Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Fresno, California

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Fresno, California. Household service demand was a leading positive mechanism.

What “best” means in this ranking“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page. It does not estimate earnings or determine which franchise is best for a particular candidate.
Analysis by Thomas Jepsen, MSc Model: 0.9.0
14Concepts evaluated
25Sources used
19Primary sources
25Local metrics

Evaluation set

Why these concepts were evaluated

This is not a ranking of every franchise that may be offered in the city.

14Concepts assessed

Concepts were included when enough operating-model information existed to assign a provisional local-sensitivity profile. Unresolved inputs reduce confidence or remain conditional rather than automatically excluding a concept.

A brand’s participation in our referral network does not add points or change its position.

City-level conclusions

What stood out in our assessment

Highest category average (limited comparison)Restoration

70.3 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorTarget-market demand

0.4 points average among 13 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankCity Wide

Tested rank range spans 11 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Fresno, California

Aire Serv, Mr. Rooter, and ZOOM DRAIN produced the highest modeled local-alignment scores in the evaluated set. Household service demand was the strongest positive scored mechanism among 8 exposed concepts, adding 0.4 points on average. Aire Serv was especially relationship-sensitive: removing housing-system replacement demand moved it from #1 to #5 in the full model rerun. These scores describe local operating alignment, not expected returns or overall franchise quality; the offered territory and franchise economics still require separate diligence.

How this differs from a directory: the model does not award points for brand popularity, advertising placement, or referral compensation. It tests how documented local conditions interact with each concept’s operating requirements.

Best franchise opportunities assessed

Top 10 local-alignment scores from 14 concepts assessed

“Best” refers to modeled local operating alignment among the concepts assessed—not expected earnings, franchise-system quality, or candidate fit.

Rankings use full-precision scores.Displayed values use one decimal place. Identical displayed scores can therefore have different ranks, and close results should be treated as effectively similar.
RankFranchiseAlignment and tierLargest advantageLargest constraintEvidence confidence
1Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenanceInvestment: $113,308–$271,708
71.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
2Mr. RooterPlumbingInvestment: $152,900–$298,675
71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
3ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer serviceInvestment: $266,250–$570,500
71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
4Mister Sparky ElectricElectrical
71.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
5Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspectionInvestment: $102,690–$134,290
71.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.7 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
6HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800
70.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.8 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
7City WideFacility managementInvestment: $229,729–$410,730
70.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.8 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
8Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500
70.6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
9Workout AnytimeFitnessInvestment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550
70.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.4 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
10Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900
70.3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.2 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Conditions that changed the analysis

What mattered most in Fresno, California

01

Recent population growth and continuing housing production support incremental residential-service demand

This relationship affected 8 concepts and added 0.4 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Households in the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period: 180,450 households. [4] [7]

02

In the housing-age table, 66.7 percent of Fresno City housing units were built before 1990 and 34.5 percent before 1970, while the City continued permitting and completing substantial housing volumes in 2024 and the draft 2025 report.

Fresno combines a large older housing base with continuing housing production. For relevant franchise operating profiles, this supports both replacement/inspection demand and incremental residential-service demand. It does not establish that every older property retains original systems or that all newer housing is located evenly across the city. [5] [6] [7] [8]

03

skilled-trade-route-service

This operating-model cluster separated from the broader set because its exposure to local support and constraints differed. The strongest positive factor was property replacement-cycle demand, while the main constraint was competitive environment. [4] [7] [8] [5] [6] [1]

Evidence behind the city mechanisms

Recent population growth and continuing housing production support incremental residential-service demand1 modeled effect
Household service demandTarget-market demand
A large share of Fresno housing is old enough to support system-replacement and inspection demand1 modeled effect
Housing-system replacement demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
Large Fresno healthcare activity and a major regional health system support institutional service demand1 modeled effect
Healthcare institutional service demandTarget-market demand
Tower District mandatory signage standards can require prototype adaptation for affected storefronts1 modeled effect
Signage and prototype adaptation burdenRegulatory and operating friction

Compare all assessed concepts

Local impact by franchise concept

14 concepts shown. Expand a concept to see the score-changing factors and their modeled drivers; the full audit ledger stays collapsed.

