Can Bumble Roofing require a franchisee to stop purchasing required items from a specific supplier?
Bumble_Roofing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
materials, computer hardware and software, and other items required by Franchisor in connection with Franchisee's Business ("Required Items") shall be maintained in the Manual. Franchisor reserves the right to require Franchisee to purchase any or all Required Items from Franchisor's designated or approved suppliers, if one is so designated. The term "suppliers," also includes vendors, manufacturers and distributors. Franchisor has the right to require Franchisee to discontinue purchasing any Required Items from any supplier, and may appoint new designated or approved suppliers at any time in its sole discretion. In addition, Franchisor has the right, at any time and in its sole discretion, to designate Franchisor or one of its Affiliates as the only designated or approved supplier, or one of several designated or approved suppliers, of any of the Required Items.
- 9.2 If Franchisor has a designated supplier for any product and Franchisee wants to purchase a product from a supplier that does not appear on Franchisor's designated supplier list or use a product that is not on Franchisor's approved-product list, Franchisee must first furnish Franchisor samples of the product from the supplier, together with as much information as Franchisee 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 Franchisor requests. Franchisor may evaluate designated suppliers based on price, service, quality, warranty, delivery terms, and other commercially reasonable benchmarks as it determines in its sole discretion. Any preferred or required suppliers will be specified in the Operations Manual. Franchisor will notify Franchisee within 90 days of Franchisee's request to evaluate an alternative supplier of Franchisor's approval or disapproval of that supplier. Currently, Franchisor does not charge a fee to evaluate an alternative supplier, but Franchisor reserves the right to charge a fee in the future, which will not exceed $200 per request. Franchisor reserves the right to require Franchisee to reimburse Franc
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 53)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bumble Roofing's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Bumble Roofing has the authority to mandate that franchisees cease purchasing required items from any supplier. Bumble Roofing also retains the right to designate new or approved suppliers at any given time, operating at its sole discretion. This extends to Bumble Roofing or its affiliates becoming the sole designated or approved supplier for any required items.
If a Bumble Roofing franchisee wishes to procure a product from a supplier not on the franchisor's designated list, they must furnish Bumble Roofing with samples and comprehensive information about the product and supplier. This includes details on the product's composition, properties, intended uses, test results, the manufacturer's information (location, history, quality control standards, and warranty policies), and any other information Bumble Roofing requests. Bumble Roofing will then evaluate the proposed supplier based on factors like price, service, quality, warranty, and delivery terms.
Bumble Roofing commits to notifying the franchisee of their decision regarding the alternative supplier within 90 days of the request. While Bumble Roofing currently does not charge a fee for this evaluation, it reserves the right to implement a fee in the future, capped at $200 per request. Furthermore, Bumble Roofing can require the franchisee to cover the costs associated with evaluating the supplier. Bumble Roofing also retains the right to revoke approval of any supplier, providing the franchisee with 30 days' prior written notice.
This policy gives Bumble Roofing significant control over the supply chain, allowing them to ensure quality and consistency across all franchise locations. However, it also means franchisees have limited autonomy in choosing suppliers and may face additional costs or delays if they wish to use alternative suppliers. Prospective franchisees should carefully consider these factors and discuss any concerns with Bumble Roofing before entering into a franchise agreement.