America’s Best Franchises (ABF) Brand Insight —
What separates Steri-Clean from other biohazard operators is consumer recognition, which almost no service brand in this category has. Cory Chalmers built a national profile through the A&E series Hoarders, and the company owns HOARDERS.com and the 1-800-HOARDERS number. That combination means calls arrive rather than being chased. Hoarding also broadens the work well beyond crime scenes, turning an episodic emergency service into something closer to a steady flow of scheduled projects.
At a Glance
- Liquid Capital Required: $60,000 — readily available cash or cash-equivalent assets — not from borrowing, selling a primary residence, or relying on future income
- Ownership Model: Owner-operated
- Location Type: Commercial base with mobile crews
- Time Commitment: Full-time
- Experience Required: No experience required
About Steri-Clean
Steri-Clean began in 1995 as a single local biohazard cleanup service and grew into a national specialist in crime scene, trauma, and hoarding remediation. Cory Chalmers, President and CEO, has led the company through the industry’s entire development and remains a national speaker and trainer on biohazard work.
Franchising launched in 2014 and the system has grown past 65 locations. Owners operate under two names: Steri-Clean for biohazard and trauma work, and 1-800-HOARDERS for hoarding cleanup, supported by HOARDERS.com and Chalmers’s recurring appearances on the A&E series Hoarders.
Why Own a Steri-Clean Franchise?
- A 24-hour call center fields inbound calls and routes them directly to you, around the clock.
- Two nationally recognized brands under one franchise: Steri-Clean for biohazard work and 1-800-HOARDERS for hoarding.
- Referral leads and booked appointments flow from HOARDERS.com, the most searched hoarding resource on the internet.
- Territories run one to over two million in population, giving real room to build a business.
- Dozens of service lines beyond crime scenes, from fentanyl and meth labs to odor removal and encampments.
Why This Opportunity, Why Now
ABF Market Analysis —
The work Steri-Clean does is required rather than chosen. Property owners, insurers, government agencies, and families all need biohazard remediation handled by trained professionals, and regulation around bloodborne pathogens makes do-it-yourself cleanup a legal risk. Hoarding alone affects close to five percent of the population, which represents millions of households. Demand comes from homeowners, hotels, hospitals, police and fire departments, and public agencies, so no single customer segment carries the business.
ABF Timing Insight —
Steri-Clean has been in this work since 1995 but has only franchised since 2014, which leaves the map far from full. The company reports dozens of territories still open, every one of them exceeding a million in population. The brand recognition side is already built — HOARDERS.com, the 1-800 number, and years of national television — so an owner joining now inherits awareness rather than creating it. That gap between established brand and open territory does not stay open long in any system.
Training & Support
- A focused two-week training program covers the owner and initial team, spanning biohazard remediation, hoarding and clutter work, office management, and billing standards.
- A 24-hour call center staffed with trained professionals fields incoming calls and routes them to you, so nobody reaches voicemail during a crisis.
- Custom-built proprietary software handles job management and the billing procedures that make this industry difficult for independent operators to run cleanly.
- Each owner receives exclusive custom-built webpages for their defined territory, plus referral leads and booked appointments generated through the corporate HOARDERS.com website.
- National contracts, ongoing marketing support, and additional on-site training at your own facility continue after launch as the business grows.
Who Are We Looking For
- Calm and steady in high-stress, emotionally charged situations
- Compassionate with families going through the worst days
- Entrepreneurial and driven to grow a service business
- Professional with hospitals, agencies, and public safety partners
- Comfortable hiring and leading field remediation crews
Who Is Not A Good Fit
- Anyone seeking passive ownership rather than an on-call operating business
- Candidates squeamish about biohazard, trauma, or decomposition scenes
- Owners unwilling to respond to calls outside normal business hours
- People uncomfortable working with grieving or distressed families
- Buyers expecting predictable weekday hours and scheduled workloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need experience in cleanup or medical work?
A: No. The two-week training program covers biohazard remediation, hoarding and clutter work, safety protocols, office management, and billing from the ground up, for you and your initial team. What matters more is composure under pressure and the ability to lead a crew.
Q: What is 1-800-HOARDERS and how does it fit?
A: It is the second brand you operate. Steri-Clean covers biohazard and trauma work; 1-800-HOARDERS covers hoarding cleanup, supported by HOARDERS.com. Hoarding is a large share of the workload for most owners and brings scheduled, multi-day projects rather than emergency calls.
Q: How large is a territory?
A: Territories range from roughly one million to over two million in population. Additional territories are available at a reduced fee. Ask the franchise development team what remains open in the markets you are considering, since availability shifts.
Q: Is this a twenty-four hour business?
A: Emergencies do not keep business hours, so yes, calls come in at night and on weekends. The corporate call center answers around the clock and routes work to you, but you and your crew need to be reachable and willing to respond.
Q: How important is the leadership team when choosing a franchise?
A: Very important. A proven model matters, but the people leading the brand matter too. During due diligence, spend time with leadership and operations—not just franchise development—and ask how they prioritize franchisee profitability, support, and long-term brand health.
Next Steps
If you are drawn to work that genuinely matters to the families you serve, two recognized brands under one franchise, a call center that routes business to you around the clock, territories large enough to build on, and a service nobody else in your market wants to provide, Steri-Clean is worth a direct conversation. Complete the form below to request a qualification review and discuss territory availability for Steri-Clean.
This profile represents general franchise information. Individual results may vary. Refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.