Investment & ROI
Model your scenario. Pressure-test the model.
Move the sliders. We don't pre-fill numbers. The gross margin assumption used in the model is sourced from FDD Item 19, Table I — fiscal year 2025 weighted average across our two affiliate-owned shops in Las Vegas.
What does a Polar Tint franchise cost to open and run?
$136,588 to $259,950 total initial investment. 8% royalty. ~91% gross margin on film at parent-supplier pricing.
Total initial investment is $136,588 to $259,950 per FDD Item 7, including the $49,950 franchise fee, build-out, equipment, opening inventory, training, and three months of working capital. Ongoing fees are 8% royalty on weekly gross, 1% national brand fund, $800/month technology fee, and a 6%-of-gross or $1,250/week local marketing minimum. The ROI model below uses an FDD Item 19-grounded gross margin assumption — fiscal year 2025 weighted average from the two affiliate-owned shops in Las Vegas — for cost of goods sold sourced through Glacier Manufacturing.
FDD context
How to read these numbers.
The output panel models monthly and annual gross and EBITDA from your slider inputs. Royalty (8%) and national brand fund (1%) are deducted below gross profit; cost of goods sold (sourced from FDD Item 19 — see the Earnings Disclosure for the underlying dollars) sits above. Your individual results vary based on territory, marketing execution, lease economics, service mix, and operator effort.
Investment FAQs
Common questions on the ROI numbers.
What gross margin does the ROI calculator assume?
The calculator uses a fiscal year 2025 weighted-average gross margin sourced from FDD Item 19 across the two affiliate-owned Las Vegas shops (Summerlin and Henderson). The full gross margin breakdown by service line — automotive tint, ceramic, PPF, residential, commercial, wraps — is in the FDD's Earnings Disclosure section. Polar Tint franchisees sourcing through Glacier Manufacturing run materially above industry-average gross margin because of the parent-manufacturer pricing structure.
Are these numbers guaranteed?
No. FDD Item 19 disclosures, the ROI calculator, and any verbal projections from Polar Tint are not guarantees of your specific result. Individual results vary based on territory demographics, local marketing execution, lease economics, service mix, hiring quality, and operator effort. The FDD discloses the historical financial performance of the two affiliate-owned shops; the calculator is a modeling tool, not a forecast.
What's a realistic first-year ramp?
Most Polar Tint shops average 4–6 customer tickets per day in months 1–3, ramping to 6–8 tickets per day by month 6, and 8–10 by month 12. The Frostbite Marketing partnership drives the bulk of early customer flow during the ramp. Year-1 gross sales for a single-bay operator-run shop typically fall inside the bands disclosed in FDD Item 19.
When do most operators reach break-even?
Most owner-operated Polar Tint shops reach monthly cash-flow break-even (revenue covering all expenses including debt service) inside 6–12 months. Full payback of the equity injection typically lands inside 24–36 months for operators who hit the average ramp curve. Pull these numbers from the calculator using conservative assumptions before relying on them.
How much working capital should I budget for?
FDD Item 7 includes three months of working capital in the $136,588–$259,950 total initial investment range. Most lenders prefer to see an additional $20,000–$40,000 of post-close reserves outside the loan, so you can ride out slow weeks during the ramp without dipping into operating cash. A 6-month working capital cushion is the conservative target most CPAs recommend for franchise startups.
What if I want to model my own market?
Move the sliders. The calculator lets you override default ticket volume, average ticket size, COGS percentage, rent, payroll, and other operating expenses to model your specific local economics. The development team can also share a market-specific demographic profile and competitive analysis for any territory you're considering during the qualification process.