Stratus vs Jan-Pro: Which Master Franchise Is Better to Own?

If you want an executive master franchise with the broadest revenue base in commercial cleaning, Stratus Clean is the stronger fit. Our master model runs on nine revenue streams with roughly 90% recurring revenue and a defined all-in investment of $275,000 to $300,000. Entrepreneur ranks Stratus the #1 commercial cleaning franchise and the #1 fastest-growing franchise for four consecutive years. Jan-Pro's Regional Developer model is a well-established alternative, founded in 1991 and backed by a large unit network. It fits buyers who want a longer-tenured brand and are comfortable with a wider investment range and a larger office staff from day one.

That is the one-paragraph version of the Stratus vs. Jan-Pro question. The rest of this guide walks through the facts behind it: model type, investment, revenue model, territory, support, scale, and fit. Every Jan-Pro figure below comes from Jan-Pro's own franchise development site or its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), and every Stratus figure comes from our published materials and FDD. Where a figure lives in Item 7 or Item 19, we say so, because that is where you should verify it.

Stratus vs. Jan-Pro: Master Franchise Comparison at a Glance

Sources: Stratus figures from our Investment Opportunity, earnings model, and FAQ pages. Jan-Pro figures from the "What Is the Best Master Franchise Opportunity," "How Much Does It Cost," "How Much Can I Make," "Organizational Structure," "How Will You Support Me," "Next Steps" and FAQ pages on Jan-Pro's franchise development site, and from the Jan-Pro of the West 2021 FDD.

Model Type: Both Are Executive Businesses, With One Structural Difference

Neither brand expects you to clean. Both sell a second-tier franchisor role: you buy regional rights, recruit and support unit owners, and build a network. Jan-Pro describes its Regional Developers as "mini franchisors" who "assume all the duties and responsibilities of a franchisor within that territory." We describe the Stratus master franchise the same way: you become the franchisor for your territory.

The structural difference is in how contracts flow.

• Stratus: you hold two rights in your territory. You award unit franchises, and you obtain commercial cleaning contracts. When you win a contract, you assign it to a unit owner who bought a franchise. Your business wins the contracts that your network services, which is why contract sales and the recurring royalties, admin fees, insurance revenue, and supply sales attached to each account sit at the center of the model.
• Jan-Pro: Regional Developers market for new business "on behalf of franchise owners" and earn commissions on accounts sold to Certified Franchisees. Unit franchises are sold in tiers, from an entry level of $950 serving one or two clients up to $50,000 for a full-scale business, and franchisees are coached to reinvest in additional accounts.

Staffing is the second practical difference. Jan-Pro's FAQ says most Regional Developers start with three to five employees across inside sales, outside sales, operations coaching, and admin. Our model is built to run with a minimal number of employees, mainly on weekdays, because the StratusConnect app, the national insurance program, and corporate sales programs carry work that would otherwise need headcount. Your labor cost stays low while your unit count grows.

Investment: A Defined Range vs. a Wide One

• Stratus Clean: master license fee of about $125,000 on average (scaled to territory population), working capital of about $150,000 on average, total investment typically $275,000 to $300,000. You should have $250,000+ net worth and $125,000 to $150,000 liquid. Item 7 of our FDD is the authoritative source, and our regional developer guide breaks down the numbers.
• Jan-Pro: initial franchise fee of $50,000 to $600,000 paid as a lump sum at signing, plus $1,500 to $5,000 for real estate, $10,000 to $25,000 for equipment and office furniture, $5,000 to $10,000 for computer hardware and software, and $50,000 to $100,000 in additional funds for the first three months. Total estimated initial investment: $127,500 to $769,000. Jan-Pro's FAQ notes the range "really depends on desired staffing levels and working capital comfort."

What that means for you: Jan-Pro's floor is lower, but its ceiling is more than twice our top end, and the franchise fee alone can reach $600,000. Our range is deliberately narrow so you can plan capital with precision. Jan-Pro offers direct financing on its up-front franchise fee; we encourage you to review financing options with your own advisors and to compare both brands' Item 10 disclosures.

