What are the limitations on a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee operating their Business outside of their 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. We may revoke our approval at any time, in which case you must immediately discontinue all operations within the Approved Open Territory and transfer to us or our designee any projects involving job sites located in the Approved Open Territory. Except in unusual circumstances, we do not anticipate revoking our approval unless: (a) we award the Approved Open Territory (or a portion thereof) to another Bigfoot Forestry Business; or (b) we determine, in our sole discretion, that you are not operating the Approved Open Territory in accordance with our standards and specifications.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally restricted from operating their business outside of their designated territory. The FDD specifies that franchisees may only provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located within their territory, as detailed in Section 3.2. A franchisee cannot alter or relocate their territory.
However, there are exceptions to this rule. With prior approval from Bigfoot Forestry, which can be withheld at their discretion, a franchisee may provide services in an "Approved Open Territory." This territory must be outside of the franchisee's own but within a geographic area approved by Bigfoot Forestry. Importantly, Bigfoot Forestry will not approve any area already assigned to another Bigfoot Forestry Business or any area that is not adjacent to the franchisee's existing territory.
Even with approval to operate outside their territory, a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee must comply with the company's extra-territorial operations policy, if one exists, as described in the Manual, and any other conditions or requirements specified by Bigfoot Forestry. The franchisor retains the right to revoke this approval at any time, requiring the franchisee to immediately cease operations in the Approved Open Territory and transfer any ongoing projects in that area to Bigfoot Forestry or its designee. While revocation is not anticipated except in unusual circumstances, it may occur if the territory is awarded to another franchisee or if the franchisee fails to meet Bigfoot Forestry's standards in the Approved Open Territory.