# Stratus Building Solutions franchise: costs, the green angle, reviews and court records

> A Stratus Building Solutions franchise is either a unit franchise, a commercial cleaning business that gets contracts from a regional master, or the master franchise itself. Stratus lists unit investments of $5,000 to $50,000 and posts a master franchise fee of $75,000 to $200,000 with a total investment of $110,000 to $350,000. Its selling point is Green Seal certified cleaning. In 2015 the Eighth Circuit sent a RICO class action by unit franchisees to individual arbitration.

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

## Key takeaways

- Stratus (SBS Franchising, LLC, founded 2006) sells regional master franchises; masters sell unit franchises and assign cleaning contracts to them. Masters do not clean.
- Posted master numbers: $75,000 to $200,000 fee, $110,000 to $350,000 total, $125,000 to $150,000 liquid, $250,000 net worth. Unit franchises are listed at $5,000 to $50,000.
- Stratus says masters earn from nine revenue streams, including royalties on unit revenue and product markups, with about 90% recurring.
- Torres v. Simpatico (8th Cir. 2015): unit franchisees’ RICO claims against the system were sent to individual arbitration under the unit agreement’s arbitration clause. The merits were never decided.
- Stratus says it does not accept passive masters, and its FAQ gives 2025 system-wide sales of $238 million across 100+ territories.

## What is Stratus Building Solutions and who owns it?

Stratus Building Solutions (now branded Stratus Clean) is a commercial cleaning franchisor founded in 2006 by people who, it says, started as franchisees themselves. The franchisor entity is SBS Franchising, LLC; the cleaning is done by unit franchisees licensed by regional master franchisees, and neither SBS Franchising nor the masters provide cleaning services, according to the disclaimer on its own site ([Stratus Clean franchise page](https://www.stratusclean.com/franchise/)).

Stratus calls itself the fourth largest commercial cleaning franchise in North America, with more than 100 master territories and over 5,500 unit franchisees in the United States and Canada, and it says system-wide sales reached $238 million in 2025 ([Stratus franchising FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)). Its customer-facing site gives slightly different round numbers (95+ markets, 5,000+ franchise owners) ([Stratus Clean about us](https://www.stratusclean.com/about-us/)). Item 1 of the FDD names the owners and affiliates; the company is privately held and does not name its shareholders on its website.

Two things distinguish Stratus from the other janitorial franchises. It markets green cleaning as standard, and it describes its master franchise as an executive business sold mainly to people from corporate careers. The structure underneath, a master that sells units and contracts, is the same one Anago, Jan-Pro and Buildingstars use. Our overview of [cleaning franchises](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-franchise) covers what all of them share.

## How does the Stratus franchise model work?

A Stratus master owns a protected territory (a state or a cluster of counties, sized by population), awards unit franchises to local owners, secures commercial cleaning contracts and assigns them to those units. Stratus puts it directly: the master “effectively becomes the franchisor,” has franchisees rather than employees, and does business development rather than cleaning ([Stratus franchising](https://stratusfranchising.com/)).

### The unit franchise

Unit owners are independent business owners who bought a Stratus Clean franchise from the master and deliver the recurring janitorial work. Stratus says unit franchises have low startup costs and are the right fit for someone who wants a hands-on cleaning business ([Stratus FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)). The customer-facing site’s contact form lists the unit franchise at a $5,000 to $50,000 investment ([Stratus Clean](https://www.stratusclean.com/about-us/)). Stratus does not post unit royalties on either site; they are in the master’s FDD.

### The master franchise

Stratus lists nine revenue streams for masters, including royalties on unit franchisee revenue, contract sales and product markups, and says about 90% of master revenue is recurring ([Stratus investment opportunity](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)). Its FAQ says the master role operates mainly on weekdays with few employees because the units do the evening and weekend cleaning, and that Stratus will not sell to someone who wants a passive investment ([Stratus FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)). Training is pre-opening work, one week at headquarters and two weeks on site, with an onboarding coach, the StratusConnect app, a national insurance program and a national accounts program.

Read the nine streams from the unit side and you have your cost list: the royalty, the contract assignment, the markup on products, the insurance program. That is not unusual or hidden, and Stratus’s own master checklist tells buyers to confirm “every stream, split, and timing in the FDD” ([Stratus master franchise buyer’s checklist](https://stratusfranchising.com/master-franchise-checklist/)). It is simply where the money goes.

