Franchise Facts Report → compare → Neat Method vs Surface Experts
Neat Method vs Surface Experts
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.
| Neat Method | Surface Experts | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $34,000 – $38,000 | $140,340 – $227,475 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $30,000 | $75,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 20% | 8% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | $114,220 | in report |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 94 | 81 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +4 | +9 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 7.8% | 2.8% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Risk level our read | Medium | Low |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are Neat Method and Surface Experts the same company?
No — Neat Method and Surface Experts are franchised by separate companies. Neat Method's franchisor is NM FRANCHISE OPERATIONS LLC; Surface Experts's is SURFACE EXPERTS FRANCHISING LLC. 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
Neat Method is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $34,000 – $38,000, against $140,340 – $227,475 for Surface Experts.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Closures & failure rate
Neat Method reports 94 franchised outlets, net change +4 in the latest reported year, a 7.8% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Surface Experts reports 81 franchised outlets, net change +9 in the latest reported year, a 2.8% 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
Neat Method discloses 1 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceeding in FDD Item 3. Surface Experts discloses no franchisee-initiated proceedings 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?
Neat Method vs Surface Experts — frequently asked
Are Neat Method and Surface Experts the same company?
No — Neat Method and Surface Experts are franchised by separate companies. Neat Method's franchisor is NM FRANCHISE OPERATIONS LLC; Surface Experts's is SURFACE EXPERTS FRANCHISING LLC. 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 Neat Method and Surface Experts?
Neat Method and Surface Experts are home services franchises from different franchisors (NM FRANCHISE OPERATIONS LLC and SURFACE EXPERTS FRANCHISING LLC). Neat Method is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $34,000 – $38,000, against $140,340 – $227,475 for Surface Experts. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Is Neat Method more profitable than Surface Experts?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Which is cheaper to open — Neat Method or Surface Experts?
Neat Method is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $34,000 – $38,000, against $140,340 – $227,475 for Surface Experts.
Is Neat Method or Surface Experts growing faster?
Neat Method reports 94 franchised outlets, net change +4 in the latest reported year, a 7.8% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Surface Experts reports 81 franchised outlets, net change +9 in the latest reported year, a 2.8% 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 (Neat Method 2024, Surface Experts 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.