ProLift Garage Doors vs The Designery
ProLift Garage Doors vs The Designery: ProLift Garage Doors costs $114K to $157K to open; The Designery costs $50K to $454K. ProLift Garage Doors has 55 units, The Designery has 7. SBA loan history: ProLift Garage Doors = 62 loans (16.1% default); The Designery = 13 loans (0.0% 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.
ProLift Garage Doors vs The Designery: 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
The Designery requires the lower minimum capital commitment ($50K vs $114K for ProLift Garage Doors), a 127% spread. Initial franchise fees come in at $65K for ProLift Garage Doors versus $55K for The Designery, The Designery has the lower entry fee. Ongoing royalty load is 6% for ProLift Garage Doors and 1% for The Designery, giving The Designery the lighter per-unit drag on operating income.
System Scale & Tenure
On scale, ProLift Garage Doors operates 55 units to The Designery's 7, roughly 8× the system size. The Designery has been operating 19 years (founded 2007) versus 8 for ProLift Garage Doors (founded 2018), a 11-year tenure gap that affects unit-economics maturity and FDD revision history.
SBA Lending Profile
ProLift Garage Doors has the deeper SBA lending track record, with 62 7(a) approvals compared with 13 for The Designery.
Risk Signal
SBA default rates are 16.1% for ProLift Garage Doors and 0.0% for The Designery, The Designery has the cleaner SBA loss record by 16.1 points. PeerSense FPI scores come in at 61 (Moderate) for ProLift Garage Doors and 66 (Strong) for The Designery, giving The Designery the stronger composite signal across SBA performance, lender appetite, and operational consistency.
Health & Performance
FPI Score | 61/100 | 66/100 |
Health Tier | Moderate | Strong |
Confidence | N/A | N/A |
Lending Trend | Growing | N/A |
SBA Lending
SBA Loans | 62 | 13 |
SBA Volume | – | – |
Default Rate | 16.1% | 0.0% |
Peer Tier | established | growing |
Investment & Costs
Total Investment | $114K to $157K | $50K to $454K |
Franchise Fee | $65K | $55K |
Royalty Rate | 6% | 1% |
Ad Fund | 2% | 3% |
Liquid Capital | N/A | N/A |
Net Worth Required | N/A | N/A |
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Item 19 Status | Disclosed | Disclosed |
System Size & Operations
Total Units | 55 | 7 |
Franchised Units | 55 | 7 |
Company Owned | – | – |
Term Length | 10 yrs | 10 yrs |
Brand Information
Year Founded | 2018 | 2007 |
Franchising Since | 2018 | N/A |
Years Franchising | 8 yrs | N/A |
Headquarters | N/A | Huntersville, NC |
Category | Finish Carpentry Contractors | Finish Carpentry Contractors |
Website | ||
FDD Year | 2024 | 2025 |
Which Is Better, ProLift Garage Doors or The Designery?
Lower upfront capital required
The Designery
ProLift Garage Doors: $114K starting · The Designery: $50K starting
More SBA lender confidence
ProLift Garage Doors
ProLift Garage Doors: 62 SBA loans · The Designery: 13 SBA loans
Lower SBA default rate
The Designery
ProLift Garage Doors: 16.1% · The Designery: 0.0%
Larger system & brand presence
ProLift Garage Doors
ProLift Garage Doors: 55 units · The Designery: 7 units
Lower ongoing royalty load
The Designery
ProLift Garage Doors: 6% · The Designery: 1%
More lender financing options
ProLift Garage Doors
ProLift Garage Doors: 10 unique lenders · The Designery: 3 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
ProLift Garage Doors vs The Designery: Franchise Funding Comparison
Comparing ProLift Garage Doors and The Designery is about more than brand preference. It's about which franchise fits your financial profile and funding strategy. Investment ranges from $50K to $454K.
ProLift Garage Doors has 62 SBA loans on record and The Designery has 13. Those totals are cumulative history rather than a measure of current appetite. There is not enough recent lending activity on record to judge current appetite for at least one of these brands, so it has to be checked deal by deal.
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.
ProLift Garage Doors vs The Designery, Frequently Asked Questions
Which is a better franchise investment, ProLift Garage Doors or The Designery?
How much does a ProLift Garage Doors franchise cost compared to The Designery?
Can I finance ProLift Garage Doors or The Designery with an SBA loan?
Which has a lower SBA default rate, ProLift Garage Doors or The Designery?
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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