### The green angle

Stratus describes itself as the leading Green Seal certified cleaning brand and says green cleaning comes standard in every program ([Stratus](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)). For a unit owner this means the products and methods are specified by the system. For a customer it is a reason to choose Stratus over a local independent, so if you go independent and want to compete for the same offices, Green Seal certified products from a janitorial supplier are available to anyone; what Stratus adds is the certification of the brand and the sales pitch built around it.

## How much does a Stratus franchise cost?

For the master franchise, Stratus posts a franchise fee of $75,000 to $200,000, a total initial investment of $110,000 to $350,000, required liquid capital of $125,000 to $150,000 and a net worth of $250,000 or more ([Stratus investment opportunity](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)). Its FAQ narrows the typical case: a master fee averaging about $125,000 and a total of $275,000 to $300,000 including roughly $150,000 of working capital ([Stratus FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)). For a unit, the only posted figure is the $5,000 to $50,000 range on the Stratus Clean contact form.

| Item | Master franchise (posted) | Unit franchise (posted) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Initial franchise fee | $75,000 to $200,000 ([Stratus](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)); about $125,000 on average ([Stratus FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)) | Not posted separately |
| Total initial investment | $110,000 to $350,000; typically $275,000 to $300,000 ([Stratus](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)) | $5,000 to $50,000 ([Stratus Clean](https://www.stratusclean.com/about-us/)) |
| Liquid capital and net worth | $125,000 to $150,000 liquid; $250,000+ net worth ([Stratus](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)) | Not posted |
| Veteran discount | 10% off the initial fee through VetFran ([Stratus](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)) | Not posted |
| Ongoing fees | Royalty to Stratus; not posted on the site, see Item 6 | Royalty and fees to the master; not posted, see the master’s Item 6 |

Stratus also publishes system figures that it says come from Item 19 of its FDD: franchised regions averaged $3.4 million in unit volume in 2025, the top five regions averaged $9.5 million, and the top region does about $15 million a year ([Stratus FAQ](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)). Those are regional sales totals across all the units in a territory, not what a master or a unit owner takes home. Stratus says so itself. Divide $3.4 million by the roughly 50 units an average territory would hold (5,500 units across 100-plus territories) and you get about $68,000 of annual billing per unit on average, before the royalty, fees and the owner’s own costs. That is our arithmetic from Stratus’s posted numbers, not a figure Stratus publishes, and the spread around it will be wide.

For a unit buyer the useful comparison is the DFPI’s rule of thumb: in janitorial franchises the fee is usually about half the gross revenue the accounts are supposed to produce in the first year ([California DFPI](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises/)). A $20,000 package should come with roughly $40,000 of annual billing. If the master offers less, ask why. Put the numbers through the [commercial cleaning calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/commercial-cleaning-calculator) to see the hours behind them.

## Which FDD items matter most for a Stratus buyer?

The FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR Part 436) requires the seller to give you the disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay ([16 CFR Part 436 on eCFR](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-436)). A master gets SBS Franchising’s FDD; a unit buyer gets the regional master’s FDD. Stratus’s own master checklist tells you to read Items 5 to 7 with an accountant and keep two years of runway ([Stratus checklist](https://stratusfranchising.com/master-franchise-checklist/)). Add these:

- **Item 6 (other fees).** For a unit: the royalty, any management or technology fee, the insurance program and the product markup. For a master: the royalty split with Stratus, which its checklist says is “typically shared 50 to 60 percent to you and 40 to 50 percent to the franchisor” across the industry, with the exact Stratus split in the FDD.
- **Item 11 (franchisor’s obligations).** The contract guarantee for units: how much billing, by when, and what happens when a contract is lost or declined. For masters: the development schedule and quotas, which the checklist lists as item two of seven things to evaluate.
- **Item 12 (territory).** How the master territory is protected, and whether national accounts can be placed in it by Stratus.
- **Item 17 (renewal, termination, transfer, dispute resolution).** This is where the arbitration clause and class action waiver live. The Eighth Circuit enforced Stratus’s unit agreement clause in 2015 (next section), so assume any dispute you have will be arbitrated individually.
- **Item 19.** The source of the $3.4 million and $238 million figures. Ask for the unit-level data if any exists.
- **Item 20.** Units opened, closed, transferred and terminated over three years, with contact lists. In a system that sells units quickly, this is the churn number.

