Start a The Grounds Guys Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #301 Ranked #262 last year

Initial investment: $89K - $235K

Units as of 2024: 259 22.7% over 3 years

The Grounds Guys, formerly known as Sunshine Grounds Care, began operations in 1987. They provide commercial and residential lawn care, as well as landscaping services. The Grounds Guys is a neighborly franchise company that has grown to more than 170 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

An ideal franchisee for The Grounds Guys franchise is someone who has experience or interest in the lawn care industry and is passionate about offering exceptional customer care.

Why You May Want to Start a The Grounds Guys Franchise

As a franchisee, you will be in charge of your business, hiring a team, and ensuring that your clients get the best landscaping and lawn services, as well as quality customer service with every interaction. The Grounds Guys stand out from other landscaping businesses because they have a mission to provide exceptional services and keep it professional.

The team is uniformed and strives to do the work with the utmost respect and good attitudes while keeping customers' wishes first. Crews are licensed experts and members of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) and the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). Customers love The Ground Guys because of the timely response and excellent quality work they provide. The Grounds Guys help save you time and energy caring for your lawns.

What Might Make The Grounds Guys a Good Choice?

The Grounds Guys have relatively low franchise prices, but you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment and have enough liquid capital available. Franchisees typically pay a franchise fee to get started, but The Grounds Guys has partnered with a third-party source to help you pay for your franchise fee, as well as other relevant fees. Other expenses will include an ongoing royalty fee and advertising fee.

The Grounds Guys equip you with modern tools to conduct daily business. You will also get all the support you need through the entire discovery, training, and pre-opening process. The franchise team will help you make smart marketing and financial decisions as you begin operations.

How to Open The Grounds Guys Franchise

For more information on this opportunity, you can submit an inquiry to show your interest in starting a franchise. By doing this, you can schedule a discovery call with a franchise representative. This call is a chance for you to learn more about the opportunity and for The Ground Guys to learn more about you. The franchise representative may also determine if you will be a good fit during initial interviews.

If you progress through the franchise process, the next step will be attending a discovery day at The Ground Guys headquarters in Waco, Texas. During discovery day, you can seek further clarification on the business and better understand operations. The discovery process continues after discovery day, and you will work with the franchise developer if you decide to franchise with the company. After signing, you will get started on the Sure Start training program as you prepare for your grand opening as The Grounds Guys newest franchisee.

Company Overview

About The Grounds Guys

Industry	Maintenance
Related Categories	Lawn & Tree Care
Founded	2010
Parent Company	Neighborly
Leadership	Lori Johnson, Brand President
Corporate Address	1010 N. University Parks Dr. Waco, TX 76707
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2010 (15 years)
# of employees at HQ	1,600
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	259 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a The Grounds Guys 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.	$88,820 - $234,750
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$30,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	20% off minimum 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%-6%
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.	2%
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	The Grounds Guys has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

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	56-136 hours
Classroom Training	123.75-171.75 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

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	15
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.	No