LIME Painting franchise
2024 filing · April 29, 2024GrowingShares sales figures
LIME Painting at a glance
A painting company running residential and commercial painting jobs with licensed painters and subcontractors. At the end of 2023 there were 82 LIME Painting locations in the US, 79 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Lime Franchise Systems, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $127K–$227K
- One territory
- Franchise fee
- $60,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7% (tiered)
- 7% of gross sales up to $2.5 million a year, 5% up to $5 million and 4% above that, with a monthly minimum after six months
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 82
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 79
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- +75
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
From Lime Franchise Systems, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
LIME Painting among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | LIME Painting | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $176,888 | Costs less than 73% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $60,000 | Higher than 88% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 82 | More than 73% of franchises |
How much a LIME Painting franchise costs
Opening one territory costs an estimated $126,700 to $227,075. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds - 3 to 6 months ($15,250 to $90,000) and initial franchise fee ($60,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | ||
| Initial On-Site Training Fee | $8,000 | ||
| Travel Expenses to Corporate Training | $2,000 | $3,000 | |
| Start-Up Package | $2,500 | $3,500 | |
| Mobile Unit and Vehicle Wrap Package | $6,000 | $8,500 | |
| Initial Technology Package (including pre-opening Technology Fees) | $10,000 | ||
| Technology Fee(s) – 3 to 6 months post-opening | $2,700 | $5,400 | |
| Initial Marketing Spend | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Digital Marketing Requirement – 3 to 6 months post-opening | $4,500 | $9,000 | |
| Licenses and Certifications | $250 | $675 | |
| Insurance – Initial Premium(s) | $3,500 | $5,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 to 6 Months | $15,250 | $90,000 | |
| Total | $126,700 | $227,075 | |
Source: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, page 23
LIME Painting franchise fee
The franchise fee is $60,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales up to $2.5 million a year, 5% up to $5 million and 4% above that, with a monthly minimum after six months. |
|---|---|
| Initial Technology Package (including pre-opening Technology Fees) | $10,000 |
| Transfer Fee (Franchise Agreement and Multi-Territory Addendum) | $10,000 (per Designated Territory being assigned) |
| Initial On-Site Training Fee | $8,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 19–23. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures LIME Painting publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, page 59
SBA loans to LIME Painting franchisees
Lenders approved 27 SBA 7(a) loans for LIME Painting franchisees from 2019 to 2025, $3.65M in all. Of the 4 that have ended, 2 were paid in full and 2 were charged off. The other 23 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2023 / 2021–2023. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | LIME Painting | Typical painting brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +22% / +1875% | −1.3% / +6.5% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 11% / 38% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 1.5% / 50% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical painting brand is the median of the 11 brands in painting franchises with three years of counts.
How LIME Painting compares
Of the 22 painting franchises on this site, LIME Painting is the 17th cheapest to open and the 6th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | LIME Painting | Typical painting brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $127K | $96K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $227K | $165K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $60K | $50K | $40K |
| US locations | 82 | 42 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 16 of 22 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 22 brands in painting franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31 (+27) | 2 | +27 | 0 |
| 2022 | 65 (+34) | 2 | +35 | −1 |
| 2023 | 79 (+14) | 3 | +15 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Counts are territories; one franchisee may own several.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, page 64
Who owns LIME Painting?
LIME Painting franchises are sold by Lime Franchise Systems, LLC. It is a subsidiary of LIME Holdings, LLC.
From Lime Franchise Systems, LLC’s 2024 filing, page 10.
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: Lime Franchise Systems, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
LIME Painting filings
The figures on this page come from Lime Franchise Systems, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 29, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 29, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other painting franchises
All painting franchises
LIME Painting is also on these lists: home service franchises.