Ziebart franchise
A retail automotive store that sells rust protection and undercoating, detailing and paint protection coatings, window tint and paint protection film, spray-on bed liners, and vehicle accessories.
Manager-run permitted Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-04-17
- Item
- Item 15
- Page
- PDF p. 55
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 641330
The franchisee is not required to manage the store personally. If the franchisee is an entity, one individual owner must complete Sales and Management training but need not devote full-time effort. A Ziebart trained and certified technician must be present during all normal business hours, and that person need not hold equity. All owners, members and partners must sign a personal guarantee, and employees with access to confidential information must sign a non-disclosure agreement.
What stands out
- Total initial investment of $450,100 to $924,000 for one store, including a $45,000 initial franchise fee; $209,000 to $379,000 of it is paid to Ziebart or an affiliate.
- Royalty is 8% of gross sales (5% on a listed group of accessory categories), plus a 2% marketing fund contribution capped at $30,000 a year and minimum product purchases equal to 10% of gross sales in specified categories.
- Item 19 reports gross sales only: an average of $1,414,150 and a median of $1,009,961 across 80 stores open at least two full years, mixing franchised with company- and affiliate-owned stores. No cost or profit data.
5 more observations
- Only 38% of the 80 reporting stores reached the average, and results ranged from $262,015 to $6,378,211; the reporting stores had been open an average of 27 years.
- U.S. franchised outlets fell from 86 to 80 across 2023-2025, with seven closures for other reasons, one termination and one reacquisition in 2025 against four openings.
- Transfers of outlets to new owners rose to 22 in 2025, after 5 in 2023 and 1 in 2024.
- No exclusive territory: a ten-mile protected radius applies for three years and continues only if a sales volume condition is met.
- Items 3 and 4 disclose no litigation and no bankruptcy; disputes go to mediation and then binding arbitration in Michigan.
Things to verify
- Ask how the minimum royalty that begins in year four is calculated in dollars, since it is set from a system-wide average and is payable regardless of your own sales.
- Ask Ziebart to state gross sales for franchised stores separately from company- and affiliate-owned stores, since Item 19 combines them.
- Ask for the sales volume required to keep the ten-mile protected radius past three years; the reviewed document does not quantify it.
5 more questions
- Ask about the seven stores that ceased operations for other reasons in 2025 and the 22 transfers, and try to reach the former franchisees listed in Exhibit I.
- Item 20 notes that current and former franchisees have signed confidentiality clauses, so some may be limited in what they can tell you.
- Confirm whether financing is available: Item 7 refers to possible franchisor financing for the start-up package while Item 10 states Ziebart offers no financing.
- Confirm the renewal term length and the likely dollar renewal fee, since the fee is 15% of whatever initial fee is then charged to new franchisees.
- Check the cost of the required computer system upgrades, which Ziebart may impose at any time with no contractual limit on frequency or cost.
Category cost placeholders, not a forecast. This snapshot uses the default inputs; the calculator below updates when you edit them.
Evidence confidence: High. This describes source support, not investment quality. AI-extracted and machine-verified where stated; no human line-by-line review. Source and review record.
Read the full research overview
A Ziebart franchisee runs a retail automotive store selling rust protection and undercoating, detailing and paint protection coatings, window tint and paint protection film, spray-on bed liners and vehicle accessories. Those categories are mandatory; chip repair, wraps, dent removal and auto glass are optional. Item 7 puts the total initial investment for one store at $450,100 to $924,000, of which $209,000 to $379,000 goes to Ziebart or an affiliate: a $45,000 franchise fee, a $100,000-$180,000 equipment package, a $30,000-$100,000 décor package and $100,000-$150,000 of additional funds for three months. It assumes a leased building of about 6,000 square feet and excludes buying land. Continuing fees are an 8% royalty on gross sales (5% on a listed set of accessory categories), a 2% marketing fund contribution capped at $30,000 a year, and minimum annual Ziebart product purchases equal to 10% of gross sales in specified categories. From year four a minimum royalty applies whether or not sales support it. No liquidity or net worth requirement is disclosed in the reviewed source.
Item 19 reports gross sales and nothing else — no costs, margins or profit. Part A covers 80 of the 92 stores open at December 31, 2025, combining franchised with company- and affiliate-owned stores and excluding five open less than two full years and seven limited-service or product-only stores. Average gross sales were $1,414,150 and the median $1,009,961, with 30 stores (38%) reaching the average. Dispersion is large: the top half averaged $2,199,003, the bottom half $629,298, and individual stores ran from $262,015 to $6,378,211. The reporting stores had been open an average of 27 years. Part B follows five stores opened in 2022-2025, whose average gross sales moved from $302,773 in year one to $1,450,596 in year four. All of it is unaudited.
Item 20 shows a contracting system. U.S. franchised outlets went from 86 at the start of 2023 to 85 at the end of 2023 and 2024, then 80 at the end of 2025 — a net loss of six. In 2025 four franchised stores opened, one was terminated, one was reacquired by the franchisor and seven ceased for other reasons; company-owned outlets rose from 11 to 12 through that reacquisition. Transfers to new owners jumped to 22 in 2025 from 5 in 2023 and 1 in 2024. Four agreements were signed but not open at year-end, and four franchised openings are projected for the next fiscal year.
Items 3 and 4 disclose no litigation and no bankruptcy. The term is ten years; renewal needs a new agreement whose terms may differ materially, plus a fee of 15% of the then-current initial fee. The renewal term length is not disclosed in the reviewed source. Owners need not manage full-time, but all owners personally guarantee the agreement and a certified technician must be on site during business hours. There is no exclusive territory, only a conditional ten-mile radius for three years, and disputes go to mediation then binding arbitration in Michigan.
View ratings and their supporting evidence
Transparent ratings
How these are computedEach dimension is scored 1–5 from published formulas. Missing data yields “Not enough evidence to rate”, never a low score. There is no composite score by design.
How the system has performed, computed from the disclosed Items 7, 19 and 20. Figures a documented material source inconsistency puts in doubt are excluded, and the dimension shows “Not rated”.
