35 years of Mildura-built systems
Pricing models, equipment specs, supplier relationships, training scripts, and customer handling protocols refined over three decades. You get the playbook that took 35 years to write.
CARPET TEK · FRANCHISE PROGRAM · EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
35 years in Mildura.
Now open to 20 owners
across Australia.
Carpet Tek is a premium carpet, upholstery, tile, water damage restoration, and commercial cleaning business built one customer at a time since 1990. We are opening the playbook to a small group of committed franchise owners who want to run a real business in their own town.
35 years operating · 5 service lines · IICRC-aligned training · 3 investment tiers
35
Years operating in Sunraysia
5
Core service lines
20
Franchise territories opening
$611M
Australian carpet cleaning market (IBISWorld 2025)
3
Investment tiers
Industry data sourced from IBISWorld Carpet Cleaning Services in Australia, July 2025. Territory offers are subject to selection criteria and execution of franchise documentation.
The Opportunity
A real business in a category nobody is winning.
The Australian carpet cleaning, restoration, and commercial cleaning market is worth over $611 million annually. It is fragmented, dominated by under-capitalized operators with weak systems and limited restoration capability.
Carpet Tek has spent 35 years building equipment standards, supplier relationships, restoration process, customer handling systems, and local trust that compound over time.
We are opening this system to a limited group of owner-operators across Australia. Not passive buyers. People willing to do real work and build a saleable business.
What You Get Access To
This is the operating system, not a logo on a van.
35 years of refinement. Available only to qualified franchise owners.
IICRC-aligned training
Training across carpet cleaning, upholstery, tile and grout, water damage restoration, and applied structural drying. Two weeks in Mildura, then 90 days of ride-along support, then quarterly updates.
Restoration insurance panel access
The highest-margin work in the category is insurance restoration. Most operators cannot access panel work. Carpet Tek has spent decades building those relationships and process standards.
Your territory. Locked.
Postcode-defined exclusive territory. No overlap. No second franchise in your patch. You build the asset, own it, and can sell when you are ready.
The full equipment spec
Exactly what to buy, where to buy it, and what to pay. Truck-mounted extractors, portable units, restoration kit, and commercial floor equipment. No mystery and no hidden markups.
A real exit
Build over five to ten years and sell a real business with recurring commercial contracts, restoration capability, and brand equity.
What You Actually Sell
Five service lines. Real prices. Real jobs.
Indicative pricing from category sources and Carpet Tek history. These are category references, not earnings claims.
Residential carpet cleaning
- The category entry point. Steam extraction across homes, rental turnover, and end-of-lease jobs.
- Typical job value: $150-$350 per home
- Pricing reference: $30-$100 per room, $4-$10 per sqm, $80-$110 per hour
- Volume: 3-5 jobs per day for a productive solo operator
- Source: Yellow Pages Australia cost guide (2025), Mates Rates guide (2025), Carpet Tek historical job data.
Upholstery and rugs
- Higher margin per minute than carpet. Loungesuites, dining chairs, mattresses, and rugs.
- Typical job value: $250-$450 per loungesuite
- Pricing reference: $40-$80 per seat
- Often booked alongside carpet jobs with minimal extra drive time.
Tile and grout
- Hard-surface deep cleaning using rotary tools and high pressure.
- Typical job value: $250-$450 per bathroom
- Pricing reference: $7-$15 per sqm
- Strong cross-sell from carpet customers.
Water damage restoration
- The high-value end of the category. Burst pipes, floods, roof leaks, and escape events.
- Typical job value: $2,000 to $30,000+ depending on scope
- Pricing reference: Cat 1 $2K-$5K, Cat 2 $5K-$15K, Cat 3 $30K+
- Source: Disaster Recovery Australia and IICRC S500:2025.
- Insurance panel access matters most here. Without it, most operators cannot access this work.
Commercial contracts
- Recurring monthly retainers with offices, retail, hospitality, gyms, aged care, and medical.
- Typical contract value: $300 to $6,000 per month per client
- Pricing reference: $1.50-$3.50 per sqm office, $3-$7 per sqm medical
- Commercial contracts compound. Five strong contracts is a base salary. Twenty is a business.
- Source: commercialcleaning.au pricing guide (2026).
None of these figures are projections of what you will earn. What you charge, close, and retain depends on your territory, capacity, execution, and market.
Investment Tiers
Three tiers. Match your capital to the opportunity.
Estimated all-in ranges covering equipment, vehicle, training, certifications, working capital, and franchise fees. Final terms are set out in formal franchise documentation.
Entry Franchise
$50,000-$80,000 AUD all-in
For: First-time owners and solo operators testing the category before scaling.
- - Used commercial van (3-5 years old)
- - Portable hot-water extractor (Hydramaster Pex 500 or Mytee LTD12 class)
- - Upholstery, stair, and tile tools
- - Initial chemical fill
- - IICRC CCT certification
- - Carpet Tek 2-week training in Mildura
- - 90-day ride-along support
- - Single-zone postcode territory
Build path: 12-24 months to a consistent residential and small-commercial book.
Standard Franchise
$100,000-$160,000 AUD all-in
For: Most common tier for owners committed to full service-line execution.
- - Quality used van (Sprinter, Master, Transit, 3-5 years)
- - Mid-tier truck-mount (Hydramaster CDS 4.8 or used Prochem Everest 650)
- - Full tool kit including rotary tile equipment
- - Full initial chemical fill
- - IICRC CCT + UFT + WRT certifications
- - Carpet Tek 2-week training in Mildura
- - 90-day ride-along support
- - 2-3 postcode zones
- - Restoration insurance panel introduction
Build path: 18-36 months to a full-spectrum business across residential, commercial, and restoration.
