Pet waste removal franchises clean up after dogs in customers’ yards on a weekly or twice-weekly route, and service apartment complexes, parks and homeowner associations with waste stations. Customers pay by subscription, so revenue is recurring and grows with each house added to a route. Several brands add deodorizing, pet sitting or dog walking.
The business needs little to start: a vehicle, tools, bags and marketing, run from home.
The pet waste removal franchises
| Brand | Cost to open | Locations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poop 911A pet waste removal service cleaning up dog waste from residential and commercial properties in an exclusive territory.$4K–$26K | $4K–$26K | 268 | – |
| DoodyCallsA pet waste removal business cleaning up dog waste from yards and communities.$76K–$94K | $76K–$94K | 134 | +60 |
| Scoop SoldiersA Scoop Soldiers franchisee provides pet waste removal and yard deodorizing services.$64K–$123K | $64K–$123K | 115 | +37 |
| Pet ButlerA pet waste removal and pet care business serving homes and commercial properties.$96K–$121K | $96K–$121K | 41 | +5 |
| Scoop HeroA business providing regular pet waste cleanup and removal.$44K–$71K | $44K–$71K | 7 | – |
| Cooper's ScoopersA pet waste removal business that also offers pet sitting and dog walking.$31K–$80K | $31K–$80K | 4 | +4 |
| Scoop BrothersA Scoop Brothers franchisee removes pet waste from residential and commercial properties.$116K–$182K | $116K–$182K | 2 | +1 |
What pet waste removal franchises cost to open
The typical brand here costs $64K at the low end of its estimate and $94K at the high end. The lowest starting cost is Poop 911’s, from $4K. Use each brand’s full range for budgeting: the low end is a small site in a cheaper market.
With no premises and little equipment, the franchise fee is the largest share of the cost, followed by equipment and the vehicle and by opening marketing to sign up the first routes. Working capital is small because technicians can be added as customers sign up.
Fees and royalties
The typical franchise fee is $40K and the typical royalty 12% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. One brand charges a flat, tiered or other royalty instead of one percentage. Royalties come off sales before rent, wages or loan payments. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.
What locations sell
One brand here publishes a comparable yearly sales figure per location. Sales are before costs, so they say nothing on their own about profit.
| Brand | Yearly sales | Sales ÷ cost |
|---|---|---|
| Scoop Soldiers2025 | $170K | 1.8× |
Which pet waste removal franchises are growing
All 5 brands with three years of location figures grew from 2023 to 2025, a net change of +107 locations between them. The typical one lost none of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals, against 3.0% across all franchises. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 3 of the 7, so SBA-backed loans are open to them.
Before you buy
Some pet waste brands charge a higher royalty than most service franchises, or a flat monthly fee, so work out what they come to on a full route. Ask how many yards a technician serves a day, how many customers cancel each month, and what commercial accounts add. Check how your town requires dog waste to be disposed of.
Questions
How many yards can one pet waste technician do in a day?
Typically a few dozen residential yards on a dense route, fewer where houses are far apart or yards are large. Route density decides the margin, which is why brands sell protected territories and push owners to sign up neighbors of existing customers. Ask existing owners for their yards per day.
Where does the collected dog waste go?
Usually bagged and put in the customer's own trash bin, which most towns allow, or taken away for disposal where the customer or local rules require it. Commercial accounts often have waste stations emptied into a dumpster. Check your town's rules before choosing a service model.