Franchise Facts Report → compare → Merry Maids® vs Culligan
Merry Maids® vs Culligan
Two home services franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Merry Maids® | Culligan | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $126,880 – $165,610 | $35,000 – $150,000 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | — | $38,513 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 7% | 2% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | $1,040,630 | — |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 933 | 476 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -24 | -36 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 2.6% | 1% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | High |
| FDD year registration | 2025 | 2024 |
Are Merry Maids® and Culligan the same company?
No — Merry Maids® and Culligan are franchised by separate companies. Merry Maids®'s franchisor is Merry Maids SPE LLC; Culligan's is Culligan International Company. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Culligan is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $35,000 – $150,000, against $126,880 – $165,610 for Merry Maids®.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Merry Maids® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,040,630), while Culligan's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Merry Maids® reports 933 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 2.6% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Culligan reports 476 franchised outlets, net change -36 in the latest reported year, a 1% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against home services medians.
Litigation
Merry Maids® discloses 1 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceeding in FDD Item 3. Culligan discloses 1 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceeding in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against home services peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Merry Maids® vs Culligan — frequently asked
Are Merry Maids® and Culligan the same company?
No — Merry Maids® and Culligan are franchised by separate companies. Merry Maids®'s franchisor is Merry Maids SPE LLC; Culligan's is Culligan International Company. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Merry Maids® and Culligan?
Merry Maids® and Culligan are home services franchises from different franchisors (Merry Maids SPE LLC and Culligan International Company). Culligan is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $35,000 – $150,000, against $126,880 – $165,610 for Merry Maids®. Only Merry Maids® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,040,630), while Culligan's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Merry Maids® more profitable than Culligan?
Only Merry Maids® disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $1,040,630), while Culligan's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Merry Maids® or Culligan?
Culligan is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $35,000 – $150,000, against $126,880 – $165,610 for Merry Maids®.
Is Merry Maids® or Culligan growing faster?
Merry Maids® reports 933 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 2.6% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Culligan reports 476 franchised outlets, net change -36 in the latest reported year, a 1% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Home services rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Merry Maids® 2025, Culligan 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.