ACE DuraFlo franchise
2022 filing · June 2, 2022
ACE DuraFlo at a glance
A pipe restoration business that lines leaking pipes with epoxy instead of replacing them. At the end of 2021 there were 11 ACE DuraFlo locations in the US, 10 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Santa Ana, California
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $147K–$415K
- The residential and light commercial package, for a buyer without a plumbing business
- Franchise fee
- $34,900
- For the residential and light commercial package in a territory of up to one million people, plus $8,000 for each additional 250,000
- Royalty
- 6%–8%
- 8% of gross receipts up to $1 million a year and 6% above, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 1.5%
- 1.5% of gross receipts, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $1,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 11
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 10
- Company-owned
- 1
- States
- 5
- Most in Texas, California and Florida
Support and records
From ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC’s 2022 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 115; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
ACE DuraFlo among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | ACE DuraFlo | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $280,888 | Costs less than 59% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $34,900 | Lower than 71% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 11 | Fewer than 60% of franchises |
How much a ACE DuraFlo franchise costs
Opening the residential and light commercial package, for a buyer without a plumbing business costs an estimated $146,700 to $415,075. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds - three months ($35,000 to $150,000) and equipment package ($35,000 to $72,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $34,900 | ||
| Real Property and Fixtures | $2,500 | $15,000 | |
| Compressor | $15,000 | $50,975 | |
| Equipment Package | $35,000 | $72,000 | |
| Plumbing Tools, Supplies and Epoxy | $10,000 | $13,000 | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $50,000 | |
| Signage | $2,300 | $4,200 | |
| Misc. Opening Costs, including Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $12,000 | $25,000 | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $35,000 | $150,000 | |
| Total | $146,700 | $415,075 | |
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 19
ACE DuraFlo franchise fee
The franchise fee is $34,900, for the residential and light commercial package in a territory of up to one million people, plus $8,000 for each additional 250,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of gross receipts up to $1 million a year and 6% above, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1.5% of gross receipts, paid with the royalty. |
| Renewal Fee | $1,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 16
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures ACE DuraFlo does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 42
How ACE DuraFlo compares
Of the 19 plumbing franchises on this site, ACE DuraFlo is the 12th cheapest to open and the 10th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | ACE DuraFlo | Typical plumbing brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $147K | $143K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $415K | $287K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1.5% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 11 | 13 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | −52.4% | +54.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 13 of 19 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 19 brands in plumbing franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 21 (0) | 3 |
| 2020 | 11 (−10) | 1 |
| 2021 | 10 (−1) | 1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 43
Where ACE DuraFlo locations are
At the end of 2021, ACE DuraFlo had locations in 5 states. The most are in Texas, California and Florida.
- Texas4
- California3
- Florida2
- Ohio1
- South Carolina1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| California | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ohio | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, page 45
Who owns ACE DuraFlo?
ACE DuraFlo franchises are sold by ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 14, bankruptcy on page 14
ACE DuraFlo filings
The figures on this page come from ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued June 2, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | June 2, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other plumbing franchises
All plumbing franchises
ACE DuraFlo is also on these lists: home service franchises.