First, the base: royalties are usually charged on gross revenue, before cleaner pay, so a month where you lose money still carries a royalty. Second, minimums: some agreements set a minimum monthly royalty whether or not you hit the revenue. Third, the renewal: a 5-year term is shorter than the 10-year terms common in the industry, which means you will face renewal terms, and possibly a renewal fee, sooner. None of those three are posted on MaidPro’s site, and Entrepreneur does not list them either.
What do you get for the MaidPro fees?
You get a protected territory, about 200 hours of pre-opening training, the brand’s booking software and call center, national and local marketing programs, and a network of other owners. Everything in this list comes from MaidPro’s FAQ unless noted (MaidPro FAQ).
- Territory. A protected area of typically 45,000 qualifying households with incomes above $100,000, defined with demographic data before you sign. You are the only MaidPro franchisee allowed to market inside it.
- Training. A phased onboarding of about 200 hours covering financial setup, marketing, operations and recruiting. Entrepreneur records 182.5 hours of classroom training (Entrepreneur).
- Call center and booking. A national call center that answers calls, books appointments and follows up with leads, plus the Book & Buy online quoting and booking platform.
- AI follow-up. MAIA, the brand’s in-house customer-facing AI, which MaidPro says handles quote follow-ups, appointment reminders, post-service messages, feedback requests, tip reminders and win-back campaigns.
- Software. Proprietary scheduling and dispatch software for crews. The $500 monthly technology fee listed by Entrepreneur presumably pays for this; ask what it covers.
- Marketing. National and local campaigns, co-op advertising support, and the 2% ad fee that funds the national side.
- Coaching and network. One-on-one business coaching, regional meetings and access to hundreds of other owners.
That is a real list of services. The question for you is which of them you could not buy or build yourself for less than the fees in the section above. The call center, the software and the follow-up automation now exist as off-the-shelf products for independent owners; the brand name, the coaching and the owner network do not.
What do MaidPro franchise reviews actually tell you?
Online MaidPro franchise reviews are a weak signal either way: the glowing ones on the franchisor’s site are selected by the franchisor, and anonymous complaints on review sites cannot be checked. We did not find a verifiable source for a franchisee lawsuit or a regulator action against MaidPro, and we are not going to repeat claims we cannot source. The reliable version of a review is in the FDD, and it costs nothing to get.
Where the honest reviews are
- Item 20 of the FDD. It lists how many franchises opened, closed, transferred, were terminated or were bought back in each of the last three years, and it gives names and phone numbers of current franchisees and of owners who left in the last year. Call at least five of each. Ask what they earn, how long it took to reach breakeven, how the call center performs in their market, and whether they would buy again.
- Item 3. Litigation involving the franchisor, including suits brought by franchisees.
- Item 19. The only place the franchisor may state what franchises earn. If the figures are averages for a subset of units, ask for the median and the bottom third.
- Growth data. Entrepreneur shows 273 units and a growth rate of 7.9% in its latest listing (Entrepreneur). Steady growth after thirty years is a reasonable sign; compare it with the closures in Item 20.
How to read customer reviews
Customer reviews of individual MaidPro locations tell you more about that owner than about the system, but they are useful in one way: look up the MaidPro locations nearest the territory you are offered. If they have strong, recent reviews, the brand means something locally and your marketing will start from a higher floor. If the nearest location closed, ask why.
How to read the MaidPro FDD before you sign
Under the FTC’s Franchise Rule, the franchisor must give you its current franchise disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement or make any payment, and it must give you any revised agreement at least seven calendar days before you sign it (16 CFR 436.2, eCFR). The rule also prescribes the cover page, which must state the total investment from Item 7 and the amount that goes to the franchisor from Item 5, in plain English.
For a MaidPro FDD, read these items with a highlighter:
- Items 5 and 6: the $45,000 fee, the royalty, the ad fee, the technology fee, and any renewal, transfer, training or minimum fees. Compare them with the Entrepreneur figures above and write down every difference.
- Item 7: the line-by-line table behind the $109,860 to $158,650 range, including how many months of additional funds it assumes.
- Item 8: whether you must buy supplies, uniforms or software from the franchisor or approved suppliers, and whether the franchisor earns a margin on them.
- Item 11: what the 200 hours of training include and what the call center commits to.
- Item 12: how the 45,000-household territory is defined and whether online bookings from inside it are always yours.
- Item 17: the term, renewal conditions, what happens if you want to sell, and the non-compete after you leave.
- Items 19, 20 and 21: earnings claims, outlet history and the franchisor’s audited financial statements.
A franchise lawyer’s review of the FDD and agreement is a small cost next to a six-figure investment. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.
MaidPro franchise vs going independent: a 5-year example
In our example, a MaidPro owner pays about $229,400 to the franchisor over five years, and an independent owner with the same revenue spends about $40,940 on booking software and matching marketing. The gap, about $188,460, is what the brand, training, call center and coaching have to earn back.
These are hypothetical numbers to show the method, not a forecast for any territory. We assume both businesses grow to the same revenue, use the $45,000 fee from MaidPro’s site and the 6% royalty, 2% ad fee and $500 monthly technology fee from Entrepreneur’s listing, and apply the percentages to gross revenue. The independent owner pays for Broombook’s Pro plan at $39 a month (see pricing) and spends the same 2% of revenue on their own marketing.
| Over five years (example) | MaidPro franchise | Independent |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue, years 1 to 5 (assumed) | $1,930,000 | $1,930,000 |
| Franchise fee | $45,000 | $0 |
| Royalty at 6% | $115,800 | $0 |
| Marketing (2% ad fee, or the independent’s own 2%) | $38,600 | $38,600 |
| Software (technology fee, or a booking subscription) | $30,000 | $2,340 |
| Total | $229,400 | $40,940 |
What the independent owner has to replace
- Booking, scheduling, reminders and billing. Software such as Broombook gives an independent company online booking, crew scheduling, automatic reminders and card-on-file billing (see features). It does not give you a call center; you or an answering service take the calls.
- Training. You write your own cleaning standards and train your own crews. Our housekeeping checklist and hiring guide are a start, but they are not 200 hours of coaching.
- Marketing. The 2% you keep has to be spent, and spent well, on your own Google profile, reviews and local ads.
- Brand. You start with no name recognition, which matters more in a city where MaidPro already has several locations than in a town with none.
If you would rather start without a franchise, how to start a cleaning business walks through the licenses, insurance and first clients.
Who is a MaidPro franchise right for?
A MaidPro franchise fits someone with at least $45,000 in cash and a six-figure budget who wants to run an office and crews, not clean, and who values a tested system, a call center and a peer network more than they value keeping 8% of revenue plus $6,000 a year. It fits less well for a working cleaner with a few thousand dollars, or for an experienced operator who already has systems.
Good signs
- You have management or sales experience and no cleaning systems of your own.
- Your offered territory has 45,000 qualifying households and no nearby MaidPro that closed.
- Item 19 shows revenue you can live on after the royalty, and the owners you call confirm it.
- You plan to own for more than one 5-year term, so the fee is spread over a long run.
Warning signs
- The salesperson quotes earnings that are not in Item 19.
- You would need every dollar of the liquid cash to open, leaving nothing for your own living costs.
- You mainly want the software and the booking page. You can rent those for far less than a royalty.
Whichever way you go, write the comparison down with your own numbers before you sign: fee, royalty, ad fee, technology fee, and the revenue you believe the territory can produce. The franchise is worth it when the gap in the table above is smaller than the extra revenue the brand brings you.