Inputs
- Franchised outlets 86 → 80 (Item 20, Table 3)
- Thresholds: ≥15% → 5; 5–15% → 4; 0–5% → 3; −5–0% → 2; below −5% → 1
Inputs
- Attrition = (terminations + non-renewals + reacquisitions + ceased-other) ÷ start-of-year franchised units, averaged over 3 fiscal years
- Thresholds: <2% → 5; 2–4% → 4; 4–6% → 3; 6–10% → 2; >10% → 1
Inputs
- AUV $1,414,150 (disclosed) ÷ midpoint investment $687,050 = 2.06×
- Thresholds: ≥2.0 → 5; 1.5–2.0 → 4; 1.0–1.5 → 3; 0.7–1.0 → 2; <0.7 → 1
How much this brand’s FDD discloses, and how well-supported our data on it is. This measures transparency, not business performance — a strong business that discloses little scores low here and stays unrated above.
Inputs
- Item 19 present (+1)
- Average plus median or a distribution (+1)
- Population 100% of franchised units, clearly described (+1)
- Multi-year or cohort data (+1)
- Franchisor Track Record
- Franchising 64 years (since 1962) · 92 outlets · Item 3: no litigation disclosed · Item 4: none disclosed
- Multi-Unit Scalability
- A Multi-Unit Development Agreement grants the right to develop a minimum of three Ziebart franchises on a mandatory development schedule. The development fee… · Manager-run permitted
- Operational Intensity
- Manager-run permitted
Initial investment
FDD Items 5 and 7Format shown: Single Ziebart store under the standard Franchise Agreement (Item 7 Table A)
$450,100–$924,000 total initial investment. Excludes real estate purchase. Includes 3 months of additional funds.
View full investment breakdown — Items 5 & 7
| Initial franchise fee (the named Item 5 fee only) | $45,000 Disclosed
Waived to $0 for qualified veterans (who instead pay a $20,000 Deposit Fee credited to their Start-Up Order) and reduced to $15,000 for a first location under a Development Agreement; neither is the standard single-unit rate. |
|---|---|
| Other required initial payments to the franchisor (Item 5) |
|
| Total Item 5 payments to franchisor/affiliates | $216,000 Derived
$389,000 Derived
|
| Total initial investment — low | $450,100 Disclosed
|
| Total initial investment — high | $924,000 Disclosed
|
| Midpoint of range | $687,050 Derived
|
| Real estate purchase included? | No — assumes a leased site |
| Additional funds assumed | 3 months |
| Required liquid capital | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. No minimum liquid capital requirement appears on the cover pages or in Items 1, 5, 7, 10 or 15 of the reviewed document. |
| Required net worth | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. No minimum franchisee net worth requirement appears in the reviewed document. The only net-worth reference is a Michigan state notice about the franchisor's own financial statements. |
The Table 7(A) rows add exactly to the stated $450,100 low and $924,000 high. The estimate assumes a leased site of roughly 6,000 square feet and three months of rent, utilities and working capital; it excludes buying land or constructing a free-standing store. The cover page states that $209,000 to $379,000 of the total is payable to the franchisor or an affiliate, which matches the franchise fee plus the décor, equipment, inventory and computer packages. Item 7 refers to possible franchisor financing for part of the start-up package, while Item 10 states that Ziebart offers no financing and guarantees no obligation.
Item 7 line items (12)
| Expenditure | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee — Paid to the franchisor on signing. | $45,000 | $45,000 |
| Exterior/Interior Décor Package, including signage — High end includes a pole sign with electronic reader board. | $30,000 | $100,000 |
| Equipment Package — Low end omits the Z-Central detailing/vacuum system and the EXP2 spray-on bedliner reactor kit. | $100,000 | $180,000 |
| Opening Inventory/Supplies | $32,000 | $50,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements — Excludes purchase of land or construction of a free-standing building. | $80,000 | $300,000 |
| Computer Equipment — One- versus two-computer/printer/VIN-scanner package. | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| Utilities, Rent and Deposits (first three months) — Assumes a 6,000 sq ft building at $15–$20 per sq ft. | $38,100 | $56,000 |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $9,000 |
| Opening Advertising — Begins about three months before opening. | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Travel Expenses for Initial Training — Assumes two weeks in Michigan plus one week of in-store training. | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Miscellaneous Shop Expenses | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Additional Funds (initial period) — Includes employee payroll but not an owner's salary. | $100,000 | $150,000 |
Source for every row: the Item 7 estimated-initial-investment table of 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation (table begins PDF p. 23) — rows inherit the table's citation rather than carrying fifteen identical ones.
Other formats disclosed in Item 7 (3)
| Format | Low | High | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Unit Development Agreement (minimum three stores) — development fee plus first store | $495,100 | $969,000 | $90,000 |
| Single store, qualified veteran (fee waived, $20,000 deposit) | $425,100 | $899,000 | $0 |
| Multi-Unit Development Agreement, qualified veteran | $470,100 | $944,000 | $45,000 |
Ongoing fees
FDD Item 6Royalty
8% of gross sales Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-04-17
- Item
- Item 6
- Page
- PDF p. 16
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 641330
8% of weekly gross sales on products and services generally; 5% of weekly gross sales on a listed group of accessory and add-on categories (for example spray-on liners, auto glass, 12-volt electronics, bed liners, running boards, tonneau covers). Collected weekly by electronic funds transfer. Beginning in the fourth year of the term the franchisee pays the greater of the percentage royalty or a minimum royalty set annually at 50% of the royalty on the capped average sales of U.S. locations open more than three years. Gross sales exclude sales tax.
Brand advertising fund
2% of gross sales Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-04-17
- Item
- Item 6
- Page
- PDF p. 17
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 641330
2% of weekly gross sales to the national media advertising fund (The Marketing Fund), capped at $30,000 per year and subject to annual change. Company-owned stores contribute on the same basis. In calendar 2025 the fund reported 43% spent on media placement, 12% on administration and 1% on production materials, with 45% of production fees applied to digital advertising in franchisees' local markets; unspent amounts carry over. This information is unaudited.
Local marketing
Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosed
Not disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures.
The reviewed document does not impose an ongoing minimum local advertising spend. It does require a one-time grand-opening advertising contribution of $7,000 to $10,000 (Items 5 and 7), and all franchisee-created advertising must be submitted for approval.