#1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.4

Aire Serv

HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance · Manager-led mobile HVAC installation, repair, maintenance, and emergency service business using skilled technicians…

Initial investment: $113,308–$271,708

Increase +0.9 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #1 → #5
+0.9 pts
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+0.5 pts
Net local movement+1.39 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.5
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.9
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.39
Published local-market alignment71.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#5
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #2 → #6
+0.6 pts
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+0.5 pts
Net local movement+1.11 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.5
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.11
Published local-market alignment71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#6
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #3 → #8
+0.6 pts
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.4 pts
Net local movement+1.06 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.4
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.06
Published local-market alignment71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#8
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.0

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #4 → #7
+0.6 pts
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.4 pts
Net local movement+1.00 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.4
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.00
Published local-market alignment71.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#7
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.0

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Home inspection · mobile property inspection service

Initial investment: $102,690–$134,290

Increase +0.7 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #5 → #8
+0.7 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.96 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
2 sources
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.7
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.96
Published local-market alignment71.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#5
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.8

HomeSmiles

Property maintenance services · Home-based mobile property-maintenance franchise using equipped service vans and technician crews to deliver bundled…

Initial investment: $148,110–$201,800

Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #6 → #10
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.8 pts
Net local movement+0.82 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.8
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.82
Published local-market alignment70.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#8
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.8

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730

Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #7 → #13
+0.8 pts
Net local movement+0.76 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.8
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.76
Published local-market alignment70.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#13
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.6

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500

Increase +0.6 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #8 → #14
+0.6 pts
Net local movement+0.55 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.6
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.55
Published local-market alignment70.6

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#14
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.4

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

Initial investment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550

Increase +0.4 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #9 → #14
+0.4 pts
Regulatory and operating frictionSignage and prototype adaptation burden EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmedNot scored
Net local movement+0.35 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.4
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.35
Published local-market alignment70.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#9–#12
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.3

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900

Increase +0.2 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #10 → #12
+0.2 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.1 pts
Net local movement+0.31 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.1
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.2
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.31
Published local-market alignment70.3

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.2 pts
Tested rank range
#7–#12
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.3

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285

Increase +0.3 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #11 → #12
+0.3 pts
Regulatory and operating frictionSignage and prototype adaptation burden EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmedNot scored
Net local movement+0.29 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
2 images
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.29
Published local-market alignment70.3

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.3 pts
Tested rank range
#10–#11
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145

Increase +0.2 pts Property replacement-cycle demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Housing-system replacement demand Evidence+0.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #12 → #14
+0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.21 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.2
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.21
Published local-market alignment70.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.2 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#14
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2

Tiger Adjusters

Public insurance adjusting · Home-based, referral-led public insurance adjusting business combining local property inspections with…

Initial investment: $43,050–$159,500

Increase +0.2 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Household service demand Evidence+0.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #13
+0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.17 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.2
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.17
Published local-market alignment70.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.2 pts
Tested rank range
#9–#13
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.1

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513

Increase +0.1 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.1 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #14 → #11
+0.1 pts
Net local movement+0.09 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.1
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.09
Published local-market alignment70.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.1 pts
Tested rank range
#10–#14

Worked score example

How we calculated Aire Serv

This example uses the same ledger shown for every concept and must reconcile exactly to the published score.

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.5
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.9
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.39
Published local-market alignment71.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Starting pointThe operating-model baseline shown in the first ledger row.
InteractionsAny interaction or gate is included in the relevant contribution or calibration row.
Confidence treatmentEvidence confidence is disclosed separately unless the model definition explicitly applies a calibration adjustment.
RoundingFull-precision contributions are summed before the final displayed score is rounded to one decimal place; whole-number results are shown without a trailing decimal.

