Start a Honest1 Auto Care Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $225K - $1.2M

Units as of 2023: 64 7% over 3 years

Founded in 2003, Honest1 Auto Care is a one-stop shop for auto repairs. The brand offers full-service automotive repair and maintenance services, including tune-ups, brake and transmission repairs, oil changes, and preventative maintenance.

Backed by quality service and an honest relationship between customers and mechanics, Honest1 Auto Care aims to bring honesty back to the car care industry, prioritizing customer satisfaction. Honest1 Auto Care built its operations to ensure that when customers visit, they leave knowing that they got their money's worth. The brand guarantees a friendly experience with billing transparency.

Since its formation, the Honest1 Auto Care franchise has expanded to over 60 locations across the United States. Ideal franchisee candidates are qualified and competent individuals with prior experience in the field and are keen on career advancement. Running an auto repair franchise gives the franchisee a way to impact their communities by making excellent car care a reality.

Why You May Want to Start an Honest1 Auto Care Franchise

One thing that makes Honest1 Auto Care a stand-out automotive center is its goal of prioritizing all customer needs, no matter how small. At each Honest1 Auto Care center, customers can enjoy a comfortable upscale lobby, honest customer service, internet workstations, complimentary beverages, children's play areas, and clean workstations.

As an Honest1 Auto Care franchisee, you certainly won't have to worry about not knowing how to run your business! The company requires you to fulfill many hours of on-the-job training and several dozen hours of classroom training, with ongoing training as needed. Since you need eight employees to run this car franchise, training is vital to operational success. The franchise also provides marketing support to all franchisees.

What Might Make Honest1 Auto Care a Good Choice?

The auto care industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Owning an Honest1 Auto Care franchise gives you a chance at experiencing growth. Honest1 Auto Care also has competitive offers that include its 3-year or 36,000-mile warranty, free 24-hour roadside assistance, complimentary customer shuttle, and same-day service for most vehicles.

To be part of the Honest1 Auto Care team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment that will include a franchise fee and other startup fees. Ongoing fees will include royalty percentages, advertising fees, and a potential renewal fee. Their typical terms of agreement run for a renewable period of twenty years. There is an option of working with third-party sources to cover many financing costs if needed.

How to Open a Honest1 Auto Care Franchise

To kickstart your Honest1 Auto Care franchise, start by completing a short request for consideration. An Honest1 team member may reach out to you with an introductory phone call if you seem like a good fit.

After getting acquainted with a franchise representative, you'll review the Franchise Disclosure Document, speak with other franchisees, and attend a discovery day.

At the end of the franchise process, you'll sign the final documents, go through training, and start your journey as the newest Honest1 Auto Care franchisee.

Company Overview

About Honest1 Auto Care

Industry	Automotive
Related Categories	Automotive Repair & Maintenance Services, Miscellaneous Automotive Products & Services
Founded	2003
Parent Company	H-1 Auto Care LLC
Leadership	Michael Cowan, President & CEO
Corporate Address	100 2nd Ave. S., #1203 St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Social	Facebook

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2003 (22 years)
# of employees at HQ	14
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington
# of Units	64 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Honest1 Auto Care 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.	$45,000
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.	$224,650 - $1,196,650
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.	$700,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$200,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$5,000 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.	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.	1%
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.	20 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	Honest1 Auto Care 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 hours
Classroom Training	138.5 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates 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	8-10
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