Top 10 Outdoor Home Service Franchises To Watch in 2020

According to ABC News, Americans are working longer hours, have less time to spare and are finding that their private life is being infringed upon. In addition, 46% of all two-parent households consist of dual-income situations whereby both parents are working full time, which equates to less free time and more money to spend on home maintenance and improvements.

The outdoor home care industry includes a variety of in-demand services, such as exterior painting, pool cleaning, lawn care, insect repellant, window repair, extermination services and more. In order to ensure a franchise brand’s success in this segment, franchisors must implement well-defined strategic training and business planning to increase customer satisfaction and meet and exceed their needs.

Here are some of the top outdoor home service franchise brands to keep an eye on in 2020.

Mosquito Joe*

Unit count: 290 territories

Investment range: $90,600 to $135,500

Franchise opportunity website: https://mosquitojoefranchise.com/

Mosquito Joe offers customers dependable and expert home services, cultivating a 100% satisfaction guarantee and explosive growth due to its ability to provide both residential and commercial customers with a reliable and effective pest control service. Mosquito Joe’s service—a spray that gets rid of mosquitos and other bugs for up to three weeks—has created high customer demand and repeat service that has led to consistent growth and expansion efforts.

What you can learn from this brand: Mosquito Joe provides additional discounts for veterans of the armed forces that buy into the brand through participation in VetFran. The Mosquito Joe team takes great pride in helping veterans find new purpose in giving back to their communities by using the same skill set the military gave them to own their own business. The Mosquito Joe system is represented by 20 percent of its owners who are veterans.

NaturaLawn of America

Unit count: 89

Investment range: $150,000

Franchise opportunity website: https://naturalawnfranchise.com/

NaturaLawn of America was founded by Beecher Smith and Philip Catron in the mid-1980sand helped pioneer eco-friendly lawn care. Over the years, the brand has continued to help consumers understand that “the picture-perfect, weed-free, insect-free lawn is a myth that endorses unnecessary and irresponsible pesticide use.”

What you can learn from this brand: The company was one of the first to make a deliberate choice to commit to environmental stewardship over traditional lawn care practices. The brand has developed a proprietary line of products that use organic fertilization and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce weed and insect control usage on lawns by more than 85%. 

Mosquito Hunters*

Unit count: 54

Investment range: $69,949 to $82,209

Franchise opportunity website: https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com/

Mosquito Hunters offers a targeted insect and pest repellent service for customers and a “dream business” for franchisees. With a service that never goes out of style, Mosquito Hunters’ lucrative revenue stream, simplified business model and low overhead costs have contributed to the brand’s fast-growing success. 

What you can learn from this brand: The home services franchise recently began offering franchisees the opportunity to “Soft Roll Out” or “Sign and Secure” their businesses to set them up for an explosive spring season. Mosquito Hunters’ Soft Roll Out strategy allows new franchisees to maintain their day jobs while running ground game part-time to establish their brands and the Sign and Secure strategy lets franchisees hold a territory. 

Shack Shine

Unit count: 40

Investment range: $49,500 to $99,500

Franchise opportunity website: https://www.shackshine.com/business-opportunity/shack-shine/

Shack Shine offers interior and exterior window washing, gutter cleaning, power washing and even Christmas light installation. The brand prioritizes eco-friendly services, opting for biodegradable solutions as opposed to the use of harsh chemicals for its house detailing services. The brand uses the latest cleaning tools to ensure quick, thorough and safe service, such as water-fed poles, filtration systems and gutter vacuums.

What you can learn from this brand: According to a study done by IBIS World, the exterior cleaning industry is valued at $10 billion annually, with 5% year-over-year growth for the past five years. This brand is creating a new niche within the home services industry by offering house detailing. Shack Shine part of O2E Brands, the parent company of other home services including 1-800-GOT-JUNK, Wow 1-Day Painting and You Move Me.

Lawn Doctor*

Unit count: 530+

Investment range: $101,800 to $116,000

Franchise opportunity website: https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/

Established in 1967 as a New Jersey hardware store, Lawn Doctor is a brand committed to customizing lawn care plans for its customers, offering year-round maintenance including fertilization, aeration, and weed and insect control. With 50 years of experience and a customer retention rate of over 80%, Lawn Doctor is a leading brand in the $78 billion landscape and lawn care industry.

