Window Genie franchise cost: investment, fees and the SBA default rate

Items 5, 6 and 7 · Window Genie FDD 2026 · Updated 2026

A Window Genie franchise costs $136,064–$305,683 in total initial investment, according to Item 7 of the brand's FDD (2026); the ongoing royalty is 7% of sales, plus 2% of sales to the advertising fund (Item 6). On the lending side, Window Genie franchisees defaulted on 58.0% of SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (29 of 50), and the average SBA loan to a Window Genie franchisee in that cohort was $155,240.

Window Genie franchise cost and SBA record.

Total initial investment (Item 7)	$136,064–$305,683
Royalty (Item 6)	7% of sales
Advertising fund (Item 6)	2% of sales
SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019	58.0%
Average SBA loan, 2010s cohort	$155,240
Average SBA loan since 2020	$159,794
Industry	Janitorial Services

How much does it cost to open a Window Genie franchise?

Item 7 of the FDD estimates the total initial investment at $136,064–$305,683. It is the franchisor's own estimate of what a new franchisee spends to open one unit, typically the franchise fee, equipment, premises or vehicle costs, opening inventory and an initial working-capital reserve. The low and high ends usually reflect different unit sizes, leasing versus buying, and local costs.

What does the SBA data add?

The federal loan record adds what the FDD cannot: Window Genie franchisees defaulted on 58.0% of SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (29 of 50 resolved loans), against the Janitorial Services industry average of 11.2%, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data with statuses as of June 30, 2026. Since 2020 they have taken 52 new SBA loans, of which 5 have already charged off.

Set the investment range against the loans: an average SBA loan of $155,240 against the $136,064–$305,683 investment range says roughly how much of a typical Window Genie opening was debt-financed in the 2010s. The brand page has the year-by-year record and the industry comparison.

What would Window Genie's royalty and ad fund cost at your sales level?

From Item 6: royalty 7% of sales, advertising fund 2%. Royalty and ad fund only · illustration. Other Item 6 fees, fixed or percentage, are not included.

Annual royalty and ad fund at illustrative sales levels, Window Genie FDD Item 6.

Annual sales	Royalty	Ad fund	Royalty + ad fund
$250,000	$17,500	$5,000	$22,500
$500,000	$35,000	$10,000	$45,000
$1,000,000	$70,000	$20,000	$90,000
$2,000,000	$140,000	$40,000	$180,000

Considering Window Genie?

The Item 19 in Window Genie's FDD was written by Window Genie. The record on this page was written by the banks that lent to its owners and by the federal agency that paid when those loans went bad. Take that record with you, or have an analyst hold the brand's own disclosures up against it before you sign.

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The loan-level detail this page leaves out: the default rate of Window Genie loans by the owner's situation (start-up, existing business, or bought an existing one), what owners who repaid borrowed against owners who defaulted, the year of the loan the charge-offs came in, how much was written off, the states with the most loans and the lenders that made them. Plus the rate by approval year, lending since 2020, nearest peers, what its FDD discloses and the CSV behind every table, in a PDF a loan officer will recognize. Stamped with your order. Yours the moment you pay.

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An analyst takes Window Genie's own disclosures, the Item 19 revenue claim, the Item 20 closures and transfers, the Item 3 litigation, and reads them line by line against this federal record, ending in a written verdict you can put in front of your attorney and lender. SBA Record Snapshot the moment you pay; the full teardown by email within 24 hours.

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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.

Frequently asked

How much does a Window Genie franchise cost?

What is the Window Genie franchise fee?

Window Genie's FDD Item 5 fee is not in this dataset; the total initial investment (Item 7) is $136,064–$305,683.

What royalty does Window Genie charge?

7% of sales, plus 2% of sales to the advertising fund, per Item 6.

What is Window Genie's SBA loan default rate?

58.0%: 29 of 50 SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 to Window Genie franchisees were charged off.

Source

Sources: Window Genie Franchise Disclosure Document (2026, Wisconsin DFI filing 640774); 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.

Cite this page

Franchise Failure Rates (2026). Window Genie franchise cost, Items 5–7, and SBA 7(a) default rate. From the Window Genie FDD and U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/window-genie/cost/ · Data & methodology

Author: Franchise Failure Rates · First published August 17, 2026 · Updated September 30, 2026 · Citation format