Is a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee allowed to alter or relocate their designated Territory?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ACHMENT "A".](#page-81-0) Your Territory will not change during the Term based on changes to population, the number of owner-occupied households or other demographic criteria. You may not alter or relocate your Territory. Except as otherwise provided in §3.2, you may only provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located in your Territory. Upon renewal, we reserve the right to modify your Territory in accordance with our thencurrent territory guidelines and criteria.
- 3.2. Extraterritorial Operations. You may not operate your Business or provide Bigfoot Forestry Services outside of your Territory except as otherwise permitted by this Section. With our prior approval, which we may withhold in our sole discretion, you may provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located outside your Territory but within a geographic area we approve (an "Approved Open Territory"). Under no circumstances will we approve an area that: (a) is assigned to another Bigfoot Forestry Business; or (b) is not adjacent to, and contiguous with, your Territory. If we grant our approval, you may provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located in the Approved Open Territory but only in compliance with: (a) our then-current extra-territorial operations policy, if any, described in the Manual; and (b) all other conditions and requirements that we specify.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee is generally not allowed to alter or relocate their designated territory. The FDD states explicitly that a franchisee "may not alter or relocate" their territory. This means the geographic area defined in Part E of Attachment A of the Franchise Agreement remains fixed for the duration of the agreement.
However, there are exceptions to this rule. With prior approval from Bigfoot Forestry, a franchisee may provide services at job sites located outside their territory but within an "Approved Open Territory." This approval is at Bigfoot Forestry's discretion and can be revoked at any time, requiring the franchisee to immediately cease operations in the approved area and transfer any ongoing projects to the franchisor or its designee. Bigfoot Forestry will not approve an area that is assigned to another franchisee or is not adjacent to the franchisee's existing territory.
Upon renewal of the franchise agreement, Bigfoot Forestry reserves the right to modify the franchisee's territory based on their then-current territory guidelines and criteria. This means that while a franchisee cannot unilaterally change their territory during the term of the agreement, the territory could be subject to change by Bigfoot Forestry at the time of renewal. A prospective franchisee should inquire about the conditions under which Bigfoot Forestry might alter a territory upon renewal and what criteria are used to make such decisions.