Factor impact

Which local conditions changed scores or rankings?

We neutralized one factor at a time, recalculated every score, and then measured both absolute score movement and changes in rank order.

Observed model effectMixed or model dependent

Target-market demand

We tested how much of the city’s theoretical customer and business demand remained usable after operating friction.

Why concepts react differently

We applied a measurable adjustment to 13 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 9 concepts changed position. HomeSmiles moved from #6 to #14, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted13 of 14
Average among affected+0.4 pts
Average across all concepts+0.4 pts
Concepts changing rank9

What we observed

  • Population Change From The April 2020 Estimate Base To July 20252.5 percent
  • Households In The 2020 2024 Quickfacts Reference Period180,450 households
  • Health Care And Social Assistance Receipts/revenue In 20227,451,352,000 usd

Concepts helped most

HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.8 pts
City WideFacility management
+0.8 pts
Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspection
+0.7 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+0.6 pts
Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenance
+0.5 pts
Measured but not differentiating in this concept set
  • Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
  • Labor and staffing frictionNo material score adjustment
  • Transportation, routing, and parkingNo material score adjustment
  • Real estate and site feasibilityNo material score adjustment
  • Sales and customer acquisitionNo material score adjustment
  • Referral ecosystemNo material score adjustment
  • Territory qualityNo material score adjustment
  • Regulatory and operating frictionNo material score adjustment

Rank stability

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

The line shows the best and worst rank reached when one factor was removed from every concept. A narrow range indicates a more stable position.

#1 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #1–#5
#2 Mr. RooterHighly sensitive · tested #2–#6
#3 ZOOM DRAINHighly sensitive · tested #2–#8
#4 Mister Sparky ElectricModerately sensitive · tested #4–#7
#5 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsModerately sensitive · tested #3–#5
#6 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #1–#8
#7 City WideHighly sensitive · tested #2–#13
#8 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #4–#14
#9 Workout AnytimeModerately sensitive · tested #9–#12
#10 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #7–#12
#11 FASTSIGNSStable · tested #10–#11
#12 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #6–#14
#13 Tiger AdjustersHighly sensitive · tested #9–#13
#14 ActionCOACHHighly sensitive · tested #10–#14

Neutralizing a factor removes it from every concept. A concept can move down even when its own score improves because competitors may benefit more.

Original factor comparison

How each factor affected the highest-rated franchise concepts

The graph includes the top 14 concepts by local-alignment score. Only nonzero score contributions are plotted. A factor is removed when every displayed concept received 0.0 points from it. Hover or focus a concept name to highlight all of its remaining data points.

