One Hour Air Conditioning He vs Roto Rooter
One Hour Air Conditioning He vs Roto Rooter: One Hour Air Conditioning He costs $63K to $460K to open; Roto Rooter costs $33K to $338K. One Hour Air Conditioning He has 23 units, Roto Rooter has 48. SBA loan history: One Hour Air Conditioning He = 25 loans (4.0% default); Roto Rooter = 44 loans (6.8% default). The franchise with more SBA funded units, a lower SBA default rate, and a lower royalty load is the safer financing bet; see the comparison below.
One Hour Air Conditioning He vs Roto Rooter: Capital, Scale & Lending Analysis
Analysis based on FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan level data. Each pairing reflects a unique combination of capital intensity, system scale, and financing path.
Capital Intensity
Roto Rooter requires the lower minimum capital commitment ($33K vs $63K for One Hour Air Conditioning He), a 91% spread. Initial franchise fees come in at $43K for One Hour Air Conditioning He versus $34K for Roto Rooter, Roto Rooter has the lower entry fee.
System Scale & Tenure
On scale, Roto Rooter operates 48 units to One Hour Air Conditioning He's 23, roughly 2× the system size.
SBA Lending Profile
Roto Rooter has the deeper SBA lending track record, with 44 7(a) approvals compared with 25 for One Hour Air Conditioning He. One Hour Air Conditioning He's peak SBA year was 2025 (7 loans); Roto Rooter's peak was 1996 (5 loans). One Hour Air Conditioning He's more recent peak generally indicates fresher lender appetite. One Hour Air Conditioning He has the most SBA funded units in TX, with 5. Roto Rooter leads in IA, with 6. Borrowers should pick the brand whose strongest SBA state matches their own state for warmer lender introductions. Average SBA loan size on funded One Hour Air Conditioning He deals is $348K vs $171K for Roto Rooter, useful as a sizing anchor when modeling your own unit.
Risk Signal
SBA default rates are 4.0% for One Hour Air Conditioning He and 6.8% for Roto Rooter, One Hour Air Conditioning He has the cleaner SBA loss record by 2.8 points. PeerSense FPI scores come in at 73 (Strong) for One Hour Air Conditioning He and 39 (Fair) for Roto Rooter, giving One Hour Air Conditioning He the stronger composite signal across SBA performance, lender appetite, and operational consistency.
Health & Performance
FPI Score | 73/100 | 39/100 |
Health Tier | Strong | Fair |
Confidence | N/A | N/A |
Lending Trend | Growing | Declining |
SBA Lending
SBA Loans | 25 | 44 |
SBA Volume | – | – |
Default Rate | 4.0% | 6.8% |
Peer Tier | established | established |
Investment & Costs
Total Investment | $63K to $460K | $33K to $338K |
Franchise Fee | $43K | $34K |
Royalty Rate | 6% | N/A |
Ad Fund | 1.5% | 1% |
Liquid Capital | N/A | N/A |
Net Worth Required | N/A | N/A |
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Item 19 Status | Not Disclosed | Not Disclosed |
System Size & Operations
Total Units | 23 | 48 |
Franchised Units | 23 | 48 |
Company Owned | – | – |
Term Length | 10 yrs | 10 yrs |
Brand Information
Year Founded | 1999 | N/A |
Franchising Since | N/A | N/A |
Years Franchising | N/A | N/A |
Headquarters | RED OAK, TX | ARCATA, CA |
Category | Plumbing, Heating, | Plumbing, Heating, |
Website | ||
FDD Year | N/A | 2025 |
Which Is Better, One Hour Air Conditioning He or Roto Rooter?
Lower upfront capital required
Tie
One Hour Air Conditioning He: $63K starting · Roto Rooter: $33K starting
More SBA lender confidence
Roto Rooter
One Hour Air Conditioning He: 25 SBA loans · Roto Rooter: 44 SBA loans
Lower SBA default rate
One Hour Air Conditioning He
One Hour Air Conditioning He: 4.0% · Roto Rooter: 6.8%
Larger system & brand presence
Tie
One Hour Air Conditioning He: 23 units · Roto Rooter: 48 units
More lender financing options
Roto Rooter
One Hour Air Conditioning He: 12 unique lenders · Roto Rooter: 34 unique lenders
Decision matrix uses publicly disclosed FDD and SBA loan data. Not a recommendation. Your best franchise depends on capital, market, operating capacity, and risk tolerance.
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About These Franchises
One Hour Air Conditioning He vs Roto Rooter: Franchise Funding Comparison
Comparing One Hour Air Conditioning He and Roto Rooter is about more than brand preference. It's about which franchise fits your financial profile and funding strategy. Investment ranges from $33K to $460K.
One Hour Air Conditioning He has 25 SBA loans on record and Roto Rooter has 44. Those totals are cumulative history rather than a measure of current appetite. Recent lending activity is trending down for at least one of these brands, so current lender appetite has to be checked deal by deal rather than assumed from the totals.
SBA 7(a) loans are the most common franchise funding vehicle, offering up to $5M with as little as 10% down. PeerSense connects franchise buyers with the specific lenders who have approved loans for these brands, not generic referrals, but lenders with actual franchise lending track records.
Data sourced from SBA loan records, Franchise Disclosure Documents, and public filings. Updated regularly. Not financial advice, consult with a lending professional before making investment decisions.
One Hour Air Conditioning He vs Roto Rooter, Frequently Asked Questions
Which is a better franchise investment, One Hour Air Conditioning He or Roto Rooter?
How much does a One Hour Air Conditioning He franchise cost compared to Roto Rooter?
Can I finance One Hour Air Conditioning He or Roto Rooter with an SBA loan?
Which has a lower SBA default rate, One Hour Air Conditioning He or Roto Rooter?
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Page Review
Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman