Start a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise in 2024

2024 Franchise 500 Rank: #282 Ranked #455 last year

Initial investment: $130K - $274K

Units as of 2024: 446 16.8% over 3 years

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning was founded in 1999. It then became a fully operational franchise in 2003. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning has hundreds of locations throughout the United States. The company provides maintenance, replacement, ductwork, and, as the name suggests, heating and cooling repair services.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is a part of a prominent home service provider called Authority Brands. The range of HVAC items that are maintained by this company include things like air conditioners, heaters, pilot lights, motors, circuit boards, and control valves.

Why You May Want to Start a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning may help you grow or expand your business, even if you have no industry skills or expertise. For heating, ventilation, and air conditioning service providers, this franchise might improve the quality of services you can provide while maximizing growth. It may even provide you with services that make starting or growing your own business much easier.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning may also provide customizable marketing and advertising materials. Franchisees are typically able to speak with marketing experts about any challenges they may be facing. The company also has an established operational model, including business management software.

What Might Make a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise a Good Choice?

Every home, office, or building will probably need HVAC services at some point. That means that One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning services are likely to be in demand. Services are usually year-round, which may allow for a fairly steady stream of clientele.

If you wish, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning offers an option for franchisees to operate as absentee owners. This may allow you to spend more time with your friends and family, pursue other business ventures, or simply have more time to yourself as you run your One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning franchise.

How to Open a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise

To be part of the One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 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 ensure that you are aware of the presence of ongoing fees that will include advertising fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Speak to existing franchisees and ask questions directed to the One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning team. You may want to ask how services differ in varying climates.

Suppose your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand's requirements. In that case, you may qualify to open a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning franchise, and you can get started with an initial investment.

After they make sure that you meet all the requirements, you may be able to successfully register to open a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning franchise.

Company Overview

About One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning

Industry	Maintenance
Related Categories	HVAC/Duct-Cleaning Services, Home Repairs/Handyman Services, Miscellaneous Home-Improvement Businesses, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses
Founded	1999
Parent Company	Authority Brands LLC
Leadership	Traci Fournier, VP of Operations
Corporate Address	7120 Samuel Morse Dr., #300 Columbia, MD 21046
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2003 (21 years)
# of employees at HQ	742
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	446 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 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.	$43,000
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.	$130,392 - $274,076
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.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	30% 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.	to 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.

In-House Financing	One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee
Third Party Financing	One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 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	35 hours
Classroom Training	35 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 Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
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	4-12
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