Brand Dossier

Homewatch CareGivers

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Homewatch CareGivers costs $142,890 to $194,080 to open (2026 FDD Item 7), with a Variable fee model fee structure. Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure, Unit Economics, and Term & Exit Terms, In Line on Litigation History, Strength on Operator Validation. Independent analysis, no commissions, no franchisor revenue.
Rank #246 on Entrepreneur 2026Personal-Care BusinessesFDD issued April 30, 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 19 covered period: fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (Table 2 also uses FY2024; Table 3 spans FY2021-2025).
About the Brand

About Homewatch CareGivers

Homewatch CareGivers franchises home care businesses that provide companionship, personal care, complex personal care, and allowable nursing services to private pay and insured clients. Each franchise delivers these Care Services through home health aides, personal care providers, certified nurse assistants, companions, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses, serving seniors and other clients who are disabled, rehabilitating, or convalescing. Care Services also include post-hospitalization care, nursing coordination services, specialized dementia care, temporary staffing for nursing homes and other health care facilities, and telehealth technology services. Each franchise operates under the Homewatch CareGivers trademark from an approved location.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$142,890 to $194,080
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$50,000
Development fee: None. No separate area/development fee disclosed in Item 5.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
Variable fee model
Approximately 10% of Gross Revenue on top-line (5% royalty + up to 2% Brand Fund + 3% Local Marketing at the greater-of floor), plus fixed monthly charges: Care+ software min $495/mo, Website Fee $350/mo (credited to LM), Technology Fee $225/mo, plus $500/mo additional local marketing. Royalty is subject to an escalating monthly minimum ($500 rising to $2,500 after month 61).
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Yes
Average Unit Metric $1,360,485. Median Unit Metric $665,688.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 1 action disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $50,000 for a Territory with 38,000 to 40,000 seniors, plus $1.85 per additional senior for Territories with more than 40,000 seniors (Item 5, p.15). FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee None. No separate area/development fee disclosed in Item 5. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 5% of Gross Revenue or Minimum Royalty, whichever greater; minimum escalates from none to $2,500/month after month 61. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $142,890 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $194,080 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Yes: Average Unit Metric $1,360,485 / Median Unit Metric $665,688 FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 260 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 0 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +29 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Fee load is source-backed from Item 5 and Item 6: a $50,000 base franchise fee plus roughly 10% of Gross Revenue in royalty, brand-fund, and local-marketing obligations, layered with fixed monthly software, website, and technology fees.

Unit Economics
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Clean per-territory disclosure, but median is the safer representative read because a $33.4M outlier pulls the average upward.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 1 action. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Strength
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 shows a growing system: franchised territories rose from 213 to 231 to 260 across 2023-2025 (+29 net in 2025), with systemwide sales climbing from $191M in 2021 to $297.9M in 2025 and no company-owned units.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Item 17 gives a ten-year initial term with one ten-year renewal, a $5,000 renewal fee, a $10,000 transfer fee, a franchisor step-in management right at up to $500/day, and a two-year post-term non-compete.

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You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for Homewatch CareGivers. The full disclosure is free below; Zorzee's read of what it means stays in Pro.

What the Claim Discloses
Average Unit Metric
$1,360,485
Median Unit Metric
$665,688
Sample Size & Coverage
See notecoverage detail
Covered period: fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. Figures are Gross Revenue (top-line billings incl. amounts billed to insurance/government programs and sales in unassigned 'open' territory), NOT profit. Population is 112 of 142 franchisees / 214 of 264 territories - those in operation the entire 2025 year; excluded are 10 franchisees (14 territories) that closed during 2025, 36 franchisees (43 territories) that opened during 2025, and 2 franchisees (2 territories) that did not report a full 12 months. The per-Territory AVERAGE ($1,360,485) is heavily skewed by the 4+ years cohort (avg $1,576,768/territory, one territory as high as $33,373,300); the $665,688 MEDIAN is the more representative center. Item 19 Table 4 separately shows Direct Caregiver Costs (caregiver wages + payroll taxes) at an average 48% / median 49% of Gross Revenue (top 20% 36%, bottom 20% 59%).
Item 19 covered period: fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (Table 2 also uses FY2024; Table 3 spans FY2021-2025)
High / Low Range
$26,422 to $33,373,300
Met or Beat the Average
47 / 22%
What the Disclosure Excludes
Expenses, net income, owner compensation
Gross revenue is not profit
What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Read Locked
Pro turns the disclosed fields into a read: whether the average is trustworthy, what the disclosure leaves out, and the year-one revenue number Zorzee would underwrite.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
260
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Franchised
260
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
0
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+29
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
213
2023
231
2024
260
2025

Homewatch CareGivers trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

1 action disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters long before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Homewatch CareGivers: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Homewatch CareGivers costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
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  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
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FAQ

Homewatch CareGivers Franchise Questions, Answered

How much does a Homewatch CareGivers franchise cost?

A Homewatch CareGivers franchise costs $142,890 to $194,080 to open, disclosed in FDD Item 7 of the 2026 filing, covering the franchise fee, buildout, equipment, and working capital to breakeven. No commissions, no franchisor revenue, independent analysis only.

What are the royalty and fees for Homewatch CareGivers?

Homewatch CareGivers uses a Variable fee model fee structure, disclosed in FDD Item 6.

What does Homewatch CareGivers disclose in FDD Item 19?

Item 19 for Homewatch CareGivers includes a unit sales or revenue metric. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee reads the full metric and what it excludes in the Pro dossier.

Does Homewatch CareGivers have any lawsuits or litigation?

Homewatch CareGivers's FDD Item 3 discloses 1 legal action. A raw count means little without scale and time, so weigh it against the system's 260 units and the years covered. The case-level detail is the Pro read.

Is Homewatch CareGivers a good franchise investment?

Zorzee does not rate franchises good or bad; it reports what the filing discloses so you can judge fit. Homewatch CareGivers shows Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure, Unit Economics, and Term & Exit Terms, In Line on Litigation History, Strength on Operator Validation. Whether it fits depends on your capital, your market, and your operating style. Independent analysis, no franchisor revenue.