Without a franchise
Starting a hardwood floor business without a franchise
Last updated · FloorIt
Yes, you can start a hardwood floor business without buying a franchise. You give up a national brand name and a set system, and in return you keep your own name, skip the franchise fee and pay no royalty on your jobs. Here is what each path really costs, so you can pick the one that fits.
What a franchise gives you
Floor care franchises exist, and some are good businesses. A franchise gives you a known brand name, a system to follow, training and a support team. For some people, that structure is worth paying for.
It also comes with costs that don't stop. Most charge a franchise fee up front, a royalty on every job for as long as you own the business, and often an ad fund or a minimum amount you must spend on ads each month. You also work under their name, and the contract sets rules on how you run it and how you leave.
What a royalty costs over time
- About $150
- Royalty on one $2,499 job at 6%
- About $15,000
- Royalty on 100 jobs
- About $75,000
- Royalty on 500 jobs
Two of the best-known floor franchises, N-Hance and Mr. Sandless, both list a 6% royalty in their franchise disclosure documents. Here is what 6% looks like on our example $2,499 job. These are examples, not promises.
Examples, not promises. A royalty is paid on every job, for as long as you own the business.
Starting completely on your own
You can also build it all yourself. You learn the job, buy or rent the equipment, set up the LLC, insurance, website, Google profile and phone, and figure out your own marketing. There's no royalty and no one to answer to.
The cost is time and trial and error. Most people starting alone spend months on setup before their first paid job, and money on ads that don't work while they learn.
A middle path: FloorIt
| FloorIt | On your own | Franchise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name on the business | Yours | Yours | Theirs |
| Franchise fee | None | None | Yes |
| Royalty on every job | None | None | Yes |
| Brand ad fund | None | None | Often |
| Setup done for you | Yes, in about 14 days | No | Partly |
| Training and support | Yes, with weekly live calls | Find your own | Yes |
| First customers | First 50 leads on us | On you | Varies |
FloorIt builds the business in your name and hands you the training, equipment, finish and first 50 leads. There's no franchise fee, no royalty and no ad fund, and we take one partner per area.
Our incentives are directly aligned to help you get more jobs. When you get more jobs, you use more finish. When you use more finish, you order more from us, and that is where we profit. We partnered with a manufacturer to get you a high-quality, professional finish. A franchise gets paid on the buy-in, plus fees and royalties, whether or not it helped you find customers.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What do I pay up front, and what do I pay every month after?
- Do I pay a cut of my jobs, and for how long?
- Whose name is on the business, and who owns the customer list?
- Is my territory mine alone, or shared?
- What happens if I want to leave?
Keep reading
- Not a franchise: How FloorIt differs from a floor refinishing franchise: no franchise fee, no royalties, no ad fund, your own name and brand, and nothing to buy your way out of.
- FloorIt vs. N-Hance: FloorIt vs. N-Hance side by side: the license fee, package cost and 6% royalty from the N-Hance franchise disclosure, and how FloorIt works without a franchise.
- FloorIt vs. Mr. Sandless: FloorIt vs. Mr. Sandless: the franchise fee, total investment, royalty, ad fund and territory from the 2026 Mr. Sandless disclosure, next to how FloorIt works.
- Aligned incentives: FloorIt makes its long-term money when you reorder finish, which only happens when you're doing jobs. Here's why that keeps us focused on filling your calendar.