Mobile and van-based franchises in Australia: costs, territories and what to check

• Types include mobile trades and repairs, car detailing, pet grooming, lawn and garden, cleaning, pest control and courier work.
• The ATO treats a ute or panel van designed to carry one tonne or more as a vehicle that isn't a car, so the car depreciation limit doesn't apply, but you can claim only the business-use share of costs.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law applies to vehicles over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass, so check your van's GVM before you plan a large fit-out.
• Your territory and lead flow shape your income as much as the van does, so test both with current franchisees.
• In 2019 the Federal Court ordered $4.2 million in penalties against Geowash Pty Ltd, a former car wash and detailing franchisor, its director and its franchising manager over misleading claims about average monthly earnings on its website.

• Mobile trades and repairs: plumbing, electrical, handyman, appliance or equipment repairs, with the van as a rolling workshop. Trade work can need a state or territory licence, so check ABLIS for your trade and location first.
• Car detailing and washing: cleaning vehicles at homes or workplaces, which needs a water supply and a plan for runoff and bad weather.
• Pet grooming: a fitted-out van with a bath, table, dryer and water tanks. Our pet franchise guide covers the animal welfare rules.
• Home services: cleaning, pest control, pool care, lawn and garden, where the van carries equipment and chemicals.
• Courier and delivery: the van carries goods and your income depends on runs and rates. Our courier guide covers the contract issues.
• Specialist services: windscreens, tyres, locksmithing or mobile mechanics, which may need specialist tools and supplier accounts.

The van and its fit-out are a large, branded investment that can be hard to reuse if you leave the system. Check these points before you commit.

• Specification: ask whether the franchisor requires an approved builder, layout and signage, and get quotes from more than one builder.
• Payload and GVM: the fit-out, water tanks and equipment add weight, so check the van's gross vehicle mass and payload with everything loaded. Vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM fall under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
• Finance: compare a chattel mortgage, a finance lease and any franchisor-arranged finance on total cost and on what happens at the end of the term.
• Branded equipment on exit: for agreements from 1 November 2025, if a franchisor ends agreements early because it leaves Australia, cuts its network or changes how it distributes, the agreement must provide compensation that covers specialist or branded equipment that can't be reused.
• Debranding: ask who pays to remove signage and whether you can sell the van to the next franchisee.
• Replacement cycle: ask how long the franchisor expects a van to last, and whether it will require a new van or fit-out during the term.
• Tax: an instant asset write-off is available only for assets that cost less than the ATO's $20,000 limit, for eligible businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million.

A van can go anywhere, so the territory and the way leads are shared decide your income.

• Exclusive territory: ask how it is drawn, whether by postcodes, drive time or households, how many potential customers it has and whether it can be reduced.
• Travel time: a large territory means more unpaid driving, so ask how far current franchisees drive between jobs.
• Central leads: ask how the franchisor's call centre or website allocates jobs, what you pay per lead or in fees, and how fast you must respond.
• Online sales: the disclosure document must cover online sales, so check whether the franchisor can take online bookings in your area and how they are shared.
• Minimum performance: ask whether missing targets can shrink your territory or end your agreement.
• Encroachment: ask whether the franchisor can add franchisees next to you, and how that has worked for current franchisees.

• Fuel, tyres, servicing and repairs, which rise with the distance you drive.
• Registration and vehicle insurance.
• Business insurance: public liability, cover for tools and equipment, and income protection.
• Phone, software, card payment fees and booking system costs.
• Consumables and stock carried in the van.
• Franchise fees, marketing levies and any charges per lead.
• Tolls and parking, which can add up in cities.
• Records: the ATO requires you to justify your business-use percentage, and a logbook or diary is one way to separate business from private travel.

FranchiseScope's analysis of Register profiles captured on 19 August 2026 has no separate mobile category, so these figures use the home and trade services category and other categories where the service comes to the customer. All figures are self-reported.

• Home and trade services (112 profiles): median setup estimates of $52,500 (low, 96 profiles) and $127,500 (high, 94 profiles), and a median of 9 franchisees (108 profiles).
• Restraint of trade: 98 of 107 home and trade services profiles (91.6%) include one, similar to the 90.5% across all categories.
• Goodwill: 14 of 102 (13.7%) say franchisees have rights to goodwill they generate, against 10.5% across all categories.
• Supply restrictions: 61 of 109 (56%) restrict where franchisees buy goods or services.
• Courier and logistics (13 profiles): median setup estimates of $55,000 and $135,000 (10 profiles each).
• Lawn and garden (12 profiles): $18,669 and $51,445 (9 and 8 profiles). Pet services (16 profiles): $22,000 and $53,000 (14 and 13 profiles).
• Across every category on the Register, the median setup estimates were $146,984 (low, 937 profiles) and $400,000 (high, 923 profiles).

• Earnings examples that assume a full diary from the first week, with no ramp-up period.
• A territory drawn on a map with no customer or household data behind it.
• A required van package priced well above independent quotes for the same vehicle and fit-out.
• No clear answer on what happens to the branded van if you leave or the franchisor exits.
• Average earnings figures without the facts and assumptions a projection must include.
• Pressure to commit before the 14-day consideration period ends.
• High turnover of franchisees in the disclosure document's last three years.

• Price the van, fit-out and equipment independently and compare them with the franchisor's package.
• Check the van's payload and GVM with the full fit-out and equipment loaded.
• Get territory maps, household or customer counts and lead data in writing.
• Ask current franchisees about kilometres driven, jobs per day and income in their first year.
• Check the licences for your service and location on ABLIS.
• Talk to your accountant about vehicle tax, finance structure and record keeping before you buy the van.
• Read the agreement's exit, debranding and equipment buy-back terms.
• Get independent legal and accounting advice before you sign.