## What do court records and regulators document about Stratus?

The main published case is Torres v. Simpatico, Inc., brought in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (case 4:12-cv-02373) by unit franchisees against the Stratus system. The docket is on GovInfo and lists Simpatico, Inc., Stratus Franchising, LLC and dozens of regional “Stratus Building Solutions of” entities as defendants ([GovInfo: Torres v. Simpatico](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-moed-4_12-cv-02373)).

- **What was alleged.** The plaintiffs were current or former unit franchisees who sued the franchisor, master franchisers and associated individuals alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The district court found that because the RICO claims alleged the plaintiffs were defrauded in part by operation of the unit franchise agreement, the agreement’s arbitration clause covered them ([Eighth Circuit opinion, March 25, 2015, PDF](https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/15/03/141567P.pdf)).
- **What was decided.** The district court compelled individual arbitration under Missouri contract law. On March 25, 2015 the Eighth Circuit affirmed, holding that the non-signatory defendants could enforce the clause, and that the waiver of punitive damages and attorneys’ fees went to remedy rather than the validity of the agreement to arbitrate ([Eighth Circuit opinion](https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/15/03/141567P.pdf)).
- **What was not decided.** No court ruled on whether the RICO allegations were true. The case established that Stratus unit franchisees must arbitrate individually, which is the practical point for a buyer: a class action is not an available remedy under that agreement.

Regulators do not single out Stratus. The California DFPI’s janitorial franchise page describes the model in general: fees that buy accounts for a limited period, lost accounts that need not be replaced, franchisor-controlled billing, family non-competes, and independent contractor status that may not hold up under California’s AB 5 ([DFPI](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises/)). Stratus’s system fits that description, and Item 3 of each FDD will list any litigation the Rule requires to be disclosed.

For balance: Stratus reports an 88% satisfaction rating from Franchise Business Review ([Stratus franchising](https://stratusfranchising.com/)) and says 86% of its masters would do it again ([Stratus about us](https://stratusfranchising.com/about-us/)). Those are master survey results reported by Stratus, not unit results, and we could not read FBR’s own page for the brand, so treat them as the company’s claim.

## What do Stratus franchise reviews tell you, and what should you ask owners?

Most Stratus reviews online are Google reviews from offices being cleaned; the franchise site displays those too. They tell you the brand is acceptable to customers, not what a unit owner nets. Use Item 20 and call people, at least five current and five former unit owners in the territory you would join.

1. What did your package cost, how much monthly billing came with it, and how long did it take to arrive?
2. What share of your collections goes to the master each month, with the insurance and product programs included?
3. Have you lost a contract? Was it replaced, and on what terms?
4. Which products must you buy through the system, and what do they cost against a janitorial supplier?
5. Does the master place national accounts with you, and at what rate?
6. How do you use StratusConnect day to day: schedules, inspections, invoices, or only statements?
7. Has anyone you know tried to dispute something with the master, and what happened?
8. For masters: how many units have you sold, how many are active, and what is the annual churn?
9. For former owners: why did you leave, and did you recover the fee?

## Stratus unit franchise vs starting an independent green cleaning company

Stratus sells a unit owner four things: contracts, a certified green brand, training, and the master’s back office. An independent owner builds the first and buys the other three piecemeal, then keeps every dollar of collections and owns the customer.

| What you need | Stratus unit | Independent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First contracts | Assigned by the master (terms in Item 11) | Your own bids; see our guide to [winning commercial cleaning contracts](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-contracts) |
| Green positioning | Green Seal certified brand and specified products | Green Seal certified products from any supplier, your own pitch |
| Pricing | Set by the master when the contract is won | Set by you; see our [commercial cleaning rate guide](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-prices) |
| Billing, reminders, collections | Master’s office, for a share of revenue | Your invoices, or software with card on file and automatic reminders |
| Insurance and bond | National insurance program through the system | Your own liability policy and a [janitorial bond](https://broombook.com/guides/janitorial-bond) |
| Disputes | Individual arbitration under the unit agreement | Ordinary contract remedies with each client |

The independent route is in our guide to [starting a commercial cleaning company](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-commercial-cleaning-business). For the back office a master runs, cleaning software covers bookings, recurring schedules, client records, reminders and card-on-file billing. Broombook is one option, at free for an owner who cleans with up to 2 cleaners, and $39 a month on Pro for a bigger crew with no per-cleaner fee ([pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing), [features](https://broombook.com/features)). It does not bring contracts or a certified brand; those are what the royalty buys.