Core requirements shown separately; caps, credits and conditions may overlap. Check the full schedule for technology, cooperative, transfer and other charges.
View all recurring fees and conditions
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales Disclosed
8% of weekly gross sales on products and services generally; 5% of weekly gross sales on a listed group of accessory and add-on categories (for example spray-on liners, auto glass, 12-volt electronics, bed liners, running boards, tonneau covers). Collected weekly by electronic funds transfer. Beginning in the fourth year of the term the franchisee pays the greater of the percentage royalty or a minimum royalty set annually at 50% of the royalty on the capped average sales of U.S. locations open more than three years. Gross sales exclude sales tax. 8% of weekly gross sales on products and services generally; 5% of weekly gross sales on a listed group of accessory and add-on categories (for example spray-on liners, auto glass, 12-volt electronics, bed liners, running boards, tonneau covers). Collected weekly by electronic funds transfer. Beginning in the fourth year of the term the franchisee pays the greater of the percentage royalty or a minimum royalty set annually at 50% of the royalty on the capped average sales of U.S. locations open more than three years. Gross sales exclude sales tax. |
|---|---|
| Advertising / brand fund | 2% of gross sales Disclosed
2% of weekly gross sales to the national media advertising fund (The Marketing Fund), capped at $30,000 per year and subject to annual change. Company-owned stores contribute on the same basis. In calendar 2025 the fund reported 43% spent on media placement, 12% on administration and 1% on production materials, with 45% of production fees applied to digital advertising in franchisees' local markets; unspent amounts carry over. This information is unaudited. 2% of weekly gross sales to the national media advertising fund (The Marketing Fund), capped at $30,000 per year and subject to annual change. Company-owned stores contribute on the same basis. In calendar 2025 the fund reported 43% spent on media placement, 12% on administration and 1% on production materials, with 45% of production fees applied to digital advertising in franchisees' local markets; unspent amounts carry over. This information is unaudited. |
| Required local marketing | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. The reviewed document does not impose an ongoing minimum local advertising spend. It does require a one-time grand-opening advertising contribution of $7,000 to $10,000 (Items 5 and 7), and all franchisee-created advertising must be submitted for approval. |
| Technology / software | $0/year Disclosed
Item 11 states the iBart point-of-sale software and the Ziebart Resource Center software, and updates to them, are provided at no charge, and Item 6 lists no recurring technology fee. Franchisees must buy the computer system from Ziebart or an approved supplier for an estimated $2,000 to $4,000 one time, and Ziebart may require upgrades at any time with no contractual limit on frequency or cost, and reserves the right to require a paid maintenance or support contract in the future. Item 11 states the iBart point-of-sale software and the Ziebart Resource Center software, and updates to them, are provided at no charge, and Item 6 lists no recurring technology fee. Franchisees must buy the computer system from Ziebart or an approved supplier for an estimated $2,000 to $4,000 one time, and Ziebart may require upgrades at any time with no contractual limit on frequency or cost, and reserves the right to require a paid maintenance or support contract in the future. |
| Advertising cooperative | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. No regional advertising cooperative fee is described. Item 11 states there is no franchisee advertising council, and Item 8 states there are no purchasing or distribution cooperatives. |
| Transfer fee | $22,500 one-time Disclosed
Payable on transfer of a Ziebart location to a new franchisee. Payable on transfer of a Ziebart location to a new franchisee. |
| Renewal fee | 15% (see basis) Disclosed
15% of the initial franchise fee Ziebart is then charging new franchisees, payable on signing the new Franchise Agreement at renewal. The dollar amount therefore depends on the fee in effect at that time. 15% of the initial franchise fee Ziebart is then charging new franchisees, payable on signing the new Franchise Agreement at renewal. The dollar amount therefore depends on the fee in effect at that time. |
| Royalty + ad fund (% of sales) | 10% Derived
|
Fee schedule (19 fees; 16 verified against the source, 3 single-pass)
Every recurring, conditional and one-time fee found in this FDD's Item 6 table (plus mandatory recurring costs disclosed in Items 7/11), each cited to its page and carrying its verification status: verified means two independent readings agreed or a tie-break re-inspection of the page decided it; single-pass means one reading captured it and it has not been independently confirmed (permitted only for fees that cannot move modeled economics — see the materiality rule). Amounts marked “not stated” are charged at then-current rates the FDD does not quantify and are never modeled as $0.
