Franchise Deep Dive: Spring-Green Lawn Care’s Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

The lawn care franchise known for its green initiatives continues to grow across the country, but are the franchise rewards worth investing in?

By Aryanna Cannoy1851 Franchise Contributor

Updated 2:14PM • 03/19/23

LAST UPDATED: January 11, 2023

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://franchise-opportunity.spring-green.com/

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 150

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $102,163–$108,373

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $865,790 (average gross sales per franchise business)

Spring-Green Lawn Care, a neighborhood-based lawn care, pest control and tree care company, has been serving the U.S. for over 45 years. The brand began in Illinois and now has over 150 locations in over 25 states. As Spring-Green grows, it competes with other big-name lawn care franchises like Lawn Doctor*, U.S. Lawns and Weed Man.

How Many Spring-Green Franchises Are There?

There are over 150 Spring-Green Lawn Care locations in the U.S. The brand has offered franchises since its inception in 1977. In 2021, the brand had a total of 152 locations sold, which brought it to a 6.3% increase over the previous three years. Recently, Spring-Green has focused on expanding its reach with existing businesses in the green industry with the recent launch of a new stimulus plan.

Spring-Green is known for founding the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), which promotes professionalism and focuses on making the landscape industry as environmentally as possible. The brand’s green initiative helps it to compete with other national franchises.

What is the Spring-Green Business Model?

Spring-Green offers two different paths to franchise ownership. Potential franchisees can open a territory from the ground up or add Spring Green in conjunction with an existing green industry company. Spring-Green franchises will be trained to offer landscaping, pest control or commercial and residential mowing and maintenance. Franchisees only need one technician for lawn care, not an entire crew. And with national pricing programs, you’ll have access to industry distributors and favored pricing.

How Much Can Spring-Green Franchise Owners Make?

The financial performance representations in Spring-Green’s 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document include compiled information from 74 franchised businesses that were in business for one full calendar year as of December 31, 2021.

Average Gross Sales Per Franchised Business: $865,790
Average Gross Sales Per Franchised Business- Single Territory: $558,853
Average Gross Sales Per Franchised Business- Multiple Territories: $1,226,892
Average Revenue Per Customer: $446
Average Gross Sales per Full-Time Production Vehicle: $168,601

How Much Does it Cost to Open a Spring-Green?

The estimated total investment necessary to begin the operation of a Spring-Green territory ranges from $102,163 to $108,373. The following costs are part of the upfront costs included in the initial investment:

Initial Franchise Fee: $40,000
Production Vehicles, Equipment and Fixtures: $5,332
Technology Equipment and Software: $3,250
Opening Inventory and Supplies: $2,481
Initial Marketing Campaign Fee: $30,000
Initial Property Data Fee: $13,500
Training Expenses: $0 – $2,010
Miscellaneous Opening Costs (including licenses, insurance and other prepaid expenses): $1,600 – $3,800
Additional Funds - 3 months: $6,000 – $8,000

Ongoing Costs and Fees include:

Royalty Fees: 8 to 10% of gross sales payable weekly.

What is the Franchise Fee for Spring-Green?

The Spring-Green Franchise fee is $40,000. This is the upfront fee that must be paid to the brand when opening a location. This fee guarantees a geographic territory containing up to 60,000 singly family dwelling units.

According to the brand’s FDD, there is a way to waive the initial franchise fee for Spring-Green by participating in the Green Associate Program. You can also participate in the Spring-Green Franchise Fee Financing if you are eligible. With this program, you only have to make an initial payment of $25,000 when you sign the franchise agreement. You would then be able to finance the remaining balance of the initial franchise fee over five years.