The Gutter Guys vs Granite America Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of The Gutter Guys vs Granite America including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
The Gutter Guys Franchise
Granite America Franchise
Investment $91,700$32,250 - $576,200
Franchise Fee $15,000$12,500 - $40,000
Royalty Fee 5%-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19881999
Year Franchised 20002012
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee 25% of franchise fee-


Business Experience Requirements
 
The Gutter Guys Franchise
Granite America Franchise
Experience
  • Marketing skills
  • People skills, good work ethic
    		• -

    Financing Options
     
    The Gutter Guys Franchise
    Granite America Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support
     
    The Gutter Guys Franchise
    Granite America Franchise
    Training --
    Support Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising-
    Operations Franchise can be run from home.

    10% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 7

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    		-

    Expansion Plans
     
    The Gutter Guys Franchise
    Granite America Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About The Gutter Guys

    The Gutter Guys was founded by Michael Williams in 1988. Michael had been working in the restaurant and hospitality business for the previous fifteen years and needed gutters and downspouts on his new home. Amazed at the total lack of professionalism in the gutter companies he encountered while getting gutter installation estimates, he decided to start The Gutter Guys. Using his extensive knowledge of and passion for customer service, Michael's company now serves more than 300,000 happy customers throughout four mid-Atlantic states: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

    Not only did Michael develop the recipe to satisfy his customers, he also found the right recipe to recruit and retain quality employees. While discussing how to utilize and reward skilled employees with his business advisor and CPA Chuck Johnson, the idea of franchising came up. Not franchising in the normal sense, but as a way to expand the geographic area the business served and give employees an opportunity to become self employed while remaining with The Gutter Guys.

    Chuck was so instrumental in helping to develop a system to give The Gutter Guys' employees a chance to become franchise owners that he was invited to join the company. Chuck accepted and sold his well-established accounting practice to join The Gutters Guys full time. Since that time, we have helped twelve of our employees become self employed franchisees of The Gutter Guys.

    About Granite America

    "Granite

    The franchise offered is for the operation of either a granite and stone countertop sales and installation shop that orders slabs as needed, fabricates them and performs installations (“Express Model”), a granite and stone countertop sales, fabrication and installation shop that has an inventory of slabs onsite (“Standard Model”) or a granite and stone countertop sales, fabrication and installation shop that has an inventory of slabs onsite and uses digital technology and automation to fabricate slabs (“Digital Model”) for home improvement and construction projects. Besides opening as a new business (“Startup Franchise”) there is also an option to convert an existing granite, marble or solid surface shop into either an Express, Standard or Digital Model (“Conversion Franchise”). These are service oriented businesses that offers a wide selection of imported granite and stone slabs that are customized into countertops while incorporating an efficient and simplistic approach to production and daily operations, under the name “Granite America®”. 
    When you became a franchise of a Granite America®, you will offer unique products that are superior and NOT available in the marketplace. In other words, you won’t find our products anywhere else! As a Granite America® franchise you are a one- stop solution for sales, fabrication and installation. Not only will you be able to transform residential homes, you will also meet the demand for commercial businesses such as: restaurants, hotels, retail stores, casinos and MORE!
    We have several markets available across the United States so don’t wait!
    Startup Franchise; for a Standard Model, the Initial Franchise Fee is $12,500 for a Conversion Franchise or $25,000 for a Startup Franchise; for a Digital Model, the Initial Franchise Fee is $25,000 for a Conversion Franchise or $40,000 for a Startup Franchise with protected rights to operate in a specific area defined by the franchisor. Additional franchises will be available for $10,000 for an Express Model or $15,000 for either a Standard Model or Digital Model per franchise.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Granite America® Express Model ranges from $32,250 to $116,000 for a Conversion Franchise or from $162,850 to $270,450 for a Startup Franchise; for a Standard Model from $66,950 to $180,200 for a Conversion Franchise or from $327,650 to $576,200 for a Startup Franchise; and for a Digital Model from $742,300 to $969,100 for a Conversion Franchise or from $1,121,000 to $1,463,100 for a Startup Franchise which will depend on a number of factors that are fully discussed in Item 7 and includes the Initial Franchise Fee that must be paid to the Franchisor.