HVAC franchises
The typical HVAC franchise here costs $139,500 to $271,709 to open. Sort the table by cost, fee, royalty or number of locations.
- Brands
- 13
- Typical cost
- $140K–$272K
- Lowest start
- $85KWe Clean Heat Pumps
- Share earnings
- 10 of 13
All 13 brands
Sort by any column, or filter by budget and fees.
| $143K–$287K | $43,000 | 6% | 446 | Yes | |
| $114K–$272K | $45,000 | 5–7% | 229 | $1.56M | |
| $67K–$140K | $65,000+ | 2.5%–4.5% + minimum | 103 | Yes | |
| $149K–$289K | $59,900 | 6% + minimum | 84 | Yes | |
| $225K–$291K | $59,500 | 3%–5%, subject to minimums | 64 | Yes | |
| $179K–$346K | $56,500 | Variable royalty; minimum revenue basis | 63 | Yes | |
| $101K–$193K | $40,000 | 5% + minimum | 22 | Yes | |
| $85K–$268K | $30,000 | 6% | 5 | Yes | |
| $100K–$158K | $40,000 | 6% | 3 | No | |
| $140K–$272K | $60,000 | 6% | 3 | Yes | |
| $639K–$1.61M | $50,000 | 2% | 3 | No | |
| $106K–$205K | $40,000 | 6% | 2 | No | |
| $144K–$240K | $49,900 | 10% + minimum | – | $443K |
How HVAC franchises compare
Of the 13 brands, 2 give a comparable yearly sales figure per location, from $443K at DUCTZ to $1.56M at Aire Serv. From 2023 to 2025, 9 of the 10 brands with three years of counts grew their US locations, and Varsity Zone added the most (+64). Who runs it, by the franchise agreement: 10 can be run by a trained manager, 2 don’t need the owner to take part. How sales figures compare · Who runs it
| Brand | Sales per location | Locations vs 2023 | Exits/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aire ServA trained manager can run itExits: 11.7% a year | $1.56Maverage | 229+22 | 11.7% |
| DUCTZ | $443Kaverage | – | n/a |
| One Hour Heating & Air ConditioningA trained manager can run itExits: 4.0% a year | n/a | 446+61 | 4.0% |
| Linc ServiceA trained manager can run itExits: 13.4% a year | n/a | 103−30 | 13.4% |
| Service ExpertsA trained manager can run itExits: none a year | n/a | 84+1 | none |
| Varsity ZoneA trained manager can run it | n/a | 64+64 | n/a |
| 1-800-Plumber +AirA trained manager can run itExits: 29.0% a year | n/a | 63+23 | 29.0% |
| Heating + Air ParamedicsA trained manager can run it | n/a | 22+18 | n/a |
| We Clean Heat PumpsOwner needn't take part | n/a | 5 | n/a |
| MRCOOL CenterA trained manager can run itExits: none a year | n/a | 3+3 | none |
| Quality Pro ServicesA trained manager can run itExits: none a year | n/a | 3+3 | none |
| Vuksani Service GroupA trained manager can run it | n/a | 3+2 | n/a |
| To the T Plumbing & HeatingOwner needn't take part | n/a | 2 | n/a |
Sales are the yearly average (or median) per franchised location from each brand’s latest filing; per-owner figures, company-run locations and groups under five locations are left out. Locations are franchised plus company-owned in the US at the end of the latest year reported, with the change since 2023. Exits/yr is franchised locations closed, terminated or not renewed each year, as a share of the average count; buy-backs and transfers don’t count.
Best HVAC franchises to own
No HVAC brand here passes all five tests (growth, few owner exits, earnings figures shared, SBA listing, 100+ US locations three years ago); these came closest. How the ranking works
| Brand | Growth | Exits/yr | Cost to open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aire ServMissed “Few exits”: 11.7% of locations exited each year$114K–$272K to open | +11% | 11.7% | $114K–$272K |
| One Hour Heating & Air ConditioningMissed “Few exits”: 4.0% of locations exited each year$143K–$287K to open | +16% | 4.0% | $143K–$287K |
| Service ExpertsMissed “Proven”: 83 US locations three years ago$149K–$289K to open | +1.2% | none | $149K–$289K |
| Quality Pro ServicesMissed “Proven”: 0 US locations three years ago$140K–$272K to open | n/a | none | $140K–$272K |
Related lists
HVAC franchises: questions
What is the cheapest HVAC franchise?
Of the 13 brands here, We Clean Heat Pumps has the lowest estimated starting investment: $84,750 to $267,500 to open.
Which HVAC franchise is the largest?
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, with 446 locations (418 franchised) at the end of 2025.
What royalty do HVAC franchises charge?
Royalties on gross sales in this list run from 2% to 10%, with a median of 6%. Most brands add a separate marketing or brand fund fee.
Which HVAC franchises share earnings figures?
10 of 13 share sales or earnings figures, among them 1-800-Plumber +Air, Aire Serv, DUCTZ, Heating + Air Paramedics.