Premium Franchise
$200,000-$300,000 AUD all-in
For: Owners launching full-spectrum capability from day one.
- - New Mercedes Sprinter (or equivalent)
- - Premium truck-mount (Prochem Everest 870 HP or Hydramaster Boxxer 421)
- - Complete restoration kit (air movers, dehumidifiers, moisture meters, thermal imaging)
- - Commercial autoscrubber
- - Full chemical and consumables supply
- - Full IICRC stack: CCT + UFT + WRT + ASD + AMRT
- - Carpet Tek 2-week training in Mildura
- - 90-day ride-along support
- - 4-6 postcode zones (premium metro or regional capital)
- - Direct insurance panel introduction
- - Priority placement on national commercial tenders
Build path: 12-24 months to a multi-service-line operation with restoration revenue.
Investment ranges include third-party equipment, vehicle, certification costs, and Carpet Tek fees. They exclude financing costs, insurance, and final working capital requirements.
The Equipment
Real machines. Real prices. No franchisor markups.
You buy direct from supplier. Carpet Tek provides spec, supplier pathway, and expected price ranges.
[PLACEHOLDER 1920x1080 - Truck-mount and restoration equipment close-up]
All pricing is indicative based on May 2026 distributor and used-market data. Confirm current pricing directly with suppliers.
Steven Ladd. Owner, Carpet Tek. Mildura, Victoria. 35 years and counting.
The Founder
Steve started in 1990 with a panel van and a portable extractor.
He started at 22 in Mildura with a second-hand machine and a phone number on the van. He built trust job by job before digital marketing existed.
Through hard lessons and standards-first training, Carpet Tek grew into a multi-service operation with deep restoration capability and long-term commercial relationships.
Today the goal is succession through quality owners, not private equity rollover. This franchise program is a controlled release of the system to a small number of serious applicants.
A Day In A Carpet Tek Van
This is the job. Decide if it sounds like you.
Representative weekday for a Standard-tier owner in a regional or outer-metro market.
6:15am
Alarm. Van checks. Water tank fill. First job briefing on phone.
7:00am
Drive to first residential job.
7:30am
Residential carpet clean. 3 bedrooms + living. $280. 90 min on site.
10:00am
Upholstery job. Loungesuite + dining chairs. $410. 75 min.
12:30pm
Commercial job. Monthly contract block.
3:30pm
Water damage assessment and setup. $2,400 first-day scope.
5:30pm
Home. Quotes, reconciliations, and prep for tomorrow.
This is one example day. Some days are slower. Some are bigger. The point is transparency about the actual work, not projecting guaranteed outcomes.
Honest Filter
This is not for everyone. That is the point.
This is for you if
You want to own equipment, meet customers, and get paid for real work.
You are prepared to work hard for three to five years before this looks like a real business.
You have at least $50,000 liquid capital or access to finance.
You live in regional or outer-metro Australia, or can relocate.
You take training seriously. IICRC standards are not optional.
You want to build an asset you can sell in seven to ten years.
You prefer honest answers over franchise slogans.
This is not for you if
You want passive income or someone else to run it for you.
You think buying a business is the same as building one.
You need guaranteed income claims to feel comfortable.
You are not prepared for physical work or customer-facing execution.
You are looking for a get-rich-quick play.
You want to skip training and improvise the system.
You believe your instincts are worth more than 35 years of proven process.
If you are nodding on the left, request the pack. If you are nodding on the right, this is not your opportunity, and that is a good outcome too.
The Process
Six steps. Months, not minutes.
No high-pressure close. Careful fit assessment on both sides.
01
Request the Franchise Pack
Complete the form on this page. We send a full pack within 24 hours with tiers, systems, equipment, and obligations.
02
Initial 30-minute call
You and Fletcher discuss background, capital, location, and fit. Direct conversation. No pressure pitch.
03
Franchise Disclosure Document
If both sides want to continue, we issue the FDD under the Franchising Code. You take at least 14 days for legal and financial review.
04
Site visit in Mildura
Two-day field visit. Ride along, inspect equipment, and see real jobs before commitment.
05
Sign and train
Execute agreement, secure territory, then complete intensive training in Mildura.
06
Launch with 90 days of support
You launch in territory with structured support via calls, video, and on-site guidance where feasible.
What Customers Say
35 years means something to the people who pay you.
Real customer reviews from Carpet Tek's existing operation.
"Steve did a fantastic job cleaning our carpets, couches, and mattresses. He is professional, thorough, and took great care with everything."
Lauren Castleman · Mildura, VIC · Google Review
"Steven and his Carpet Tek team are sensational. They made time the same day for an urgent clean and saved our carpet."
Chelsea Stevens · Mildura, VIC · Google Review
"My carpets were horrifically stained and Steven got my white carpet near new. Could not have asked for more."
Samuel Facey · Mildura, VIC · Google Review
All reviews are genuine public Google reviews. Carpet Tek does not pay for testimonials.
Questions
The questions you should be asking.
Direct answers. No hype.
Expressions Of Interest
20 territories. National launch. This is the moment to put your hand up.
If you have read this far, you likely value straight answers and serious execution. Request the franchise pack and we will send it within 24 hours.
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