Factor impact among the highest-rated franchise conceptsDiverging dot plot showing nonzero factor score contributions for the top 14 concepts. Zero-point concept-factor pairs are omitted, and factors with no nonzero contributions are excluded.+1.0+0.50.0-0.5-1.0
Target-market demand
#1 Aire Serv · Target-market demand · +0.5 pts1#2 Mr. Rooter · Target-market demand · +0.5 pts2#3 ZOOM DRAIN · Target-market demand · +0.4 pts3#4 Mister Sparky Electric · Target-market demand · +0.4 pts4#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Target-market demand · +0.7 pts5#6 HomeSmiles · Target-market demand · +0.8 pts6#7 City Wide · Target-market demand · +0.8 pts7#8 Jan-Pro International · Target-market demand · +0.6 pts8#9 Workout Anytime · Target-market demand · +0.4 pts9#10 Rainbow International Restoration · Target-market demand · +0.1 pts10#11 FASTSIGNS · Target-market demand · +0.3 pts11#13 Tiger Adjusters · Target-market demand · +0.2 pts13#14 ActionCOACH · Target-market demand · +0.1 pts14
Property replacement-cycle demand
#1 Aire Serv · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.9 pts1#2 Mr. Rooter · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts2#3 ZOOM DRAIN · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts3#4 Mister Sparky Electric · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts4#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts5#10 Rainbow International Restoration · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.2 pts10#12 PuroClean · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.2 pts12
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [4] [5] [7] [8] [24] [23] [1] [3]Property replacement-cycle demand: [5] [6] [9] [1]Competitive environment: [4] [1] [3]Labor and staffing friction: [10] [11] [12] [24] [2]Transportation, routing, and parking: [14] [15] [16] [17] [4] [2] [3]Real estate and site feasibility: [13] [22] [20] [21] [1] [2]Sales and customer acquisition: [4] [25] [3] [1]Referral ecosystem: [23] [24] [4] [25] [3]Territory quality: [4] [14] [3]Regulatory and operating friction: [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [2] [3]
View the chart data as a table
ConceptTarget-market demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
#1 Aire Serv+0.5 pts+0.9 pts
#2 Mr. Rooter+0.5 pts+0.6 pts
#3 ZOOM DRAIN+0.4 pts+0.6 pts
#4 Mister Sparky Electric+0.4 pts+0.6 pts
#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors+0.7 pts+0.3 pts
#6 HomeSmiles+0.8 pts—
#7 City Wide+0.8 pts—
#8 Jan-Pro International+0.6 pts—
#9 Workout Anytime+0.4 pts—
#10 Rainbow International Restoration+0.1 pts+0.2 pts
#11 FASTSIGNS+0.3 pts—
#12 PuroClean—+0.2 pts
#13 Tiger Adjusters+0.2 pts—
#14 ActionCOACH+0.1 pts—

Interpretation

How to interpret the result

Aire Serv, Mr. Rooter, ZOOM DRAIN led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from target-market demand while remaining less exposed to competitive environment. The same city condition can help one operating model and constrain another, so score differences should be read through each concept's factor pattern rather than as a universal franchise-quality verdict. The ordering is most assumption-sensitive for Aire Serv, Mr. Rooter, ZOOM DRAIN; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Fresno, California

Category summaries are shown only when at least two concepts qualified. Two-concept comparisons are explicitly labeled as limited.

Limited two-concept comparison

Best Restoration franchise opportunities we assessed in Fresno, California

70.3

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 70.2 to 70.3. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 70.3. Property replacement-cycle demand added 0.2 points on average among the affected concepts.

Interpret cautiously: A 0.1-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.

Concepts compared
2
Score range
70.2–70.3
Category average
70.3
Rainbow International Restoration70.3
PuroClean70.2

Metric registry

The 25 local metrics behind this analysis

The registry shows each public metric’s raw value, period, geography, source, and its actual role in the compiled analysis.