What you can learn from this brand: Since Entrepreneur Magazine started releasing its “Franchise 500” rankings 40 years ago, Lawn Doctor is one of only six brands to have managed to be featured on at least 38 of those lists. In addition to the stable business model created by recurring demand, Lawn Doctor differentiates itself from the competition by developing innovative lawn treatment machinery that covers more surface area than alternative methods.

Servpro

Unit count: 1,700-plus

Investment range: $159,325 to $213,200

Franchise opportunity website: http://servprofranchise.com/

As one of the largest round-the-clock residential and commercial restoration franchises, Servpro has been mitigating disasters for its clients since 1967. Servpro works to repair water damage, fire damage and storm damage while also handling mold remediation and other commercial cleaning services. The brand has consistently been ranked the No. 1 franchise in restoration services on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 ranking. 

What you can learn from this brand: During large scale disasters, Servpro franchisees join efforts to assist in aiding those affected. For example, recently Servpro organized A Large Loss Storm Response Team to help areas affected by Hurricane Dorian. The brand has amassed an impressive resume, serving as the damage removal company at the Pentagon after 9/11 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Fresh Coat*

Unit count: 120-plus

Investment range: $53,850 to $81,750

Franchise opportunity website: https://freshcoatfranchise.com/

Fresh Coat was born out of a need for a professional and consistent painting company where people could be confident in the painter’s abilities. The eco-friendly exterior and interior painting services brand offers painting services both large and small, from a single room to a whole house or business, the referral-based system is built on reliable painters, accurate quotes and timely completion.

What you can learn from this brand: The Cincinnati-based company plans to nearly double the 300 employees who paint homes and businesses as it expands across this country. Last year, after recognizing the need to search for employees as opposed to simply posting ads, the franchisor launched an apprenticeship program to attract workers, in addition to providing higher pay and benefits.

LIME Painting

Unit count: 35

Investment range: $89,550 to $115,275

Franchise opportunity website: https://limepaintingfranchise.com/

LIME Painting is a comprehensive one-stop-shop for quality painting, custom coatings and restoration solutions for high-end properties. Since LIME Painting’s consumer market is made up of affluent homes and LIME offers more than just paint, the average account value is four times the industry average. Beyond painting, the brand includes maintenance, construction, repainting and even complete restoration services. 

What you can learn from this brand: Following in line with the growing trend of loyalty programs, LIME Painting’s Loyalty Customer Membership Program offers repeat customers a large variety of perks and benefits for a small membership fee calculated based on the price of the full job, including contributions to the company’s public charity nonprofit, LIME Light Outreach. This, along with exceptional service, has resulted in a 20% customer return rate.

Pool Scouts*

Unit count: 17

Investment range: $62,000 to $121,000

Franchise opportunity website: https://poolscoutsfranchise.com/

Virginia Beach, Virginia-based Pool Scouts is a premier pool service franchise focused on delivering quality pool cleanings, maintenance and minor repair services at residential properties. Technicians are trained in testing, monitoring, treating and servicing pools and can provide ongoing service during both the beginning and end of the summer season. With nearly 20 territories nationwide, Pool Scouts offers a great opportunity as a low-cost franchise in the pool services industry with available territories across the U.S. 

What you can learn from this brand: To increase efforts around the promotion of safety, Pool Scouts kicked off 2019 by announcing a new corporate charitable partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. For one week during National Water Safety Month, Pool Scouts dedicated 5% of sales across 90% of locations to the foundation in an effort to help fund swim lessons for children who may not otherwise have access.

Window Genie

Unit count: 121

Investment range: $80,000 to $150,000

Franchise opportunity website: http://windowgeniefranchise.com/

Started in 1994, Window Genie is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based brand that offers a wide range of window cleaning services. After founder Richard Nonelle added new options to the brand’s list of service offerings, specifically window tinting, pressure washing and gutter cleaning, the brand exploded in popularity. Window Genie to begin franchising in 1998, growing its client base to more than 100 markets in 30-plus states.

What you can learn from this brand: The Window Genie culture is deeply rooted in integrity, ethics and a sincere desire to help each franchise partner succeed. Franchise owners represent the Window Genie brand and culture by running their businesses based on professionalism, reliability, loyalty and service. The brand’s trademark purple “Geniemobiles” are a common sight in the communities it serves.