| Fee | Amount | Frequency | Mandatory | Verification | Cite | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales | weekly | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 16 | 8% of weekly Gross Sales on all products and services except the Note A list, which is charged at 5%. Collected weekly by EFT. Verified on physical page 16. Collected weekly by EFT. The cover page flags minimum royalty and advertising payments regardless of sales as a special risk. |
| Minimum Product Purchases | 10% of gross sales | annual | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 16 | Calculated annually at royalty year-end; applies to a defined list of proprietary product categories. Detailed in Note F (pp. 21-22): 'Total Cost of Sales = 10% of Gross Sales* (in these categories).' Calculator audit 2026-09-03: This is a mandatory minimum spend requirement, not the franchisor's current exact rate or a franchisor-optional ceiling; value_is was unset. (No behavior change: the engine's default branch for a non-ceiling/non-exact value already renders 'FDD requires at least X%,' so this only makes the classification explicit.) (p. 16; "Minimum Product Purchases 10% of your Gross Sales in Categories listed in Note F") |
| National Media Advertising d/b/a The Marketing Fund | 2% of gross sales | weekly | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 17 | Company-owned stores contribute on the same basis (Note D). In CY2025, 43% spent on media placement, 12% on administration, 1% on production (45% of production applied to franchisee's local digital ads); unaudited; remainder carried forward. |
| North American Liability Fund (NALF) warranty premium | $2–$15 | weekly | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 17 | Payable directly to NALF, not to the franchisor; subject to change on 90 days' written notice. Applies if the franchisee offers rustproofing services, a required core service category. Verified on physical page 17; Note B (page 21) states the warranty program is self-funded and only approved warranties may be purchased. The $2-$15 is per warranty, not per week - the weekly frequency records the remittance cycle stated in the Due Date column. |
| Late Charges: Royalty | 2% of other | monthly | No | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 17 | Payable only if the franchisee does not pay the royalty on time; due immediately. Verified on physical page 17. |
| Audit Surcharge | Not stated | per event | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 17 | Payable only if an audit shows an understatement greater than 5% of reported amounts. |
| Credit Card Surcharge | 1.5% of other | per event | No | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 17 | Applies only if the franchisee elects to pay the franchisor by credit card instead of EFT. Subject to annual review. Verified on physical page 17; Due Date column reads 'As Incurred', Remarks 'Subject to Annual Review'. |
| Renewal Franchise Fee | 15% of other | one time | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 17 | Payable only if franchisee wishes to renew for a new term. |
| Transfer Fee | $22,500 | one time | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 17 | Payable upon transfer of a Ziebart franchise location to a new franchisee. |
| Reminder Card Program | $1 | per event | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 18 | Subject to annual changes. The second notice card is typically sent 60 days after the first. Verified on physical page 18. Due Friday of the week following the calendar week in which the sales were made, the same weekly cycle as royalty. Calculator audit 2026-09-03: amount_type=fixed + frequency=weekly caused the engine to silently seed a ~$57/yr default (1.10 x 52) that reads as though it came from a disclosed floor, when the FDD discloses only a per-card rate and no card volume - a materially misleading default for a reader who does not override it. (p. 18; "$1.10 for each of the first and second notice cards, handled through your comput") |
| Central Billing for National Fleet Accounts | 3% of other | per event | No | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 18 | Applies only when the franchisee processes national fleet account business through central billing. Due upon receipt of invoice; the Item 6 Remarks column is blank. Verified on physical page 18. |
| Field Training Expenses | $750 | per event | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 18 | Only if franchisee requests field training in their own area and franchisor agrees. |
| Supplier or Product Approval | $2,000–$10,000 | per event | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 18 | Charged only if franchisee requests approval of a new, previously-unapproved supplier or product. Also described in Note E (p.21). |
| Application of Reimbursement to Overdue Payment | Not stated | varies | Conditional | single-pass | Item 6, p. 18 | Applies when franchisee owes royalties or amounts for goods/services purchased from franchisor. [Listed by one verification pass only (A); not independently confirmed.] Included for completeness of the Item 6 table census; not an independent fee. |
| Costs, Administrative Expenses, and Attorney's Fees | Not stated | per event | No | single-pass | Item 6, p. 19 | Due when franchisee does not comply with the Franchise Agreement, or upon franchisor's collection/enforcement efforts. [Listed by one verification pass only (A); not independently confirmed.] Elaborated in Note C (p.21). |
| Indemnification | Not stated | per event | Yes | single-pass | Item 6, p. 19 | Payable as incurred, i.e., when an indemnifiable claim arises. [Listed by one verification pass only (A); not independently confirmed.] |
| Minimum Royalty | Not stated | annual | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 21 | Applies beginning the first day of the 4th year of the term, and only to the extent it exceeds the Percentage Royalty for the year. Unpaid minimum royalty is billed at calendar year-end. Formula appears in Item 6 Note A on physical page 21; the Item 6 royalty row on page 16 cross-references Note A for the amount but Note A gives only the formula. Pass A captured the same facts inside the royalty entry's minimum object; keeping it as a separate entry is correct because the census lists it as its own Item 6 obligation. |
| iBart POS software and Ziebart Resource Center (mandatory software) | $0 | varies | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 11, p. 41 | Use of the Windows-based system and the iBart POS is mandatory and all sales must be recorded and transmitted through it. The franchisor supplies the software and its updates free of charge but reserves the right to require computer system upgrades at any time, with no contractual limit on frequency or cost and no reimbursement, and reserves the right to require a paid support contract in the future. Verified on physical page 41. Kept so the census is explicit that mandatory software carries no recurring charge in this FDD; this is the same fact that supports /fees/technology = 0. The franchisor has independent access to all data in the POS system. |
| Required annual meeting / National Conference attendance | Not stated | annual | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 11, p. 44 | The franchisee must attend one of a Regional Meeting, a National Conference, or Sales and Management Training each year, and must attend a National Conference three times during the 10-year term. Verified on physical page 44: 'There is no cost to attend the National Conference, however; you must pay for your travel and living expenses.' |
Item 6 also lists indemnification and the franchisor's costs and attorneys' fees, both stated as actual costs that vary. The cover page carries a state-required risk notice that minimum royalty, advertising and other payments are due regardless of sales levels.
Financial performance (Item 19)
What the franchisor actually disclosedWho is represented: Part A covers 80 Ziebart stores — franchised and company/affiliate-owned combined — that operated for the full 2025 calendar year, had been open at least two full years at year-end, operated as full-production (not limited service) stores, and reported gross sales data for the whole year. Of the 92 Ziebart stores open at December 31, 2025, five were excluded for being open less than two full years and seven for operating as limited-service or product-sales-only stores. The stores are in urban and suburban U.S. markets and had operated an average of 27 years. Part B covers five of the nine stores opened between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2025; four were excluded for not having been open a full year.
Qualifications: Only gross sales are reported; the item contains no cost, margin, EBITDA or net income figures, so nothing here shows what a store earns. The Part A population mixes franchised stores with company- and affiliate-owned stores and does not separate them, so it is not a franchisee-only result. Twelve of the 92 stores open at year-end were excluded — five open less than two full years and seven limited-service or product-only stores — so newer and smaller-format locations are not represented. The reporting stores had been open an average of 27 years, which is far longer than a new franchisee's first years. Results are widely dispersed: individual stores ranged from $262,015 to $6,378,211, and only 38% of stores reached the system average. Part B is based on five stores and, for years 2 to 4, on four stores, a very small sample. The franchisor prepared the figures from sales reported by franchisees and states the information is unaudited.
