Start a SealMaster Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #248 Ranked #253 last year

Initial investment: $580K - $925K

Units as of 2024: 46 7.0% over 3 years

SealMaster is a leading franchise in the pavement maintenance industry. Many contractors, highway/street departments, and property owners rely on SealMaster for quality products and services. SealMaster is driven by the philosophy of total dedication to the pavement maintenance industry. They strive to offer quality products, competitive pricing, and outstanding service.

SealMaster was founded in 1969. Company headquarters are located in Sandusky, Ohio. All SealMaster products, equipment, and other brand-name products are available at different locations. SealMaster's water-based emulsions coatings, paints, and liquid repair products are also environmentally friendly.

Why You May Want to Start a SealMaster Franchise

When you open a SealMaster franchise, you can expect to be given trained personnel for technical support. SealMaster also has a specialized transportation fleet. The fleet enables them to provide convenient delivery of the diverse SealMaster product line.

SealMaster strives to offer an exceptional business opportunity in the pavement maintenance contracting business. The company holds periodic seminars on the latest application, marketing, and sales techniques. These seminars are generally attended by contractors and property managers. You will most likely learn how to use the company's driveway sealing equipment.

New franchisees also attend an intense multi-week training program at company headquarters in Sandusky, Ohio. Training sessions include information on sales, marketing, operations, and product knowledge.

What Might Make a SealMaster Franchise a Good Choice?

SealMaster has been recognized for its dedicated pavement fixing by various organizations. Recently, SealMaster has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

To be part of the SealMaster team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, or renewal fees. Franchisees may also need to meet the franchise's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a SealMaster Franchise

To get started with SealMaster, you will need to submit an inquiry form. It is important to review the SealMaster franchise opportunity and the costs necessary to open and run your location. This research will probably be a part of your due diligence process.

If the company sees you are a good fit, a SealMaster franchise representative may reach out. Together, you will discuss your goals for a SealMaster location.

If you continue with the process, you may receive a call to schedule your discovery day in Sandusky, Ohio. On discovery day, you may have the chance to meet the team behind the SealMaster franchise. They may answer questions you have about the franchise. You may also have the chance to speak to existing franchisees about the opportunity and get their take on being a part of the SealMaster team.

If all goes well during this process, you may be ready to seal the deal and sign a franchise agreement with SealMaster. You'll definitely feel like a seal master after that.

Company Overview

About SealMaster

Industry	Maintenance
Related Categories	Pavement Maintenance, Miscellaneous Home-Improvement Businesses, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses
Founded	1969
Parent Company	InFrasys
Leadership	David Thorson, President/CEO
Corporate Address	P.O. Box 2277 Sandusky, OH 44871-2277
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1991 (34 years)
# of employees at HQ	50
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	46 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a SealMaster franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$579,800 - $924,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$750,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$10,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1.5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	SealMaster has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: equipment, inventory

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	40 hours
Classroom Training	80 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	10
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes