Quick answer: If you want to own a franchisor-style business, where you award unit franchises, assign them cleaning contracts, and earn from nine revenue streams across an exclusive region, Stratus is the stronger fit. If you prefer to run a single, large sales-and-management company that staffs its own team and coordinates 20+ facility services through independent contractors, City Wide Facility Solutions is built for that. Both are executive models; the difference is whether you build a regional franchise network or one operating company.
This Stratus vs City Wide comparison uses each brand's own materials: our pages and FDD, and City Wide's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and franchise FAQ. Confirm every figure against the current FDD before you decide.
| Factor | Stratus Master Franchise | City Wide Facility Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Model type | Master franchisor: you award unit franchises and win contracts in a protected region | Single-unit executive franchise: you run one facility-management business in a designated territory |
| Total initial investment | $275,000 to $300,000 typical, all in; see Item 7 of our FDD | $173,620 to $372,000 (2024 FDD, Item 7) |
| Initial fee | About $125,000 average master license fee, scaled to population | $70,000 franchise fee, plus territory, training, and technology fees |
| Revenue streams | Nine, roughly 90% recurring | Service revenue from 20+ facility services, recurring janitorial at the core |
| Territory | Exclusive, protected region; a state or cluster of counties | Protected territory of roughly 1 to 2 million people |
| Initial training | Pre-opening training, one week at HQ, two weeks in your territory, dedicated coach | About 12 weeks, including two weeks at the Lenexa, Kansas Support Center |
| System size | 100+ master territories, 5,500+ unit franchisees, U.S. and Canada | 100+ locations, U.S. and Canada |
City Wide figures come from its 2024 FDD and official franchise FAQ. Request the current FDD from City Wide to verify.
Both brands tell you the same thing up front: you will not be cleaning. City Wide describes its franchisee as the "CEO of their local business," responsible for sales growth, team development, and client relationships. We describe our master franchisee as the regional developer who awards unit franchises, wins commercial cleaning contracts, and assigns them to unit owners. The structure underneath is different.
A City Wide owner manages one operating company. The FDD grants the right to operate one franchise in a designated territory. You build an employee team, and a Facility Solutions Manager coordinates vetted independent contractors across 20+ services. Contractor payments are your cost of service.
A Stratus master manages a franchise network. You recruit, train, and support independent unit franchisees, secure commercial cleaning accounts, and assign them to unit owners. The office runs with minimal staff, mostly on weekdays, and you earn from franchisor-level streams a unit owner never touches. Our executive model guide walks through that distinction.
Stratus. The master license fee averages about $125,000 and scales with territory population. Add roughly $150,000 in working capital, and the typical all-in investment is $275,000 to $300,000. We look for $250,000 or more in net worth and $125,000 to $150,000 in liquid capital. Our master franchise cost guide has the full breakdown.
City Wide. The 2024 FDD lists a total initial investment of $173,620 to $372,000, a 10-year initial term, and no direct or indirect financing. Initial fees include:
Ongoing costs include a royalty of 5% of gross sales or a tiered minimum, a 1% marketing fund, and first-year accounting and business development fees of $5,000 a month combined.
Read these ranges in context: City Wide buys one operating business, while Stratus buys the rights to a region.
City Wide concentrates revenue in service contracts: you sell janitorial and related facility services, contractors deliver them, and your margin sits between the two. Its franchise FAQ reports average annual revenue of $9.8 million per franchise. Its 2024 FDD Item 19 reports average 2023 gross sales of $7,839,821 across 85 franchisees and breaks out labor cost and gross margin, so study both.
Our master model is built around nine revenue streams, including franchise fees, contract sales, special services, royalties, insurance revenue, and supply sales. Roughly 90% of Stratus master revenue is recurring, because janitorial contracts renew and the fees tied to them renew too. Our master franchise earnings guide explains each stream.
For system context, Stratus franchised regions averaged $3.2 million in unit volume in 2025, the top five regions averaged $9.5 million, and system-wide sales reached $238 million. Calculation and further explanation of the Average Unit Volume, Average of Top 5 Performing Regions, and System-wide Sales appear in Item 19 of our FDD. Individual results may differ. These numbers describe the system, not what an individual master franchisee earns.
Stratus. You receive an exclusive, protected territory that can be a state or a cluster of counties, sized using population and commercial-facility data. While your agreement is in force, we do not award that region to another master, and no other Stratus operator can sell units inside it. See what it means to own a Stratus territory and our available territories.
City Wide. Territories typically cover 1 to 2 million people. The 2024 FDD notes that City Wide may serve national accounts and other channels within your territory, and it sets an annual revenue growth requirement of $0.15 per person per year to preserve the full territory.
Review Item 12 in both documents with your franchise attorney. Our guide on how to verify an exclusive territory shows which language to look for.
City Wide runs about 12 weeks of onboarding, including two weeks at its Lenexa, Kansas Support Center. You start with a Transition Coach, move to a Business Performance Coach.
Stratus onboarding starts with pre-opening training, then one week at corporate headquarters and two weeks onsite in your territory, guided by a dedicated onboarding coach. After that, you get StratusConnect, a national insurance program, and a National Accounts program. The support that matters most is peer-to-peer: a network of masters across 100+ territories, backed by a leadership team with 150+ years of combined franchising experience. Details are on our training and support page.
City Wide brings tenure. Its principals have operated a building maintenance business in Kansas City since 1961, the company has franchised since 2001, and it grew from 68 outlets in 2021 to 94 at year-end 2023.
Stratus brings momentum within commercial cleaning:
"I would definitely do the franchise with Stratus over again. They've been so supportive," says Ralph Sizemore of Stratus Clean of Columbia, SC.
Comparing other master systems? See our Stratus vs Jan-Pro and Stratus vs Anago comparisons.
No. City Wide's FDD grants the right to operate one franchise in a designated territory. The owner runs a facility-management business, employs a local team, and coordinates services through independent contractors. A Stratus master holds the rights to award unit franchises and secure cleaning contracts across a region.
Yes. Its 2024 FDD sets an annual revenue growth requirement of $0.15 per person per year to keep the full territory, and City Wide may serve national accounts within it. Review Item 12 for the current terms.
The right answer depends on whether you want to lead one company or build a regional franchise network. If the franchisor seat appeals to you, our six-step discovery process lets you review the FDD and speak with current masters before you commit. Start with our executive guide to the master franchise model, then contact Rob Lancit, VP of Franchise Development, at (516) 551-4773 in the U.S., (604) 833-0911 in Canada, or rlancit@stratusclean.com.
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