View full Item 19 disclosure and tables
Ziebart makes a financial performance representation covering gross sales only. For calendar 2025 it reports an average of $1,414,150 and a median of $1,009,961 across 80 stores that had been open at least two full years and ran as full-production stores; 30 of those stores (38%) reached the average. The top half averaged $2,199,003 and the bottom half $629,298. A second part tracks five stores opened between 2022 and 2025, whose average gross sales rose from $302,773 in their first year to $1,450,596 in their fourth. The document does not disclose costs, profits or margins, does not separate franchised from company- and affiliate-owned stores, and excludes the newest and limited-format locations.
| Metric | Subset | Value | Units | Period | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross sales — all 80 reporting Ziebart stores 38% of units met or exceeded 30 of the 80 stores met or exceeded this average. | System (franchised and company/affiliate-owned, open 2+ years) Average | $1,414,150 | 80 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — all 80 reporting Ziebart stores | System (franchised and company/affiliate-owned, open 2+ years) Median | $1,009,961 | 80 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — top performing half of reporting stores 45% of units met or exceeded 18 of the 40 stores in this half met or exceeded the half's average. | Top performing 50% by average gross sales Average | $2,199,003 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — top performing half of reporting stores | Top performing 50% by average gross sales Median | $1,801,339 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — highest single store in the top half | Top performing 50% by average gross sales High | $6,378,211 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — lowest single store in the top half | Top performing 50% by average gross sales Low | $1,030,521 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — bottom performing half of reporting stores 43% of units met or exceeded 17 of the 40 stores in this half met or exceeded the half's average. | Bottom performing 50% by average gross sales Average | $629,298 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — bottom performing half of reporting stores | Bottom performing 50% by average gross sales Median | $579,949 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — highest single store in the bottom half | Bottom performing 50% by average gross sales High | $989,401 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.63 |
| Gross sales — lowest single store in the bottom half | Bottom performing 50% by average gross sales Low | $262,015 | 40 | CY2025 | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 1 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 40% of units met or exceeded Highest $805,537; lowest $94,188. Year 1 start and end dates differ for each store. | 5 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Average | $302,773 | 5 | Year 1 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 1 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 | 5 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Median | $107,938 | 5 | Year 1 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 2 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 25% of units met or exceeded Highest $1,736,434; lowest $597,697. | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Average | $987,593 | 4 | Year 2 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 2 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Median | $808,121 | 4 | Year 2 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 3 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 50% of units met or exceeded Highest $1,861,193; lowest $620,096. | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Average | $1,156,563 | 4 | Year 3 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 3 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Median | $1,072,482 | 4 | Year 3 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 4 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 50% of units met or exceeded Highest $2,819,545; lowest $649,771. | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Average | $1,450,596 | 4 | Year 4 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
| Gross sales ramp — year 4 of operation, stores opened 2022-2025 | 4 franchised stores opened Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2025 Median | $1,166,534 | 4 | Year 4 (varies by store) | FDD p.65 |
System health (Item 20)
Outlets, openings, exits and transfers by fiscal year · U.S. onlyView detailed Item 20 tables and source notes
| Fiscal year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Not renewed | Reacquired | Ceased — other | End | Transfers | Company-owned (end) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 5 | 11 |
| 2024 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 1 | 11 |
| 2025 | 85 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 80 | 22 | 12 |
Disclosed 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation, Item 20, Tables 1–3 (PDF p. 66). Values are the Total rows of Tables 1 through 5, which cover U.S. outlets broken out by state; Item 1 separately mentions roughly 400 Ziebart franchises in 34 countries under the parent company, which these tables do not include. The Total rows foot internally and match Table 1. Two inconsistencies appear in the Table 3 state detail for 2025: the New Jersey row shows one outlet at the start, one ceased for other reasons and one at year-end, and the state-level 'ceased operations – other' column adds to 8 against a Total row of 7. The state 'outlets at end of year' column still adds to the Total row figure of 80. Transfers to new owners rose sharply in 2025 (22, concentrated in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) after 5 in 2023 and 1 in 2024. The single company-owned addition in 2025 came from reacquiring a franchised outlet in Illinois.
Source data notes (4) — inconsistencies found in the FDD itself during verification
Our verification re-reads every table. Where the FDD's own printed tables disagree, we document the discrepancy rather than silently "fixing" it. Classes: B = arithmetic error in the source's derived column; C = the printed tables genuinely disagree; D = a legitimate definitional difference (e.g., transfers netted, explained by a footnote); E = unresolved ambiguity. Figures a material C/E issue puts in doubt are excluded from our derived metrics, scores and rankings.
- [C/minor] Table 3 2025: The 2025 'Ceased Operations - Other Reasons' state rows print a 1 for CT, FL, IN, MI, NJ, OK, PA and TX (8 outlets) but the printed TOTAL row reads 7. The New Jersey 2025 row is also internally inconsistent on its own: '1 0 0 0 0 1 1' - one outlet at start, none opened, one ceased, yet one at end of year. — Source-document inconsistency confirmed on the page images (pages 70 and 71), not an extraction artifact. The printed TOTAL of 7 is corroborated three ways: the TOTAL row foots (85 + 4 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 7 = 80), the state 'Outlets at End of Year' column sums to 80, and Table 1 shows 80 franchised outlets at the end of 2025 (with Item 19's 92 total stores matching Table 1's 92). Setting NJ's ceased-other to 0 repairs both the NJ row and the column sum, so the NJ cell is the error. Use TOTAL closures of 7 for 2025; treat the NJ state row as wrong.
- [D/minor] Table 2 2025: Transfers of franchised outlets jump to 22 in FY2025 (from 5 in 2023 and 1 in 2024) - about 26% of the 85 franchised outlets at the start of the year - concentrated in Indiana (8), Ohio (7), Illinois (2), Pennsylvania (2) and Wisconsin (2). None of these appear in Table 3's opened, terminated, non-renewed or ceased columns. — Legitimate table-definition difference, not a footing error. Table 2 covers transfers to new owners other than the franchisor and a transfer does not change the outlet count, so it correctly never appears in Table 3's movement columns; the single 2025 franchisee-to-franchisor reacquisition (IL) is carried in Tables 3 and 4 instead, with no double count. Table 2 columns foot to the printed totals in all three years (5 / 1 / 22). The scale plausibly reflects one multi-unit ownership change counted outlet by outlet in IN and OH; it is a system-dynamics signal, not a data error, and does not touch unit counts.