View all local metrics
MetricRaw valuePeriodGeographyRole in analysisSource
Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025555,549peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaContext only [4]
Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 20252.5percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [4]
Households in the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period180,450householdsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [4]
Owner-occupied housing unit rate50.1percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaContext only [4]
Persons in poverty in the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period20.1percent of peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaContext only [4]
Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 20227,451,352,000usdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [4]
Mean travel time to work22.4minutesJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measuresFresno, CaliforniaContext only [4]
Housing units in the Fresno City housing-age table170,137housing unitsHousing-stock tables primarily reference 2020 dataFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [5] [6]
Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 199066.7percent of housing unitsHousing-stock tables primarily reference 2020 dataFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [5] [6]
Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 197034.5percent of housing unitsHousing-stock tables primarily reference 2020 dataFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [5] [6]
Housing units receiving building permits in 20241,415housing unitsCalendar year 2024Fresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [7]
Housing units completed in 20241,577housing unitsCalendar year 2024Fresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [7]
Housing units receiving building permits in 2025 according to the draft Annual Progress Report2,014housing unitsCalendar year 2025; draft released for 2026 reviewFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [8]
Housing units completed in 2025 according to the draft Annual Progress Report2,058housing unitsCalendar year 2025; draft released for 2026 reviewFresno, CaliforniaUsed in scoring [8]
Total hardness as CaCO3 in the City of Fresno public water systemaverage: 129; range min: 87; range max: 150mg per literCalendar year 2025 water-quality monitoringCity of Fresno public water systemContext only [9]
Unemployment rate in June 2026 with state and national comparisonsfresno msa: 7.7; california: 5.2; united states: 4.4percentJune 2026Fresno Metropolitan Statistical AreaContext only [10]
Average hourly wage in May 2025 with national comparisonfresno metro: 30.68; united states: 33.54usd per hourMay 2025Fresno metropolitan areaContext only [11]
California statewide minimum wage effective January 1, 202616.9usd per hourState minimum wage effective January 1, 2026CaliforniaContext only [12]
Overall industrial availability in the Fresno market in Q2 2026availability rate: 5; available square feet approximate: 4,200,000mixed percent and square feetQ2 2026Fresno industrial marketContext only [13]
Named Fresno street closures and traffic shifts associated with active high-speed-rail grade-separation constructioncorridor: Fresno, G and H streets, start date: 2026-04-20, expected end: 2027-06-30, corridor: Herndon Avenue and Golden State Boulevard, start date: 2026-05-11, expected end: 2027-08-31closure windowsActive and scheduled construction notices accessed August 7, 2026Named high-speed-rail construction corridors in FresnoConditional relationship [14] [15] [16] [17]
Mandatory sign controls in the adopted Tower District Design Standards & Guidelinesplan adopted: 2025-11-20; standards mandatory: yes; pole signs prohibited: yes; ground floor window sign max percent: 20; awning lettering max inches: 10; projecting or under awning signs max per tenant: 1; projecting sign max projection feet: 4; projecting sign min distance from curb feet: 3codified design controlsAdopted standards associated with the November 2025 Tower District Specific Plan updateTower District Specific Plan Area, FresnoConditional relationship [18] [19]
Current blended hourly rates for specified unlisted or beyond-regular-effort development review servicesbuilding services unlisted or beyond regular effort: 149.07; planning and land section unlisted or beyond regular effort: 234.26usd per hourFees effective July 1, 2026City of FresnoContext only [20] [21]
Fire Hazard Severity Zone status stated by the City of Fresno Fire Department for the City Local Responsibility Areahigh zone present: no; very high zone present: no; moderate zone present: yeszone presenceCurrent Fire Hazard Severity Zone information accessed August 7, 2026City of Fresno Local Responsibility AreaContext only [22]
Approximate Fresno State student population stated on the university homepage24,000students approximateCurrent institutional profile accessed August 2026California State University, FresnoSupports research conclusion [23]
Minimum implied employee count from Community Health System statement that it manages more than 10,000 employees10,000employees minimumCurrent organization profile accessed August 2026Community Health System, with major Fresno facilities and regional operationsUsed in scoring [24]

How to use the ranking

What the model can and cannot establish

  • Scores measure local operating alignment, not expected financial performance or franchise-system quality.
  • Citywide evidence may not describe the exact site or territory ultimately offered.
  • Conditional effects are shown for diligence but do not change the published score until their applicability is established.

Methodology

How the local-alignment ranking is calculated

01

Measure the city

Collect reusable local metrics with source, period, geography, and confidence fields.

02

Profile each operating model

Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.

03

Apply scoreable effects

Score only effects whose applicability is established at the report’s current geographic and operating scope.

04

Preserve conditional effects

Keep location- or territory-dependent issues visible for diligence without automatically changing the score.

05

Test rank sensitivity

Remove one factor at a time from every concept and rerank using full-precision scores.

06

Generate public output

Create the ranking, factor-status ledger, visuals, metric registry, and automated quality report from the same data.

