Automotive
Tint World Franchise
An automotive styling franchise specializing in window tinting, vehicle wraps, paint protection film, mobile electronics, wheels and tires, detailing, and ceramic coating.
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 Tint World'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
$64,950
Total to open
$249,950–$479,950
Ongoing royalty
6% of gross sales
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.
Defaulted to a rough automotive industry average, not a figure from Tint World's own FDD -- change it to your own estimate.
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
$444,950 – $674,950
Startup investment
$249,950–$479,950
Royalty per year (6%)
$39,000
Total royalty, 5yr
$195,000
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Tint World'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 Tint World'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
3.2–6.2 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Tint World 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 Tint World 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 Tint World's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 101 | 124 | +23 |
| 2024 | 124 | 138 | +14 |
| 2025 | 138 | 142 | +4 |
Most recent year (2025): gained 4 franchised units, ending the year at 142 total.
Where this came from: California DFPI Registration Application, App ID APP00005292, filed 4/21/2026, effective 7/28/2026. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-04-21. 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.