Snap-on franchise

2023 filing · February 2023Shares sales figures

Snap-on at a glance

A Snap-on franchisee runs a mobile tool store, selling Snap-on tools and diagnostic equipment to mechanics from a van on a set route. At the end of 2022 there were 3,409 Snap-on locations in the US, 3,270 franchised and 139 company-owned.

The business

Industry: Mobile; Also listed in retail
Franchisor: Snap-on Tools Company LLC; The company that sells the franchises
Who runs it: Owner; An owner must run it day to day

What you pay

Cost to open: $201K–$465K; One mobile tool store
Franchise fee: $8K–$16K; $16,000 for a new franchise, including initial training, a technology package and office supplies; less for conversions and renewals.
Royalty: $145/month; No percentage royalty; a $145 monthly license fee and an $85 monthly software fee, with inventory bought from Snap-on
SBA Franchise Directory: Listed; SBA-backed loans are possible

Where it is

US locations, 2022: 3,409; Franchised and company-owned
Franchised: 3,270
Company-owned: 139
States: 50; Most in California, Texas and Pennsylvania

Support and records

Shares sales figures: Yes; For some or all locations
Initial training: 215.5 hours; 80.5 hours in class and 135 on the job
SBA loans approved: 265; 1990–2026
Lawsuits disclosed: Yes
Bankruptcy disclosed: None
Guarantor revenue, 2022: $4.84B; The company, not one location
Guarantor net income: $933.9M
Latest filing: Feb 2023; 2023 filing

From Snap-on Tools Company LLC’s 2023 filing; revenue and net income from the guarantor’s audited financial statements, page 268; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.

Guarantor figures are for Snap-on Incorporated, the parent company that guarantees the franchisor’s obligations to owners. They cover everything that company and its subsidiaries earn, not what a location makes.

Estimate your costs Model the payback

Where it ranks

Snap-on among all franchises with the same figure.

Figure	Snap-on	Among all franchises
Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate	$333,435	Costs less than 53% of franchises
Franchise feePaid once, when you sign	$8,000	Lower than 97% of franchises
US locationsFranchised and company-owned	3,409	More than 99% of franchises

How much a Snap-on franchise costs

Opening one mobile tool store costs an estimated $201,433 to $465,436. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.

The biggest costs are van ($55,000 to $190,000) and initial inventory ($130,000 to $140,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:

What it pays for	Low	High
Initial License Fee	$8,000	$16,000
Initial Inventory	$130,000	$140,000
Electronic Signature Pad	$0	$200
Supplies	$0	$400
Van	$55,000	$190,000
Van Insurance (3 months)	$723	$2,166
Van Delivery Charge	$200	$4,900
License	$200	$2,400
Acquisition / Development of Revolving Accounts	$0	$85,000
Other Equipment, Fixtures and Expenses	$150	$170
Computer Software License Fee	$2,400
Additional Funds - 3 Months	$4,760	$21,800
Total	$201,433	$465,436

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 25

Snap-on franchise fee

The franchise fee is $8,000 to $16,000, $16,000 for a new franchise, including initial training, a technology package and office supplies; less for conversions and renewals.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 18

Royalty and ongoing fees

Royalty	No percentage royalty; a $145 monthly license fee and an $85 monthly software fee, with inventory bought from Snap-on.
Computer Software Maintenance and Development Fee	$85.00
Transfer Fee	This fee is currently $12,000.

The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 19

Other fees as filed, from pages 19–20. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.

Sales and earnings

Shares figures Snap-on publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 65

SBA loans to Snap-on franchisees

Lenders approved 265 SBA-backed loans for Snap-on franchisees from 1990 to 2026, $32.9M in all: 261 7(a) loans and 4 504 loans. Of the 220 that have ended, 196 were paid in full and 24 were charged off (10.9%). The other 45 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 Snap-on compares

Of the 139 mobile franchises on this site, Snap-on is the 123rd cheapest to open and the largest by number of locations.

Figure	Snap-on	Typical mobile brand	Typical franchise
Cost to open, low end	$201K	$96K	$222K
Cost to open, high end	$465K	$167K	$477K
Franchise fee	$8K	$35K	$40K
US locations	3,409	10	21
Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs	−1%	+40%	–
Shares earnings figures	Yes	91 of 139	2,147 of 3,352

Typical is the median across the 139 brands in mobile franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.

Locations opened and closed

2020

3,280 (−22)

2021

3,287 (+7)

2022

3,270 (−17)

Year	Franchised	Company-owned
2020	3,280 (−22)	137
2021	3,287 (+7)	141
2022	3,270 (−17)	139

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.

Snap-on is number 25 on our list of the largest franchises in the US by locations.

More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 68

Source filing (2023, PDF)

Where Snap-on locations are

At the end of 2022, Snap-on had franchised locations in 51 states and territories. The most are in California, Texas and Pennsylvania.

California344
Texas248
Pennsylvania176
New York173
Florida163
Ohio136

State	Franchised
California	344
Texas	248
Pennsylvania	176
New York	173
Florida	163
Ohio	136
Illinois	117
Michigan	113
New Jersey	103
Georgia	96

All 51 states

Virginia	91
North Carolina	88
Massachusetts	78
Wisconsin	77
Colorado	73
Indiana	71
Maryland	70
Missouri	65
Arizona	62
Washington	60
Minnesota	59
Tennessee	58
Iowa	53
Kentucky	46
Oklahoma	45
Oregon	43
South Carolina	43
Arkansas	39
Connecticut	37
Kansas	36
Alabama	34
Utah	33
Nebraska	32
Louisiana	28
Nevada	27
New Hampshire	27
Maine	21
Idaho	19
Mississippi	19
Puerto Rico	18
West Virginia	17
Montana	16
New Mexico	15
Vermont	15
North Dakota	14
South Dakota	14
Rhode Island	13
Alaska	12
Wyoming	12
Hawaii	11
Delaware	10

Source: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, page 72

Who owns Snap-on?

Snap-on franchises are sold by Snap-on Tools Company LLC. It is a subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated.

From Snap-on Tools Company LLC’s 2023 filing, page 12.

Lawsuits and bankruptcy

Lawsuits and regulatory actions	Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 17.
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: Snap-on Tools Company LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 17, bankruptcy on page 18

Source filing (2023, PDF)