How the common baseline becomes a city-specific score

Every concept starts from the same 70.0 reference point, so differences come only from modeled local interactions. In this city, Aire Serv reached 71.39 after property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts and target-market demand +0.5 pts. The current model caps total local movement at ±18.0 points. The score is not a percentage, probability, or estimate of investment quality.

Precision and materiality

Calculations use full-precision values. Published scores and factor contributions display one decimal place, while ranks use full precision. Effects smaller than 0.1 points are identified as below the publication threshold rather than presented as a meaningful zero.

Score tiers

Tier 1 · Strongest modeled alignment80.0–100.0
Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.0–<80.0
Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment64.0–<72.0
Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment0.0–<64.0

How factor rows are classified

Positive local adjustmentNegative local adjustmentMeasured; no meaningful local adjustmentEffect below the publication thresholdNot applicable to this operating modelDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating conditionNot included in the score
What “best” means here

“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page.

Model 0.9.0 · Compiler 0.15.1-franchise-image-filter · Report generated August 19, 2026 (site timezone)

Model governance

How this report is calculated and corrected

Calculation controls

Model designer
Thomas Jepsen

No concept’s final score is manually raised or lowered after calculation. Before this template is activated, the report is reviewed for source scope, classification, arithmetic, unsupported claims, duplication, and readability.

Model history

  1. Model 0.9.0-calibration · August 19, 2026Added compiler-derived decision intelligence and observation usage mapping., Changed factor sensitivity and channel counterfactuals to full model reruns., Added data-dependent city content signals while preserving legacy public report fields., and Added model-owned semantic compatibility gates and backward-compatible channel-level evidence attribution.

Corrections policy

Corrected source, geography, or operating-profile evidence triggers a full compiler rerun so every dependent score and visual is recalculated.

Source registry

Evidence represented in this report

Each source identifies its period, scope, and the claims or metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is clearly distinguished from publicly accessible evidence.

  1. 1
    Structural Inefficiencies and Utility Delta Audit: A Private Equity Real Estate AnalysisInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Published
    February 24, 2026
    Data period
    Research cited as accessed through February 24, 2026
    Scope
    Fresno, California section within a multi-city research docket
    Locator
    Fresno, California section: macro-physical reality, housing stock, commuter asymmetry, flex space, Tower District, and supplied source list
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  2. 2
    Forensic Municipal Constraint and Structural Friction ReportInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Published
    February 19, 2026
    Data period
    Research cited as accessed through February 19, 2026
    Scope
    Fresno, California section within a multi-city research docket
    Locator
    Fresno, California section: labor anchor, fee schedule, fire-risk, high-speed-rail construction, and supplied source list
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  3. 3
    Franchise data - remake - B startInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Supplied neighborhood-level research reviewed August 7, 2026
    Scope
    Rows labeled Fresno, California, including Fig Garden, Tower District, Woodward Park, Sunnyside, Clovis, and Old Town Clovis; jurisdictional validity varies by row
    Locator
    Rows where %city%=Fresno and %state_name%=California
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  4. 4
    QuickFacts: Fresno city, California

    Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Households in the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period, Owner-occupied housing unit rate, and Persons in poverty in the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Published
    May 14, 2026
    Data period
    July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic measures
    Scope
    Fresno city, California
    Locator
    Population, households, housing, travel-to-work, income, poverty, and 2022 economic measures
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  5. 5
    Fresno Multi-Jurisdictional 2023-2031 Housing Element

    Used for: Housing units in the Fresno City housing-age table, Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 1990, and Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 1970

    Publisher
    City of Fresno / Fresno County and participating jurisdictions
    Published
    May 10, 2023
    Data period
    Housing-stock tables primarily reference 2020 data
    Scope
    Fresno County jurisdictions with Fresno city identified separately in tabular data
    Locator
    Housing stock age table for Fresno City and discussion of repair/rehabilitation needs in older housing
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  6. 6
    General Plan, Development Code and Housing Element

