Big Blue Swim School franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Big Blue Swim School franchise takes $3,124,900 – $4,351,100 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $80,000 – $165,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 5%. To qualify, Big Blue Swim School asks for $600,000 in liquid cash and a $1,500,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Big Blue Swim School franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $80,000 | $165,000 | $80,000 to $165,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $3,124,900 | $4,351,100 | $3,124,900 to $4,351,100 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $600,000 | $600,000 | $600,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $3,124,900 | $4,351,100 | $3,124,900 to $4,351,100 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 5% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Big Blue Swim School cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Big Blue Swim School's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Big Blue Swim School's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $3,124,900 — about 37× the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $80,000 — about 2× the Professional Services median of $39,700.
Category medians are computed from the Professional Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Professional Services franchises
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How Big Blue Swim School's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2021–2022: began the window at 0 units; 7 units opened, 0 closed, ending at 7 units.
Not enough history to compute a survival figure — we need at least three years of unit data, and we don't extrapolate.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Big Blue Swim School or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Big Blue Swim School for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Big Blue Swim School is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Big Blue Swim School grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Big Blue Swim School can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Big Blue Swim School franchise
Big Blue Swim School is a professional services franchisor with 7 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2021 and 2022, it began the window at 0 units; its filings record 7 unit openings and 0 closures, ending at 7 units. Its parent company is Big Blue Swim School Franchising LLC.
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
An attractive, scalable franchising opportunity, Big Blue Swim School was founded by former competitive swimmers John Lonergan and Chris DeJong. As a Big Blue Swim School franchisee, you can offer swim lessons to children ages six months to 12 years old in a safe and fun environment through one-on-one training with qualified instructors. Big Blue's philosophy encourages kids to have a BIG moment at every class and encourages children to develop swim skills (stroke, breath, movement) and life...
Big Blue Swim School franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Big Blue Swim School franchise cost?
- $3,124,900 – $4,351,100 all-in to open, per Big Blue Swim School's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Big Blue Swim School units are there?
- 7 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).