Automotive
Christian Brothers Automotive Franchise
An automotive repair and maintenance franchise offering full-service vehicle repair through standalone service centers.
Every franchisor has to file a document called an FDD before they can legally sell you a franchise. Buried in it are the two things a sales rep won't volunteer: what you'll actually spend to open, and whether existing locations are opening or closing. That's what's below, pulled straight from Christian Brothers Automotive's own filing.
What it costs to open
From the filing's investment breakdown -- not a "starting at" number a sales rep quoted you.
Franchise fee
$85,000
Total to open
$515,250–$650,400
Ongoing royalty
Not a %-of-revenue fee -- see FDD
What you'd actually spend, over time
The upfront cost is only part of it. Plug in what you expect a location to bring in, and see the real total once royalties over a few years are added on top.
Used to work out your profit estimate below -- we don't assume a number for you.
Startup investment (royalty not included -- see below)
$515,250 – $650,400
Christian Brothers Automotive doesn't charge a straightforward percentage-of-revenue royalty -- its FDD describes a different ongoing-fee structure instead. That cost isn't included in the total above; check the FDD directly for the real terms before using this figure to compare against other franchises.
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Christian Brothers Automotive's FDD doesn't disclose a reliable profit figure (most franchisors don't), so this starts from a typical automotive profit margin (~12%) and applies it to the revenue you entered above -- adjust the percentage to your own realistic estimate.
Defaulted to a general automotive industry benchmark, not a figure from Christian Brothers Automotive's own filing -- this is a starting point to adjust, not a promise about what franchisees actually make.
At that profit, you'd break even in about
8.6–10.8 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Christian Brothers Automotive is opening more locations. A long payback period on a shrinking brand is a very different bet than the same payback period on a growing one.
Is Christian Brothers Automotive actually growing?
Franchisors have to report, every year, how many locations opened, closed, or changed hands. Most franchise sites never show you this. Here it is:
Locations opened vs. closed, by year
GrowingFrom Item 20 of Christian Brothers Automotive's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 265 | 280 | +15 |
| 2024 | 280 | 302 | +22 |
| 2025 | 302 | 326 | +24 |
Most recent year (2025): gained 24 franchised units, ending the year at 326 total.
Where this came from: California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00005121, filed 4/20/2026, effective 8/8/2026. FDD issuance date April 17, 2026. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-04-20. None of this is investment advice -- get the franchisor's current FDD and talk to a real attorney or accountant before you sign anything.
If you see a different unit count elsewhere: franchisors only have to refile their FDD annually, so the numbers here can run 6–18 months behind a franchisor's own real-time marketing claims -- which often aren't independently verified, and sometimes count signed-but-not-yet-open locations. A gap isn't necessarily an error on either side; it's two different snapshots in time from two different sources.