Can Bumble Roofing require a franchisee to reimburse costs for evaluating a supplier?
Bumble_Roofing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
in our Operations Manual.
Approved suppliers and specifications and standards are determined based on the current needs for operating Roofing Businesses. If we have a designated supplier for any product and you want to purchase a product from a supplier that does not appear on our designated supplier list or use a product that is not on our approved-product list, you must first furnish us samples of the product from the supplier, together with as much information as you can gather about the product's composition, properties and intended uses; the results of lab and field tests on its use; the manufacture's location, years in business, quality control standards and warranty policies; and such other information as we request. We may evaluate designated suppliers based on price, service, quality, warranty, delivery terms, and other commercially reasonable benchmarks. Any preferred or required suppliers will be specified in the Operations Manual. We may establish procedures for approving alternative required suppliers you recommend (including alternative suppliers for Required Items) based on the criteria described above. We will notify you within 90 days of your request to evaluate an alternative supplier of our approval or disapproval of that supplier. Currently, we do not charge a fee to evaluate an alternative supplier, but we reserve the right to charge a fee in the future, which will not exceed $200 per request. We reserve the right to require you to reimburse us for our costs and expenses in connection with evaluating the supplier. We may revoke our approval of any supplier with 30 days' p
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 27–29)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bumble Roofing's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be required to reimburse Bumble Roofing for costs associated with evaluating a supplier. If a franchisee wants to use a supplier not already approved by Bumble Roofing, they must provide samples and detailed information about the supplier and product for evaluation.
Bumble Roofing reserves the right to charge a fee for evaluating alternative suppliers, with the fee not exceeding $200 per request. Additionally, Bumble Roofing reserves the right to require franchisees to reimburse them for costs and expenses incurred during the supplier evaluation process. Bumble Roofing will notify the franchisee of the approval or disapproval of the supplier within 90 days of the request.
This policy means that a Bumble Roofing franchisee could face additional expenses if they wish to deviate from the franchisor's approved supplier list. While the initial evaluation fee is capped at $200, the reimbursement for 'costs and expenses' is not capped, leaving the franchisee potentially liable for a significant, and unknown, amount. This is a notable point for prospective franchisees to consider, as it could impact their operating costs and reduce their flexibility in sourcing products.