    Used for: Housing units in the Fresno City housing-age table, Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 1990, and Share of Fresno City housing stock built before 1970

    Publisher
    City of Fresno Planning and Development Department
    Data period
    Current page accessed August 2026; Housing Element adopted December 12, 2024
    Scope
    City of Fresno
    Locator
    Housing Element adoption status and planning-document links
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  7. 7
    City of Fresno 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report

    Used for: Housing units receiving building permits in 2024 and Housing units completed in 2024

    Publisher
    City of Fresno
    Data period
    Calendar year 2024
    Scope
    City of Fresno
    Locator
    Annual housing production summary: entitled, permitted, and completed units
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  8. 8
    City of Fresno 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report Draft

    Used for: Housing units receiving building permits in 2025 according to the draft Annual Progress Report and Housing units completed in 2025 according to the draft Annual Progress Report

    Publisher
    City of Fresno
    Data period
    Calendar year 2025; draft released for 2026 review
    Scope
    City of Fresno
    Locator
    Draft annual housing production summary and permits by structure type
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  9. 9
    2025 City of Fresno Annual Water Quality Report

    Used for: Total hardness as CaCO3 in the City of Fresno public water system

    Publisher
    City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities
    Published
    June 26, 2026
    Data period
    Calendar year 2025 water-quality monitoring
    Scope
    City of Fresno public water system
    Locator
    Water-quality results table, Total Hardness as CaCO3, and compliance statement
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  10. 10
    Fresno Metropolitan Statistical Area Labor Force and Industry Employment

    Used for: Unemployment rate in June 2026 with state and national comparisons

    Publisher
    California Employment Development Department
    Published
    July 17, 2026
    Data period
    June 2026
    Scope
    Fresno Metropolitan Statistical Area
    Locator
    June 2026 unemployment rate and California/U.S. comparison
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  11. 11
    Occupational Employment and Wages in Fresno — May 2025

    Used for: Average hourly wage in May 2025 with national comparison

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Published
    July 9, 2026
    Data period
    May 2025
    Scope
    Fresno metropolitan area
    Locator
    Average hourly wage and occupational employment/wage tables
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  12. 12
    California Minimum Wage

    Used for: California statewide minimum wage effective January 1, 2026

    Publisher
    California Department of Industrial Relations
    Data period
    State minimum wage effective January 1, 2026
    Scope
    State of California, including Fresno
    Locator
    2026 minimum-wage rate
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  13. 13
    Fresno Industrial MarketBeat Q2 2026

    Used for: Overall industrial availability in the Fresno market in Q2 2026

    Publisher
    Cushman & Wakefield
    Data period
    Q2 2026
    Scope
    Fresno industrial market and named submarkets
    Locator
    Overall availability, available square footage, and submarket availability summary
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  14. 14
    California High-Speed Rail Closures & Detours

    Used for: Named Fresno street closures and traffic shifts associated with active high-speed-rail grade-separation construction

    Publisher
    California High-Speed Rail Authority / BuildHSR
    Data period
    Active and scheduled construction notices accessed August 7, 2026
    Scope
    Central Valley high-speed-rail construction corridors, including named Fresno streets
    Locator
    Active Fresno closures and detours, including Fresno/G/H streets, Herndon Avenue/Golden State Boulevard, and McKinley/West areas
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  15. 15
    Traffic Shift and Road Closures Along Herndon Avenue and Golden State Boulevard in Fresno

    Used for: Named Fresno street closures and traffic shifts associated with active high-speed-rail grade-separation construction

    Publisher
    California High-Speed Rail Authority / BuildHSR
    Data period
    Notice window May 11, 2026 through August 31, 2027
    Scope
    Herndon Avenue and Golden State Boulevard construction area in Fresno
    Locator
    Closure and traffic-shift dates and affected roads
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  16. 16
    Multiple Closures Along Fresno, G and H Streets in Fresno