- [E/minor] Item 20 (all tables) 2025: Item 20 presents no U.S./international split. Item 1 states the parent, Ziebart International Corporation, has approximately 400 Ziebart franchises in 34 countries, yet the Item 20 tables are broken out only by U.S. state and never say they are U.S.-only. — Unresolved on the face of the document: the FDD never states the scope. The inference that the tables are U.S.-only is strongly corroborated - every row in Tables 2 through 5 is a U.S. state, Note A defines the minimum royalty by reference to 'all U.S. Dealer locations', and Item 19's 92 stores at the end of FY2025 equals Table 1's total of 92 - but it remains an inference. The record already flags /item20/us_only and /units/us_only as uncertain, which is the correct treatment; no printed figure is in doubt.
- [D/minor] Table 5 2025: Projected new franchised outlets for the next fiscal year (4, in MI, PA, TN and UT) exactly equals the franchise agreements signed but not yet opened (4), and no company-owned openings are projected - implying zero projected sales to new prospects in the coming year. — Legitimate definitional/disclosure choice, not an error: Table 5's projection column is populated only from the already-signed pipeline, which is a common and permissible way to complete the table. It is forward-looking and feeds no historical derived metric; it only means the projected-openings figure should not be read as a sales forecast.
Company-owned outlets (Table 4)
| Year | Start | Opened | Reacquired from franchisee | Closed | Sold to franchisee | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Read: How to read Item 20.
Ownership and operations
Items 11, 12, 15, 17Manager-run permitted Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-04-17
- Item
- Item 15
- Page
- PDF p. 55
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 641330
The franchisee is not required to manage the store personally. If the franchisee is an entity, one individual owner must complete Sales and Management training but need not devote full-time effort. A Ziebart trained and certified technician must be present during all normal business hours, and that person need not hold equity. All owners, members and partners must sign a personal guarantee, and employees with access to confidential information must sign a non-disclosure agreement.
View operating requirements, territory and contract term
| Owner involvement (Item 15) | Manager-run permitted Disclosed
The franchisee is not required to manage the store personally. If the franchisee is an entity, one individual owner must complete Sales and Management training but need not devote full-time effort. A Ziebart trained and certified technician must be present during all normal business hours, and that person need not hold equity. All owners, members and partners must sign a personal guarantee, and employees with access to confidential information must sign a non-disclosure agreement. The franchisee is not required to manage the store personally. If the franchisee is an entity, one individual owner must complete Sales and Management training but need not devote full-time effort. A Ziebart trained and certified technician must be present during all normal business hours, and that person need not hold equity. All owners, members and partners must sign a personal guarantee, and employees with access to confidential information must sign a non-disclosure agreement. |
|---|---|
| Initial training | Initial training runs about six weeks and totals 132 classroom hours plus 180 on-the-job hours at Ziebart's headquarters in Troy, Michigan: sales (64 classroom / 32 on-the-job), management (64 / 32), technical summary (4), rust protection and sound deadener (8), detailing and appearance protection (24), Ziebart films (40), spray-on liner (36), windshield chip repair (4) and health and safety (4). The franchisee and one technician must complete the sales, management and technical summary programs before opening, and the franchisee plus an alternate technician must be certified in rust protection, sound deadener, detailing/appearance protection and Ziebart films, plus spray-on liner and windshield chip repair if those services are offered. Training at Troy is free; travel and living costs fall on the franchisee, and Item 7 budgets $3,000 to $5,000 for them. Field training in the franchisee's own area costs $750 per day plus the trainer's airfare. Disclosed
|
| Multi-unit / development options | A Multi-Unit Development Agreement grants the right to develop a minimum of three Ziebart franchises on a mandatory development schedule. The development fee is $90,000 for three locations ($45,000, $30,000 and $15,000), with $15,000 for each additional location. The initial franchise fee for the first location is reduced to $0 in consideration of the development fee, and each further location opened during the development schedule carries a $15,000 initial franchise fee. A separate then-current Franchise Agreement must be signed for each location and may differ materially from the one disclosed here. Qualified veterans pay $45,000 rather than $90,000 for the three-location development fee. Territorial protection under the agreement ends at the opening deadline for the last scheduled franchise or on default in the schedule. Disclosed
Terms drawn from Item 1 (page 9), Item 5 (page 14), Item 7 (pages 24-25) and Item 12 (page 46). |
| Territory (Item 12) | The franchise is granted for a specific approved location and no exclusive territory is granted; the franchisee may face competition from other franchisees, from stores Ziebart owns, and from other channels or competitive brands Ziebart controls. Under a separate Market Development Policy, a new single-unit franchisee receives a protected area of a ten-mile radius from the store for three years from signing, and continuing that protection depends on achieving a certain sales volume or other contingency. Ziebart reserves the right to sell inside the protected area through the internet, catalogue, telemarketing and other direct channels, under the Ziebart marks or other marks, without paying compensation. After the protected period the franchisee has a limited right of first consideration on a new store in its market, and Ziebart states it will not approve a store within ten miles of the location or one that would absorb 5% or more of current sales. Relocation requires approval but no relocation fee. Disclosed
|
| Initial term | 10 years Disclosed
Ten years under the Franchise Agreement. A Rhino Addendum, if signed, runs concurrently; a Multi-Unit Development Agreement provides ten years for each Franchise Agreement signed. |
| Renewal | The franchisee has the option to continue operating after the initial term but must sign a new Franchise Agreement, pay a renewal licence fee, meet the conditions in the then-current Manual and sign a general release. Item 6 sets the renewal fee at 15% of the initial franchise fee then charged to new franchisees. Item 17 warns that the new agreement may contain terms and conditions materially different from the previous one, including different fees, and does not state the length of a renewal term. Disclosed
The length of the renewal term is not stated in the Item 17 table. |
| Staffing | A Ziebart trained and certified technician must be in the store during all normal business hours. Item 7 assumes a leased building of about 6,000 square feet and includes employee payroll, but not an owner's salary, in the $100,000 to $150,000 of additional funds for the initial period. The document does not state a typical headcount or required hours of operation. Disclosed
Combines Item 15 (page 55) with Item 7 notes 7 and 12 (pages 26-27). |
Risk and legal observations
Items 3, 4, 8, 15, 17 — summarized neutrallyLitigation: None disclosed Disclosed · Bankruptcy: None disclosed Disclosed
View legal disclosures, restrictions and guarantees
