Rubbish Works franchise
2022 filing · March 25, 2022
Rubbish Works at a glance
A full-service junk removal business hauling away unwanted items for homeowners and businesses, donating and recycling where it can. At the end of 2021 there were 8 Rubbish Works locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Rubbish Works, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2005
- 17 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Charlottesville, Virginia
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $106K–$144K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $65,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6% + minimum
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, with a $150 weekly minimum; a contact center fee of the greater of 2% of gross sales or $220 a week also applies
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 8
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 8
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 6
- Most in Michigan, Ohio and Florida
From Rubbish Works, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Rubbish Works among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Rubbish Works | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $125,175 | Costs less than 82% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $65,000 | Higher than 92% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 8 | Fewer than 65% of franchises |
How much a Rubbish Works franchise costs
Opening one Rubbish Works costs an estimated $106,350 to $144,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are franchise fee ($65,000) and additional funds(12) (3 months) ($22,500 to $40,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $65,000 | ||
| Vehicle | $1,500 | $5,000 | |
| Real Estate and/or Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $3,000 | |
| Equipment & Supplies | $1,250 | $3,500 | |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Signage | $3,000 | $4,000 | |
| Technology Fee | $5,000 | ||
| Grand Opening | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Licenses/Bonds | $100 | $1,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Additional Funds(12) (3 months) | $22,500 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $106,350 | $144,000 | |
Source: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, page 18
Rubbish Works franchise fee
The franchise fee is $65,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, with a $150 weekly minimum; a contact center fee of the greater of 2% of gross sales or $220 a week also applies. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Technology Fee | $210 per week |
| Transfer Fee (or expenses) | Up to greater of $10,000 or our actual out-of- pocket expenses |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, page 16
Other fees as filed, from pages 16–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Rubbish Works 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: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, page 39
SBA loans to Rubbish Works franchisees
Lenders approved 6 SBA 7(a) loans for Rubbish Works franchisees from 2021 to 2026, $855K in all. One has been paid in full; none was charged off. The other 5 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
How Rubbish Works compares
Of the 20 junk removal franchises on this site, Rubbish Works is the 8th cheapest to open and the 14th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Rubbish Works | Typical junk removal brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $106K | $122K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $144K | $316K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $65K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7.5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 8 | 20 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 16 of 20 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 20 brands in junk removal franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| 2021 | 8 (+8) | 0 |
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: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 39–40
Where Rubbish Works locations are
At the end of 2021, Rubbish Works had franchised locations in 6 states. The most are in Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
- Michigan2
- Ohio2
- Florida1
- Tennessee1
- Texas1
- Virginia1
Source: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, page 40
Who owns Rubbish Works?
Rubbish Works franchises are sold by Rubbish Works, LLC.
Rubbish Works is one of the 18 Premium Service Brands franchises here.
From Rubbish Works, LLC’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 12–15. |
|---|---|
| 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: Rubbish Works, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 12–15, bankruptcy on page 15
Rubbish Works filings
The figures on this page come from Rubbish Works, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued March 25, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | March 25, 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 junk removal franchises
All junk removal franchises
Rubbish Works is also on these lists: home service franchises.
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