    Used for: Named Fresno street closures and traffic shifts associated with active high-speed-rail grade-separation construction

    Publisher
    California High-Speed Rail Authority / BuildHSR
    Data period
    Notice window beginning April 20, 2026 and extending through June 2027
    Scope
    Fresno, G and H street construction area in Fresno
    Locator
    Street-closure dates and grade-separation construction description
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  17. 17
    Central Valley Project Section

    Used for: Named Fresno street closures and traffic shifts associated with active high-speed-rail grade-separation construction

    Publisher
    California High-Speed Rail Authority
    Data period
    Current project status accessed August 2026
    Scope
    119-mile Central Valley construction program including Fresno
    Locator
    Central Valley construction geography and project-section overview
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  18. 18
    Tower District Design Standards & Guidelines

    Used for: Mandatory sign controls in the adopted Tower District Design Standards & Guidelines

    Publisher
    City of Fresno
    Data period
    Adopted standards associated with the November 2025 Tower District Specific Plan update
    Scope
    Tower District Specific Plan Area, Fresno
    Locator
    Commercial/mixed-use signage standards, prohibited sign types, window-sign coverage, awning lettering, and projecting-sign provisions
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  19. 19
    Tower District Specific Plan Update — City Council Legislation Record

    Used for: Mandatory sign controls in the adopted Tower District Design Standards & Guidelines

    Publisher
    City of Fresno
    Published
    November 20, 2025
    Data period
    Plan update adopted November 20, 2025
    Scope
    Tower District Specific Plan Area, Fresno
    Locator
    Adoption date and incorporated Design Standards & Guidelines
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  20. 20
    City of Fresno Master Fee Schedule — Planning, Building and Related Fees

    Used for: Current blended hourly rates for specified unlisted or beyond-regular-effort development review services

    Publisher
    City of Fresno
    Data period
    Fees effective July 1, 2026
    Scope
    City of Fresno development, planning, and building services subject to listed fee conditions
    Locator
    Building Services unlisted/beyond-regular-effort blended hourly rate and Planning/Land Section unlisted/beyond-regular-effort blended hourly rate
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  21. 21
    Land Development

    Used for: Current blended hourly rates for specified unlisted or beyond-regular-effort development review services

    Publisher
    City of Fresno Public Works Department
    Data period
    Current program information accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Fresno development projects and applicable UGM/impact-fee service areas
    Locator
    Development impact fees, UGM funds, tract-related fees, and service-area administration
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  22. 22
    Fire Prevention — Fire Hazard Severity Zones

    Used for: Fire Hazard Severity Zone status stated by the City of Fresno Fire Department for the City Local Responsibility Area

    Publisher
    City of Fresno Fire Department
    Data period
    Current Fire Hazard Severity Zone information accessed August 7, 2026
    Scope
    City of Fresno Local Responsibility Area
    Locator
    Statement that the City has no high or very high FHSZs in its LRA and that certain areas are designated moderate
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  23. 23
    Fresno State

    Used for: Approximate Fresno State student population stated on the university homepage

    Publisher
    California State University, Fresno
    Data period
    Current institutional profile accessed August 2026
    Scope
    California State University, Fresno campus
    Locator
    Institutional profile stating nearly 24,000 students
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized public institution
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  24. 24
    Leadership

    Used for: Minimum implied employee count from Community Health System statement that it manages more than 10,000 employees

    Publisher
    Community Health System
    Data period
    Current organization profile accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Community Health System, with major Fresno facilities and regional operations
    Locator
    Leadership/organization description stating administration of more than 10,000 employees
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institution
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026
  25. 25
    Purchasing Handbook FY26
    Publisher
    City of Fresno General Services Department
    Data period
    Fiscal year 2026 procurement procedures
    Scope
    City of Fresno procurement
    Locator
    Vendor, solicitation, purchasing, and contracting procedures
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 7, 2026

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