| Litigation (Item 3) | None disclosed Disclosed Item 3 states that no litigation is required to be disclosed. No pending or concluded matters involving the franchisor or its management are listed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy (Item 4) | None disclosed Disclosed Item 4 states that no bankruptcy information is required to be disclosed. |
| Personal guaranty | Required Disclosed
If the franchisee is a legal entity, all owners, members and partners and any other individual holding an interest in the entity or in the Franchise Agreement must sign the personal guarantee at Exhibit B, accepting personal responsibility for all obligations under the agreement. A separate multi-unit personal guarantee appears at Exhibit D. |
| Non-compete | During the term the franchisee cannot be involved in a conflicting enterprise or sell competitors' products, subject to state law. After termination or expiry, the franchisee may not operate a competing business within a fifteen-mile radius of the former Ziebart location for two years, subject to state law. Disclosed
|
| Transfer restrictions | A transfer includes a transfer of assets or a change of ownership of more than 50%. Ziebart must approve all transfers but states it will not unreasonably withhold approval. Conditions include a qualified transferee, payment of the $22,500 transfer fee, an approved purchase agreement, completed training, a release signed by the current franchisee and a new agreement signed by the buyer. Ziebart has 30 days from written notice of an intended sale to say it wants to buy the business, and has the right to match any outside offer. On death or disability, a successor must meet new-franchisee qualifications, notify Ziebart within 60 days and file a business plan within 180 days. Transfer under a Multi-Unit Development Agreement requires prior written approval. Disclosed
|
| Termination / non-renewal | The franchisee may terminate only with Ziebart's prior written consent, or if Ziebart breaches the agreement or a provision is declared illegal or unenforceable, subject to state law. Ziebart has no right to terminate without cause. For curable defaults the franchisee has 30 days to cure a material breach or listed default. Non-curable defaults include conviction of a felony, repeated defaults even if cured, abandonment, trademark misuse and unapproved transfers. On termination or non-renewal the franchisee must fully de-identify, return all trademarked materials and tooling, transfer the telephone number to Ziebart and pay all money owed, and the post-term non-compete applies. Termination of any Franchise Agreement automatically terminates a Multi-Unit Development Agreement. Disclosed
|
| Supplier restrictions (Item 8) | Franchisees must buy approved products from Ziebart or approved suppliers; a list of items for which Ziebart is the only approved supplier is in Addendum B(1) to the Franchise Agreement, and Ziebart reserves the right to become the only approved supplier for any item. The computer system must be bought from Ziebart or an approved supplier, and Ziebart reserves the right to be the sole supplier of it. Franchisees must also pay NALF warranty premiums, carry specified insurance and meet site and build-out specifications. Ziebart estimates that required purchases represent 60% to 64% of the cost to establish a store and 36% to 40% of the cost of operating one. Requesting approval of an unapproved supplier or product can cost $2,000 to $10,000. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 Ziebart's product revenue from franchisees was $10,811,560, or 51.8% of its total revenue of $20,873,436. Some officers hold equity in the franchisor, which is itself an approved supplier. There are no purchasing or distribution cooperatives. Disclosed
Revenue figures are on page 32; the 60-64% / 36-40% estimate is on page 31. |
| Dispute resolution | Disputes must be submitted to mediation, and any dispute not resolved through mediation must be settled by binding arbitration. Subject to state law, litigation must be brought in courts located in Michigan, and Michigan law applies except where individual state laws supersede. The cover page carries a state-required risk notice that out-of-state dispute resolution in Michigan may cost more and may push the franchisee toward a less favourable settlement. Disclosed
|
- From the fourth year of the term the franchisee pays the greater of the percentage royalty or a minimum royalty set annually at 50% of the royalty on the capped average sales of U.S. locations open more than three years, so payments continue regardless of the store's own sales.
- Minimum annual product purchases equal to 10% of gross sales in specified Ziebart product categories are measured at royalty year-end, with shortfalls invoiced and non-refundable.
- Territorial protection is a ten-mile radius for three years only, and continuing it depends on hitting a sales volume the reviewed document does not quantify.
- Transfers of franchised outlets to new owners rose to 22 in 2025 from 5 in 2023 and 1 in 2024, while franchised outlets fell from 85 to 80 in the same year.
- Ziebart may require computer system upgrades at any time with no contractual limit on frequency or cost, and has independent access to all data in the iBart point-of-sale system.
- Item 7 refers to possible franchisor financing for part of the start-up package, while Item 10 states Ziebart offers no financing and guarantees no obligation.
- Item 20 states that current and former franchisees have signed confidentiality clauses in the last three years that may restrict what they can say about their experience.
Summaries are neutral paraphrases of the cited document and are not legal advice. Read the full Items in the current FDD and consult a franchise attorney.
Illustrative unit economics
Model estimateModel estimate — not disclosed by the franchisor, not a forecast. Fee lines below come from this brand's verified FDD fee schedule and are computed exactly as disclosed (each line shows its arithmetic). Operating-cost ratios are category placeholders we chose — every one is editable and labeled assumption. Results are illustrative arithmetic, not expected returns. Every figure here belongs to one of five labeled categories — disclosed inputs, model assumptions, unmodeled mandatory fees, user-editable assumptions, and exclusions — defined in our methodology.
| Line (annual) | Downside | Base | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (AUV basis) | $629,298 | $1,414,150 | $1,626,272 |
| − Cost of goods / supplies assumption | $188,789 | $424,245 | $487,882 |
| − Payroll (excl. owner) assumption | $169,910 | $381,821 | $439,094 |
| − Occupancy assumption | $50,344 | $113,132 | $130,102 |
| − Other operating expenses assumption | $62,930 | $141,415 | $162,627 |
| − Royalty disclosed 8% of gross sales = $113,132 |
$50,344 | $113,132 | $130,102 |
| − National Media Advertising d/b/a The Marketing Fund disclosed 2% of gross sales = $28,283 |
$12,586 | $28,283 | $30,000 |
| = Modeled operating result before the items below (EBITDA-style) | $94,395 | $212,123 | $246,466 |
| − Manager compensation assumption | $70,000 | $70,000 | $70,000 |
| = Modeled result after manager compensation | $24,395 | $142,123 | $176,466 |
| − Illustrative debt service assumption | $77,874 | $77,874 | $77,874 |
| = Illustrative pre-tax cash flow — before taxes, capital expenditures and unmodeled fees | −$53,479 | $64,249 | $98,592 |
| Modeled operating margin | 15% | 15% | 15.2% |
This modeled result is not owner income. It excludes: income taxes; capital expenditures and equipment-replacement reserves; working-capital needs; ramp-up losses; owner-specific costs; one-time and per-event fees (transfer, renewal, audit); and 5 mandatory fee(s) whose amounts the FDD does not state (listed below — real outflows are higher by these amounts). It is illustrative arithmetic on stated assumptions, not a promise or forecast of what a franchisee earns.
