Chem-Dry Franchise Failure Rate
SBA 7(a) loan default data, FY2010–FY2019 · Updated 2026
Chem-Dry franchisees defaulted on 28.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 7 of 25 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is higher than the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services industry average of 8.2%.
- 28.0%SBA default rate7 of 25 loans
- 25loans resolvedapproved FY2010–FY2019
- 8.2%Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services averageall SBA loans in the industry
- 3rd lowestindustry rankof 3 Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services brands
| SBA default rate | 28.0% |
|---|---|
| Loans approved | 25 |
| Loans charged off | 7 |
| Date range | FY2010–FY2019 |
| Industry | Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
| Industry average | 8.2% |
| Data source | U.S. SBA 7(a) FOIA loan data |
Most SBA default figures published online use loans approved since 2020 — loans that have had six years or less to fail — so those rates are floors, not outcomes. Every rate on this site is computed from the matured FY2010–FY2019 cohort: loans that have been paid in full or charged off, so the result is settled. Loans approved since 2020 are shown as counts so early charge-offs are visible without being mistaken for a rate.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.
About 1 in 4 Chem-Dry SBA borrowers failed to repay — more than double the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services average of 8.2%.
What is the Chem-Dry franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Chem-Dry is a Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Chem-Dry franchisees: 25 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 7 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY201925
- Charged off7
- Charge-off rate28.0%
- Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchise benchmark8.2%
- Brand vs industry3.4x
- All-franchise SBA benchmark10.2%
- Average loan size, 2010s cohort$148,052
- New SBA loans since 20205
- Early charge-offs since 20200
How does Chem-Dry compare with other Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchises?
The table sets Chem-Dry's charge-off rate beside its Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable. A cell in red is more than twice the industry benchmark.
| Measure | Chem-Dry | Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services | All franchises | All SBA borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default (charge-off) rate | 28.0% | 8.2% | 10.2% | 8.0% |
| Loans in sample | 25 | — | — | — |
| Defaults | 7 | — | — | — |
| Average loan size | $148,052 | — | — | — |
What has Chem-Dry SBA lending looked like since 2020?
Since 2020, Chem-Dry franchisees have taken 5 new SBA 7(a) loans. None have charged off to date, though most remain outstanding and unresolved.
Loans approved since 2020, by fiscal year — counts only: 0 have charged off to date and most are still outstanding, so no rate is drawn.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| FY2011 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2013 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2014 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2015 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2016 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| FY2017 | 5 | 1 | 20.0% |
| FY2018 | 6 | 4 | 66.7% |
| FY2019 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2021 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2022 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2026 | 3 | — | outstanding |
How to read this
A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.
How reliable is this number?
Chem-Dry's figure rests on 25 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019. That cohort has matured, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 25 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 4.0 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every Chem-Dry figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.
Based on 25 resolved loans — directional, not precise.
Is Chem-Dry in financial trouble? What the SBA data shows
Chem-Dry's SBA 7(a) default rate was 28.0% for loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (7 of 25 loans charged off) — the highest of 3 Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services brands tracked here. A default rate this far above the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services average of 8.2% is a signal worth investigating further before investing.
Frequently asked
- What is Chem-Dry's franchise failure rate?
- Chem-Dry franchisees defaulted on 28.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 7 of 25 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is higher than the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services industry average of 8.2%.
- How does Chem-Dry compare to other Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchises?
- Chem-Dry's 28.0% SBA default rate is higher than the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services industry average of 8.2%. See every Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchise ranked on the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services industry page. Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services franchises →
- What does 'SBA default rate' mean?
- An SBA default rate is the share of SBA 7(a) loans, approved FY2010–FY2019 and since resolved (paid in full or charged off), that were charged off — written off after the borrower failed to repay. It is not a measure of unit closures.
Source
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program charge-off data, FY2010–FY2019. Franchise data is matched on the SBA's franchise code / brand name. "Failure rate" here means the share of approved loans (resolved: paid in full or charged off) that were charged off; it is not a measure of unit closures. Last updated September 30, 2026.
Every brand in one table, with percentiles and breakdowns by year, industry and loan size: franchise SBA default rates, all 415 brands.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). Chem-Dry franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 28.0% (7 of 25 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/chem-dry/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)