College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving

The $75,000 franchise fee for both concepts (junk and moving) is a real differentiator versus the food franchise world: you're not building out a restaurant. Total all-in investment for the dual-concept franchise runs $203,100 to $355,500, with the biggest variables being vehicle down payments ($3K–$35K), insurance ($7,500–$35,000 upfront), and the required $26,000 pre-opening advertising ramp-up campaign.

If you're only doing junk removal, the franchise fee drops to $55,000 and total investment is $158,100–$252,000. Moving-only is $55,000 franchise fee and $211,600–$335,500 total. Veterans get a $7,500 discount.

The ongoing fee structure is where the complexity lives. The base royalty is 7% of gross sales from your territory, and 8% on outside-territory sales. The Brand Development Fee is 2%. The Technology Fee is 1% of gross sales (not a flat fee — this is higher than it sounds at scale). Local advertising requirement is the greater of $1,500/month or 8% of gross sales. You're also required to use the ACUTE FS accounting service ($380–$580/month).

The SLC appointment fee is the one to understand before signing: for any job booked through their centralized call center, you pay 6% of gross sales (junk) or 5% (moving) on top of all other fees. If your franchise relies heavily on the SLC, your effective fee burden could reach 18–20% of revenue before marketing and labor.

Minimum annual royalties escalate over 10 years — the Move concept starts at $16,100/Zone/year in Year 1 and reaches $28,673/Zone by Year 10. Junk starts at $8,050 and reaches $14,337. These minimums adjust annually with CPI.

College Hunks discloses revenue data by territory count, which is more useful than a flat average. Single-territory franchisees (74 in the sample) averaged $849,494 in 2024 gross sales, with a wide median of $714,855. The top single-territory operator hit $4.2M. The bottom 25% of all franchisees averaged just $501,788 — viable but not wealth-building at 1 territory.

Two-territory operators (47 in the sample) averaged $1.45M. Three-plus territory operators (31 in the sample) averaged $2.9M — with the top operator reaching $11.1M in gross sales.

The corporate-owned 3+ territory operations in Tampa provide the clearest look at the economics. At $5.5M average revenue, cost of service runs about 46% of revenue (truck labor 27%, royalties 7%, SLC 3%, brand development 2%, disposal/fuel/fees 7%). Gross profit is 54%, marketing runs 14%, office labor 11%, rent/utilities 4%, and other expenses 14%. Net income before taxes: approximately 11% of revenue, or about $600K on a $5.5M multi-territory operation.

At the single-territory median of $714K, these ratios produce a tighter picture — perhaps $50K–$80K in owner income, which is serviceable but not compelling relative to the $75,000 franchise fee and ongoing obligations.

Specific unit count data for College Hunks wasn't separately tabulated in the FDD summary, but the brand operates in the home services category with established market presence across the US. The service-based model — no restaurant, no perishables, vehicles rather than buildout — means lower fixed costs and more resilience during economic downturns.

The multi-territory growth incentive is built into the model: additional Zones cost $65,000 each, and the economics only really scale above 2–3 territories. Franchisees who commit to growth are structurally rewarded. Franchisees who stay at 1 Zone face modest margins and meaningful minimum royalty obligations.

The layered fee structure is the most important thing to model before signing. If you use the SLC heavily (which most new franchisees do), your effective fee burden can hit 18–20% of revenue: 7% royalty + 2% brand development + 1% tech + 6% SLC + 8% local advertising requirement. That's before labor, fuel, insurance, and vehicle costs.

Minimum royalties are serious: if your Moving concept doesn't generate the required minimums ($16,100 in Year 1, escalating to $28,673 by Year 10), you owe the shortfall regardless. The minimums reset annually and increase with CPI.

The non-compete and penalty for working outside your territory is severe: 100% of job revenue forfeited, and repeated violations can trigger termination. Territory boundaries matter in a service business where customers move.

Item 7 notes: franchisees should not expect to draw a salary for the first 12 months. The additional funds estimate of $75,000–$125,000 for 3 months does not include owner compensation. Budget accordingly.