How does The Cleaning Authority model work?
You buy a protected territory defined by zip codes, open an office or storage space, and run cleaning teams that serve homes on a recurring Monday-to-Friday schedule. The franchisor says the main criterion for a territory is the number of target households within it, and that the size depends on the region and the size of business you want (The Cleaning Authority FAQs).
From the franchisor’s pages:
- No experience required. The FAQ says you do not need prior experience with the company or with running a franchise; training and resources are provided.
- Marketing. National brand advertising support, creative assets, approved marketing programs and local guidance, funded in part by the 2% national brand fund. Owners are also responsible for local marketing requirements set in the FDD.
- Hiring. The franchisor points to job ads and employee referrals, and provides online career marketing to attract applicants.
- Facilities. An office or storage space in your territory, chosen with help during training.
- Recurring revenue. The home page stresses that you do not start from zero every month, because customers on average have their homes cleaned every two weeks (The Cleaning Authority franchise).
- Community program. The Cleaning Authority CARES, launched in 2016, has collected over 1,000,000 pounds of food according to the FAQ.
Like the other maid brands, this is a management business. The owner sells, hires, schedules and checks quality; teams clean. Ask franchisees whether they cleaned in the first months anyway, because many owners do to protect cash.
What does The Cleaning Authority publish about franchisee revenue?
The franchise home page posts one Item 19 figure: average gross revenue in the top third of reporting territories of $2,486,854 (The Cleaning Authority franchise). It does not post a median, a bottom third, profit or owner pay on the pages we read.
How to use that number:
- It is the top third. Two thirds of reporting territories did less. Ask for all three groups, how many territories reported, and how long each had been open.
- It is gross revenue. At 6% plus 2%, a territory doing $2,486,854 pays about $198,948 a year in royalty and brand fund before labor, vehicles, supplies, insurance and rent.
- Territory size drives it. A large territory with many target households can produce that revenue with several teams; a small one cannot. Compare the figure with the household count of the territory you are offered.
A hypothetical check: if the average recurring client pays $160 per visit every two weeks, that is about $4,160 a year per client, so $2,486,854 of revenue implies roughly 600 recurring clients and a staff to match. Ask owners at that level how many cleaners and vehicles they run. The FTC rule requires any such figure to be in Item 19 with a reasonable basis and written substantiation available on request (16 CFR 436.5(s)).
Which FDD items should you read before signing?
The franchisor must furnish its current disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay (16 CFR 436.2). For The Cleaning Authority, spend the most time on:
- Item 1. The franchising entity (The Cleaning Authority Franchising SPE LLC) and its parent, Authority Brands.
- Item 3, litigation. Any suits involving the franchisor, predecessors or affiliates.
- Item 5, initial fees. The $50,000 fee, any additional designated household fee, and the discounts.
- Item 6, other fees. The 6% royalty, 2% brand fund, technology fee, local marketing minimums, and any transfer or renewal fees.
- Item 7. The table behind $119,100 to $163,350, including how many months of additional funds it assumes.
- Item 11, training and technology. What software you must use and what the weekly technology fee covers.
- Item 12, territory. Zip codes, target households, and whether the territory can be reduced or resold.
- Items 19, 20 and 21. The full revenue table, outlet changes by year (growth was 11.6% per Entrepreneur, so look at where units opened and whether any closed), and audited financials.
A franchise attorney and an accountant should review the FDD and agreement with you. This guide is not legal or financial advice.
What do public records and franchisee reviews show?
Our search of readable news and court records on October 28, 2026 found no reported lawsuit between The Cleaning Authority’s franchisor and its franchisees. That is not proof none exists; Item 3 of the current FDD is the authoritative list, and the state franchise registration offices hold filings you can request.
What the public record does show:
- Rankings. Entrepreneur ranks the brand #173 in its 2026 Franchise 500, #8 among top franchises for less than $100,000, #47 among top franchises for veterans in 2025 and #23 for diversity, equity and inclusion in 2024 (Entrepreneur).
- Unit growth. 251 units with 11.6% growth in the same directory. Item 20 shows the detail by state.
- Owner testimonials on the franchisor’s site are selected by the franchisor. They are useful for understanding the lifestyle pitch (the site quotes an owner coaching soccer and setting his own hours) but they are marketing, not a sample.
- Employee and customer reviews online describe single locations run by independent owners, which the franchise site itself notes.
The reliable source of reviews is the Item 20 owner list, including former owners. Use the questions below.
What should you ask current and former Cleaning Authority owners?
Call at least five current and five former owners from Item 20, with a mix of territory sizes and signing years.
- How many target households does your territory have, and what did the franchise fee and any household fee come to?
- What did you spend before your first profitable month, and how did that compare with the $119,100 to $163,350 range?
- What is your gross revenue, and which third of the Item 19 table are you in?
- What does the national brand fund do in your market, and what do you spend on local marketing on top of it?
- What software is required, what does the technology fee cover, and what do you pay separately?
- How long did it take to hire your first two teams, and what is your turnover?
- Has support changed since Authority Brands grew to 15 brands? How fast do you get an answer?
- What are your hours, and when did you start paying yourself?
- For former owners: why did you leave, and what did the 15-year agreement require on the way out?
- Would you buy again at today’s fee?
The Cleaning Authority vs going independent: a 5-year example
In our hypothetical example, a Cleaning Authority owner pays about $237,200 to the franchisor over five years, and an independent owner with the same revenue spends about $46,540 on software and matching marketing. The gap, about $190,660 or $38,132 a year, is what the brand, territory, training and support must earn back.
Assumptions: both businesses reach the same revenue. We use the posted $50,000 fee, 6% royalty and 2% brand fund, plus the $40 weekly technology fee from Entrepreneur, and assume the percentages apply to gross revenue (check Item 6). The independent owner pays for Broombook’s Pro plan at $39 a month and spends the same 2% of revenue on their own marketing.
| Example year | Revenue (assumed) | Royalty at 6% | Brand fund at 2% | Technology fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $200,000 | $12,000 | $4,000 | $2,080 |
| Year 2 | $350,000 | $21,000 | $7,000 | $2,080 |
| Year 3 | $480,000 | $28,800 | $9,600 | $2,080 |
| Year 4 | $560,000 | $33,600 | $11,200 | $2,080 |
| Year 5 | $620,000 | $37,200 | $12,400 | $2,080 |
| 5-year total | $2,210,000 | $132,600 | $44,200 | $10,400 |
| Over five years (example) | The Cleaning Authority | Independent |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise fee | $50,000 | $0 |
| Royalty | $132,600 | $0 |
| Marketing (brand fund, or the independent’s own 2%) | $44,200 | $44,200 |
| Booking, scheduling and billing software | $10,400 (technology fee) | $2,340 |
| Total | $237,200 | $46,540 |
The franchise gives you a protected territory sized by households, a 30-year-old franchise system, national advertising and a parent with more than 1,000 owners across 15 brands. The independent path gives you every dollar above costs, your own choice of services and prices, a start far below $119,100, and no 15-year commitment. A first-time owner who wants a playbook and has the capital may be well served; an owner who already has clients may be paying $38,132 a year for a name.
The scheduling, reminders and billing side of the system is available to independents directly. Broombook gives an independent cleaning company online booking with instant prices, recurring scheduling, automatic reminders, a crew app with checklists, and card-on-file billing. It is free for an owner with up to 2 cleaners, or $39 a month on Pro for a bigger crew, with no credit card to start. It replaces systems, not the brand or the territory. If you lean independent, our guide on how to start a cleaning business lists the real startup costs, and the profit calculator lets you subtract 8% of revenue to see both paths side by side.