Mandatory fees disclosed but not quantified — not included in the modeled result: the FDD requires these but states no amount (e.g. billed at "then-current" rates). They are never modeled as $0. If you have a quote or estimate, enter an annual amount to include it as your own assumption:
- North American Liability Fund (NALF) warranty premium (Item 6, p. 17) — Per-warranty amount; needs an assumed number of rustproofing warranties per period, which the FDD does not disclose. Not a percent of sales or a fixed annual amount.
- Reminder Card Program (Item 6, p. 18) — $1.10 is charged PER CARD sent (first and second notice), not per week; the prior frequency='weekly' matched only the remittance cycle in the Due Date column. Because model_treatment is requires_assumption and amount_type is fixed, src/lib/economics.ts annualizes value x frequency as the seeded default (annualize(1.10,'weekly')=$57.20/yr) - i.e. as if exactly one card were sent per week for the whole business, which the FDD does not say. frequency='per_event' stops that misleading auto-seed; the real annual cost depends on customer/card volume, which is not disclosed.
- Indemnification (Item 6, p. 19) — Ongoing contractual indemnification obligation with no fixed or estimable dollar amount.
- Required annual meeting / National Conference attendance (Item 11, p. 44) — Recurring mandatory obligation with no disclosed dollar cost; travel and lodging must be assumed if modelled.
- Minimum Royalty (Item 6, p. 21) — minimum-royalty amount not stated
Counted inside the operating-cost assumptions, not as separate fees:
- Minimum Product Purchases (Item 6, p. 16): 10% of revenue (your assumption; FDD requires at least 10% — Calculated annually at royalty year-end; applies to a defined list of proprietary product categories.) = $141,415 — this is a required purchase that is cost of goods, covered by the COGS % assumption; make sure that assumption is at least this large
Every figure in this table is a model estimate built on the disclosed fee schedule plus labeled assumptions. Excluded: income taxes, owner draw, working-capital swings, capital expenditures, ramp-up losses in year one, one-time and per-event fees (transfer, renewal, audit), and the undisclosed-amount fees listed above. Read AUV vs. EBITDA vs. owner income before using this.
Sources and provenance
Primary source: 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation · issued 2026-04-17. Find the FDD at Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search. We cite source pages and do not redistribute PDFs.
View all sources, provenance and verification notes
| Document | Obtained from | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Ziebart Corporation Registry file 641330 · 289 pages Wisconsin registration effective 4/28/2026; registration status listed as Registered. Financial data in the document covers the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search | Issued 2026-04-17 Retrieved 2026-08-29 | Newest available at retrieval |
AI-assisted extraction from the archived FDD text, independently machine-verified against the cited source (two passes plus tie-break); not human-reviewed. Extracted 2026-08-29. Last updated 2026-09-03. AI-assisted extraction independently machine-verified against the cited source document (2026-08-31): two independent AI reading passes plus tie-break re-inspection of every disagreement; 71 of 77 material fields confirmed (64 with the exact page citation re-confirmed), 0 corrected, 0 unresolved, 6 confirmed not disclosed. No human has reviewed this profile. Fiscal year covered: FY2025 (Dec 31, 2025). See how we use AI and verify data.
Fields flagged as uncertain (5)
- /franchisor/business_since
- /item20/us_only
- /units/us_only
- /item19/population_share_of_system
- /operations/renewal
Extraction notes (9)
- franchisor.business_since is left null: Item 1 states only that Ziebart Corporation began offering franchises in December 1962 and that it does not operate businesses of the type franchised; it gives no separate date for the start of the underlying business.
- us_only is set true by inference. Item 20 Tables 2 to 5 break outlets out by U.S. state and Item 19 describes the stores as operating throughout the United States, while Item 1 separately mentions roughly 400 Ziebart franchises in 34 countries under the parent. The tables themselves do not carry an explicit U.S.-only label.
- item19.population_share_of_system is null because the Item 19 population of 80 stores mixes franchised with company- and affiliate-owned stores and cannot be expressed as a share of the 80 franchised outlets.
- Item 20 Table 3 state detail for 2025 does not fully reconcile: the New Jersey row shows 1 outlet at start, 1 ceased for other reasons and 1 at year-end, and the state-level ceased-other column adds to 8 against the Total row's 7. The Total row is internally consistent (85 + 4 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 7 = 80) and matches Table 1, so the Total row was used as instructed.
- fees.technology is recorded as 0 per year because Item 11 states the iBart point-of-sale software and Ziebart Resource Center software and their updates are supplied at no charge and Item 6 lists no recurring technology fee. The one-time computer equipment cost of $2,000 to $4,000 is in the Item 7 line items, and Ziebart reserves the right to require paid maintenance contracts in future.
- fees.royalty records the headline 8% rate; a 5% rate applies to a long list of accessory and add-on product categories set out in Item 6 Note A, and is described in the fee note rather than as a range.
- The Item 7 Table A rows foot exactly to the disclosed $450,100 low and $924,000 high, and the cover page's $209,000 to $379,000 payable to the franchisor matches the franchise fee plus the décor, equipment, inventory and computer packages.
- Item 7 refers to possible franchisor financing for part of the start-up package while Item 10 states no financing is offered; this inconsistency is flagged in risk.other_flags rather than resolved.
- Verification 2026-08-31: fix_page /fees/ad_fund 16 → 17
We do not host or redistribute FDD PDFs. Search the registry linked above by franchisor name to obtain the document. Found an error? Report a correction with the field and the primary source.
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