Before You Sign: 6 Contract Terms in Domestic Service Franchise Deals [Infographic]

Domestic service franchises include residential cleaning, maid services, home care, and commercial janitorial work. You can run many of them from a home office, since crews work at client sites rather than a storefront. That low overhead appeals to first-time business owners. Under the FTC Franchise Rule, the franchisor has to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay anything. The franchise agreement in that package sets the rules you will operate under for years.

The franchisor drafts these agreements, and some states add their own franchise laws on registration, disclosure, and termination. A local domestic franchise attorney typically reads the agreement alongside those state laws and looks closely at the clauses that shape daily operations and your exit. Below is an infographic that lists six contract terms to review before you sign a domestic service franchise deal.