A fair test for the unit: if the master offers a $20,000 package with $3,300 a month of billing, ask whether six months of evening cold visits to office parks, with green products and a bond in hand, could win $3,300 a month on your own. If the honest answer is no, Stratus is selling you something real. If yes, you keep the royalty and the customer.

## Who is a Stratus franchise right for?

The unit fits a cleaner who wants contracts assigned and billing handled, likes the green pitch, and accepts a royalty and individual arbitration in return. The master fits a corporate professional with $125,000 to $150,000 liquid who wants to recruit and sell on weekdays and never clean. Neither fits someone who wants to own the customer relationship.

- **Unit, good fit:** a first-time owner with $5,000 to $50,000, evening availability, and no appetite for sales calls.
- **Unit, poor fit:** an experienced cleaner with referrals, or anyone who wants a class action available if things go wrong.
- **Master, good fit:** a B2B sales leader who has read Torres v. Simpatico and asked other masters about unit churn.
- **Either level:** use the 14 days, have a franchise lawyer read Items 6, 11 and 17, and check your state’s independent contractor test. This guide is not legal or financial advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a Stratus Building Solutions franchise cost?

Stratus posts a master franchise fee of $75,000 to $200,000 and a total investment of $110,000 to $350,000, with $125,000 to $150,000 in liquid capital and a $250,000 net worth required; its FAQ says a typical master costs $275,000 to $300,000 all in. Unit franchises are listed at $5,000 to $50,000 on the Stratus Clean site, with the exact packages in the regional master’s FDD.

### What is the difference between a Stratus unit franchise and a master franchise?

A unit franchisee owns a cleaning business and services the contracts the master assigns. A master owns an exclusive territory, sells unit franchises, wins cleaning contracts and assigns them to units, and earns from royalties, contract sales and product markups. Stratus says masters do not clean and are not passive investors.

### Is Stratus Building Solutions a good franchise?

Stratus is one of the larger commercial cleaning systems, with a green cleaning brand, posted master figures and system-wide sales it reports at $238 million for 2025. The structure is the usual master-and-unit model, so unit owners pay royalties and fees and do not own the customer. A 2015 Eighth Circuit case confirmed that unit disputes go to individual arbitration. Call current and former unit owners before deciding.

### What was the Stratus Building Solutions lawsuit about?

In Torres v. Simpatico, Inc., unit franchisees sued the Stratus franchisor, master franchisees and related individuals under RICO. The district court sent the claims to individual arbitration under the unit franchise agreement, and the Eighth Circuit affirmed on March 25, 2015. No court ruled on whether the allegations were true.

### Is Stratus really green cleaning?

Stratus describes itself as a Green Seal certified cleaning brand and says green cleaning comes standard. Green Seal certifies products and services against published standards; an independent cleaner can buy Green Seal certified products from a janitorial supplier, but cannot use the Stratus brand or its certification.

### Does a Stratus unit franchisee get guaranteed contracts?

The master secures commercial cleaning contracts and assigns them to unit franchisees. How much billing is guaranteed, by when, and what happens when a contract is lost is set in the regional master’s franchise agreement and Item 11 of its FDD, so read those rather than relying on a sales conversation.

## Sources

- [Stratus franchising: Investment opportunity (checked October 28, 2026)](https://stratusfranchising.com/investment-opportunity/)
- [Stratus franchising: FAQs (checked October 28, 2026)](https://stratusfranchising.com/faqs/)
- [Stratus Clean: About us and franchise pages (checked October 28, 2026)](https://www.stratusclean.com/about-us/)
- [Stratus franchising: Master franchise buyer’s checklist (September 8, 2026)](https://stratusfranchising.com/master-franchise-checklist/)
- [US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit: Torres v. Simpatico, Inc., No. 14-1567 (March 25, 2015)](https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/15/03/141567P.pdf)
- [eCFR: 16 CFR Part 436, the FTC Franchise Rule](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-436)
- [California DFPI: Janitorial Service Franchises](https://dfpi.ca.gov/regulated-industries/franchises/janitorial-service-franchises/)

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