Revenue Model: Nine Streams and 90% Recurring

Both models earn from unit franchise sales and ongoing royalties. The difference is breadth and what renews.

A Stratus master territory earns from nine revenue streams:

• Franchise fees from awarding unit franchises
• Finance fees from financing unit purchases
• Contract sales from securing commercial cleaning accounts
• Special services such as floor care, carpet, windows, pressure washing and post-construction cleanup
• Admin fees
• Insurance revenue through the national insurance program
• Royalties on unit franchisee revenue
• Transfer fees when units change hands
• Supply sales on Stratus products

Most franchise systems have three to seven streams. Roughly 90% of Stratus master revenue is recurring because a janitorial contract renews month after month, and the royalties, admin fees, insurance revenue, and supply sales tied to it renew with it. David Smith, master franchisee for Nashville, TN, says he was drawn to "the recurring revenue model and the idea of selling a need rather than a want."

Jan-Pro lists its Regional Developer streams as unit franchise sales, commissions on customer contracts sold to Certified Franchisees, monthly royalties on cleaning revenue, royalties on disinfecting and specialty services, backend support fees for billing and marketing, and sales of equipment, chemicals, and branded apparel. Jan-Pro also describes these as recurring and long-lasting. It does not publish a recurring-revenue percentage.

For context on the scale a Stratus territory can reach, 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 these figures appear in Item 19 of our FDD. Individual results may differ. These are system-level figures, not a representation of what you will earn as a master owner. Jan-Pro's FDD also contains an Item 19, and we recommend reading both side by side.

Territory: Exclusive and Protected in Both Systems

Both brands grant an exclusive territory. A Stratus master territory is protected and defined by population; it can be a single state or a cluster of counties, and the license fee scales with that population. Jan-Pro territories are also exclusive; the Jan-Pro of the West FDD, for example, defines a territory covering Santa Clara, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and part of San Mateo counties.

Where availability differs is simply geography. Stratus has open markets today across more than 30 states, including statewide rights in Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, plus Canadian markets in British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick and PEI, and Newfoundland. See our available territories and confirm current availability with our team.

Support and Training: What Each Brand Provides

Stratus Clean onboarding follows a fixed sequence: pre-opening training, one week at our corporate headquarters, and two weeks of on-site training in your own territory. A dedicated onboarding coach guides you throughout. Ongoing support includes:

• The StratusConnect proprietary operations app
• The national insurance program, which covers your unit owners and generates recurring revenue
• Marketing and operations support
• Finance and business management support
• Development and sales programs, including a National Accounts program that helps you pursue larger contracts than you could reach alone
• A collaborative network of more than 90 master franchisees
• A leadership team with 150+ years of combined franchising experience

Jan-Pro assigns each Regional Developer a field support consultant, trains every Regional Developer on marketing, hosts monthly marketing connect sessions, and provides an education platform covering recruiting, certification, coaching, and sales. Candidates attend an in-person Discovery Day at Jan-Pro's Atlanta headquarters. The Jan-Pro pages we reviewed do not state the length of initial training, so ask for Item 11 of the FDD.

Ralph Sizemore, owner of Stratus Clean of Columbia, SC, puts our side of the comparison plainly: "I would definitely do the franchise with Stratus over again. They've been so supportive."

Scale, Rankings and Track Record

Jan-Pro has the longer history. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Atlanta, it is owned by LYNX Franchising and describes its unit brand as the world's largest cleaning and disinfecting franchise. Its site cites an average Regional Developer tenure of more than 10 years, which signals a stable system.

