Spaulding Decon

Spaulding Decon addresses biological contamination caused by violent crime, suicide, industrial accidents, and hoarding. Founded in 2005 in Tampa, Florida, by former police officer Laura Spaulding, the company was created after she saw law enforcement leave crime scenes without arranging professional cleanup. It serves grieving families, property managers, and businesses through trained staff, certifications, discretion, compassion, and OSHA compliant procedures. The company began franchising between 2012 and 2016 and is described by multiple sources as the first United States company to offer a nationwide crime scene cleanup franchise. Its network has grown beyond 50 franchise locations, with sources citing 55 total United States locations and others reporting 47 or more active territories. Spaulding Decon is headquartered in Tampa and led by CEO Katie Wilson and CFO Kyle Wilson. Its market includes biohazard remediation, crime scene cleanup, and trauma restoration, services that remain necessary across economic conditions. The opportunity combines a niche service category, documented revenue growth, relatively low capital needs compared with brick and mortar concepts, and demand that does not depend on online retail or discretionary spending.

The United States restoration and remediation market includes water damage, mold, fire, and biohazard cleanup and is valued in the tens of billions of dollars annually. Some industry research firms estimate the broader global property damage restoration sector at more than $210 billion. Crime scene cleanup is a specialized segment with pricing influenced by labor, protective equipment, regulatory compliance, and hazardous waste disposal. Methamphetamine laboratory decontamination and fentanyl remediation add demand connected to the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Hoarding disorder affects an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the United States population, and Spaulding Decon includes hoarding cleanup in its service offering. Water damage and mold remediation expand the market, while property damage claims reported by the Insurance Information Institute reach the billions of dollars annually. A substantial share of the company’s work is paid through insurance rather than directly by consumers. Local competition remains fragmented, with many independent operators lacking national recognition, certified training, insurance billing expertise, and 24/7 dispatch support.

The initial franchise fee for one territory is $49,500 under the most current 2025 FDD disclosure, compared with earlier pricing near $45,000 in 2020 FDD filings. The estimated total initial investment is $162,510 to $204,550 based on 2025 disclosure data. This includes initial equipment and supplies of $35,000 to $50,000, computer and software costs of $5,700 to $6,000, insurance deposits and premiums of $19,000 to $21,000, training travel and lodging of $1,800 to $3,500, professional fees of $3,000 to $5,000, licenses and permits of $200 to $400, a commercial vehicle of $8,950 to $11,950, a $4,000 vehicle wrap, a storage unit or enclosed trailer of $360 to $3,000, and six months of working capital of $35,000 to $50,000. The stated liquid capital requirement is $75,000, although some sources cite $50,000 to $100,000. Minimum net worth is $250,000. Ongoing charges include an 8% royalty on gross sales and a national advertising contribution cited at 1.5% in the latest FDD, compared with earlier filings as high as 3.0% and one 2026 source citing 5.5%. The model does not require commercial real estate, dining room construction, or food service equipment. Primary capital items are the vehicle, equipment, and insurance.

Operations involve emotionally difficult, technically demanding jobs rather than routine, high volume transactions. Early franchisees often work with one or two trained technicians and add staff as revenue increases. Each franchise receives a Designated Territory generally serving up to 350,000 people. Boot Camp takes place at the Tampa headquarters for 10 days to two full weeks and provides 113 hours of training. That includes 73 classroom hours covering biohazard procedures, bloodborne pathogen safety, drug laboratory decontamination, mold remediation, water mitigation, insurance billing, estimating, marketing, human resources, and financial metrics, plus 40 hours of field work on actual remediation jobs. Pre opening support covers equipment ordering, territory marketing, website and lead routing setup, and customer relationship management onboarding. Corporate resources include a 24/7 call center, paid search advertising, search engine optimization, reputation management, social media content, business coaching, performance reviews, and an operations manual library with regulatory documents for law enforcement and insurance coordination. National vendor relationships provide discounted pricing on protective equipment, cleaning agents, ozone machines, and biohazard disposal containers. The model permits owner operator involvement, and early success generally requires hands on participation, although territories can later move toward managed operations.

The franchisor has stated that franchisees may achieve 50% to 75% revenue growth year over year, consistent with reported corporate growth since 2005. Compared with the $204,550 investment ceiling, that suggests a revenue to investment ratio of roughly 2.5 to 1. Key costs include labor, disposable supplies, and waste disposal, without food costs, inventory carrying costs, or retail shrinkage. Insurance funded work, including water, mold, and fire restoration, can provide larger and more collectible billings than services paid entirely by consumers. Buyers should request current franchisee references in FDD Item 20 and speak with operators in territories of similar population density.

Spaulding Decon began franchising between 2012 and 2016 and had 18 franchised locations across 7 states by 2020. Those states were California, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. The network has since grown beyond 50 locations, with sources citing 55 total United States locations and others reporting approximately 47 or more active territories. The company’s advantages include its position as the first United States nationwide crime scene cleanup franchise, the category’s regulatory demands, insurance billing knowledge, and 24/7 dispatch infrastructure. CEO Katie Wilson and CFO Kyle Wilson represent a leadership transition from founder Laura Spaulding as the company scales. Fentanyl decontamination is available as an advanced certification through continuing education. Annual conventions, regional meetings, and workshops covering mold, water damage, and fentanyl decontamination support franchisee development.

The intended franchisee profile centers on comfort in high stress settings, compassionate client service, local business development, and disciplined management of compliance, insurance records, and team certifications. Military veterans, law enforcement professionals, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel are often identified as suitable candidates because they are accustomed to crisis response and structured procedures. Laura Spaulding’s law enforcement background also gives the brand credibility in those communities. Multi unit ownership may be possible in major metropolitan areas because a territory generally serves up to 350,000 people. Buyers should check territory availability, since growth from 18 units in 2020 to more than 50 recently may mean that some cities already have operators, while secondary and tertiary markets in the South, Midwest, and Mountain West may offer remaining opportunities. Independent franchise counsel should review the agreement term, renewal provisions, and transfer rights. Without a lease, construction, or permitting process, a franchisee completing the 10 day Boot Camp could theoretically begin operating within 60 to 90 days of signing.

Spaulding Decon’s demand comes from crime, trauma, natural disasters, and public health crises, while local competition remains fragmented and the capital model is asset light, with total investment capped at $204,550. The franchisor reports 50% to 75% year over year revenue growth since 2005, and the system has expanded beyond 50 United States locations. PeerSense assigns the brand a Loan Activity Score of 59 and a Moderate classification, reflecting performance potential and growth indicators alongside questions about fee changes, territory saturation, and the emotional demands of biohazard remediation. PeerSense offers due diligence data covering SBA lending history, the Loan Activity Score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and comparison tools for remediation and other service franchises. Buyers can review the complete Spaulding Decon franchise profile on PeerSense for the available independent franchise information.