Z Plumberz franchise
2022 filing · April 1, 2022GrowingShares sales figures
Z Plumberz at a glance
A plumbing, sewer and drain service for homes, businesses and municipalities, including pipe lining. At the end of 2021 there were 20 Z Plumberz locations in the US, 18 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Plumberz International, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $196K–$377K
- A new Z Plumberz business
- Franchise fee
- $44,900
- For a territory of 200,000 to 300,000 people
- Royalty
- 8%
- 8% of gross sales, paid monthly, with a minimum royalty if sales fall short; converting businesses pay 4% in the first year
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 10% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 20
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 18
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 2 years
- +17
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 7
- Most in Michigan, Georgia and Indiana
Support and records
From Plumberz International, LLC’s 2022 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 186; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Z Plumberz among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Z Plumberz | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $286,390 | Costs less than 58% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $44,900 | Higher than 55% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 20 | Fewer than 50% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $506,159 | Lower than 73% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.8× | Higher than 56% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Z Plumberz franchise costs
Opening a new Z Plumberz business costs an estimated $195,730 to $377,050. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are working capital (three months) ($60,000 to $80,000) and vehicles ($69,900 to $79,900). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $17,960 | $44,900 | |
| Initial Package Fee | $32,000 | ||
| Rent | $0 | $6,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Exterior Signage | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Licenses/Permits | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Technology System | $250 | $2,000 | |
| Initial Supplies and Inventory | $5,000 | $53,900 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $10,000 | |
| Vehicles | $69,900 | $79,900 | |
| Full-time Service Technician | $5,760 | $25,200 | |
| Business Telephone Fee | $150 | $1,050 | |
| Internet, Anti- Virus Software | $210 | $600 | |
| Security Deposits /Utility Deposits | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Costs Incurred While Attending Training | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising and Marketing Additional | $0 | $6,000 | |
| Working Capital (three months) | $60,000 | $80,000 | |
| Total | $195,730 | $377,050 | |
Source: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 24
Z Plumberz franchise fee
The franchise fee is $44,900, for a territory of 200,000 to 300,000 people. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales, paid monthly, with a minimum royalty if sales fall short; converting businesses pay 4% in the first year. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales. |
| Technology Fee | Our then-current fee, which is presently $460 per month |
| Transfer Fee | Our then-current fee, which is currently $11,200 |
| Renewal Term Fee | 10% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 17 and 18
Other fees as filed, from pages 18–19. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Z Plumberz publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $506,159
Yearly figures for 2021, covering five franchise locations (nine territories) open all of 2021. The average is about 1.8 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 62–63
SBA loans to Z Plumberz franchisees
Lenders approved 10 SBA 7(a) loans for Z Plumberz franchisees from 2023 to 2025, $2.29M in all. None has been paid off or charged off 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 Z Plumberz compares
Of the 19 plumbing franchises on this site, Z Plumberz is the 15th cheapest to open and the 8th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Z Plumberz | Typical plumbing brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $196K | $143K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $377K | $287K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $45K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $506K | – | $794K |
| US locations | 20 | 13 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 6.7% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | +1700% | +54.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 13 of 19 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 19 brands in plumbing franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 (0) | 1 | – | – |
| 2020 | 10 (+9) | 1 | +9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 18 (+8) | 2 | +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: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 65
Where Z Plumberz locations are
At the end of 2021, Z Plumberz had locations in 7 states. The most are in Michigan, Georgia and Indiana.
- Michigan7
- Georgia3
- Indiana3
- Massachusetts3
- Ohio2
- California1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Indiana | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ohio | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| California | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Florida | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 66
Who owns Z Plumberz?
Z Plumberz franchises are sold by Plumberz International, LLC.
Z Plumberz is one of the 11 BELFOR Franchise Group brands here.
From Plumberz International, LLC’s 2022 filing.
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: Plumberz International, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 15, bankruptcy on page 15
Z Plumberz filings
The figures on this page come from Plumberz International, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 1, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 1, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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