Stratus has the faster momentum. Since our founding in 2006, we have grown to 100+ master territories and 5,500+ unit franchisees across the U.S. and Canada, and we are the 4th largest commercial cleaning franchise in North America. Third-party recognition includes:

• #1 Fastest-Growing Franchise on Entrepreneur's list for four consecutive years, including 2026
• #1 Commercial Cleaning Franchise on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, ranked #21 overall in 2026
• #228 on the Franchise Times Top 400
• Franchise Business Review Top Franchises Award winner (2025), with 86% of master franchisees saying they would do it again
• Global Franchise Awards 2024 finalist
• Green Seal-certified proprietary cleaning products, an independent third-party environmental certification you bring to every contract conversation

The category both brands operate in is healthy. The International Franchise Association projects $921.4 billion in franchise output and 845,000 franchise establishments in 2026, and commercial and residential services is tied for the fastest-growing franchise sector at 3.2% year over year. Commercial cleaning itself is an essential service worth roughly $100 billion a year, and demand holds through recessions, pandemics, and technology shifts because a building needs cleaning regardless of the cycle.

Verdict: Which Master Franchise Fits You?

Stratus Clean fits you if you want:

• A predictable capital plan: $275,000 to $300,000 all in, with clear net worth and liquidity thresholds
• The widest revenue base in the category: nine streams, about 90% recurring
• A lean office with minimal employees and weekday hours
• Green Seal-certified products as a differentiator in contract sales
• A fast-growing brand with national-account support and open territories in many mid-size and statewide markets
• A peer network of 90+ masters, 86% of whom say they would do it again

Jan-Pro fits you if you want:

• A brand with a 30-plus-year history, owned by multi-brand franchisor LYNX Franchising
• Flexibility to enter at a lower total investment, or to buy a very large market at the top of its range
• A model that staffs an office of three to five people from day one and sells unit franchises in low-cost tiers starting at $950
• Direct financing on the up-front franchise fee

Both are legitimate executive-level businesses. The right choice depends on how you want to deploy capital, how lean you want to run, and how much weight you put on recurring revenue breadth versus brand tenure.

How to Verify This Comparison Yourself

• Request both FDDs. Compare Item 5 (initial fees), Item 6 (ongoing fees), Item 7 (total investment), Item 11 (training), Item 12 (territory), and Item 19 (financial performance).
• Call existing owners. Item 20 lists current and former franchisees. Ask masters in both systems what they would do differently.
• Model your territory. Ask each brand how the license fee scales with population and how many units the territory supports.
• Walk the discovery process. Our six-step process lets you review the model and FDD, meet the corporate team, and speak with existing masters before you decide. Use our master franchise due diligence checklist as you go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stratus Clean the same company as Stratus Building Solutions?

Yes. Stratus Clean and Stratus Building Solutions refer to the same master franchise system; some of our franchisee pages still use the Stratus Building Solutions name. The model, territories, and leadership are the same.

Do Stratus or Jan-Pro master owners do any cleaning?

No. Both brands state clearly that master owners and Regional Developers do not own or operate cleaning businesses. Your role is to recruit, support, and grow a network of unit franchise owners who do the cleaning.

Which is cheaper to start, Stratus or Jan-Pro?

Jan-Pro's published cost page shows a lower floor ($127,500) but a much higher ceiling ($769,000). Stratus publishes a narrower all-in range of $275,000 to $300,000. The right comparison is the Item 7 table for the specific territory you are considering, not the published range.

How many revenue streams does a Stratus master franchise have compared to Jan-Pro?

Stratus masters earn from nine revenue streams with roughly 90% recurring. Jan-Pro lists six categories of Regional Developer revenue on its site and describes them as recurring but does not publish a recurring percentage.

Take the Next Step

If the Stratus side of this comparison matches how you want to build, the next move is a conversation. Review our investment overview, check which territories are open, then contact Rob Lancit, VP of Franchise Development, at (516) 551-4773 in the U.S. or (604) 833-0911 in Canada, or email rlancit@stratusclean.com. We will walk you through the FDD, connect you with existing masters, and help you decide whether your territory is the one to build.