What Is Your Pool Service Business Worth?
Getting a Free, Confidential Valuation Estimate From People Who've Been In Your Shoes
Most pool service owners have no idea what their business is actually worth - until they're ready to sell and it's too late to maximize the number. Don't make that mistake.
At Bluewater Brokerage, we share, for free, our no-obligation confidential valuation and assessments for pool service owners. Whether you're ready to sell now or thinking about it in two years, have a good feel for "your number" changes everything.
The Two Primary Valuation Methods
Method 1 - Monthly Revenue Multiple (typical for routes) The most common method for pool service routes. Your business is valued at a multiple of your gross monthly service revenue. Be aware, this often does not include repairs or chemicals. This is not to say they can't be. In many cases they are but it is not the overall norm in our experience.
The current market range: 10x - 15x gross monthly revenue.
Example: A route generating $12,000/month is worth $120,000 to $180,000 depending on a number of quality factors.
Method 2 - ADE Multiple (typical for a full business) For larger companies with employees, equipment, and documented systems. Valued as a multiple of Seller's Discretionary Earnings (net profit + owner salary + add-backs).
Current market range: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE
Example: A business with $150,000 SDE is worth $375,000 - $525,000.
What Affects Your Value
Drives Your Price UP:
- Geographically dense, clustered accounts
- Long-tenured customer relationships (3+ years)
- Clean, organized QuickBooks financials
- Written service agreements
- Well-maintained equipment and vehicles
- Documented systems that run without you
Drive Your Price DOWN:
- Owner-dependent operations
- Informal or incomplete financial records
- High customer concentration (one account = big % of revenue)
- Aging or poorly maintained equipment
- Spread-out, inefficient route geography
Why Clean Financials Are Your Biggest Lever
What to Expect in Your Free Valuation
Completely Confidential - We never share your information without permission. No Obligation - There is no pressure to list or sell. Honest and Accurate Estimate - We give you a real number, not an inflated one designed to win your listing. Fast - Most valuations are completed within a week of our initial conversation.
Two businesses with identical routes can sell at dramatically different prices -- and the different almost always comes down to financials.
Sharon Burch, the founder of Pool Service QuickBooks and poolservicesystems.com, specializes in helping sellers organize the books in a way that serious buyers and SBA lenders expect to see them. The result: a cleaner transaction and a higher sale price.
It's not about inflating numbers. It's about making sure your real numbers tell the right story.
The benefits compound. By knowing your numbers you naturally start improving them. Your business almost immediately starts to improve. As it improves, so does the valuation of the business, not to metion your self-esteem and your enjoyment of the business.
It is very possible that by taking clear financial responsibiity and control of your business, you might learn to actually love it and choose not to sell. We are happy to be part of that process too and can negotiate your listing agreement so that you win either way.
Ready to Know Your Number?
Schedule a free confidential call with Bill and Sharon Burch.
We'll review your business, give you an honest assessment of what it's worth in today's market, and tell you exactly what you could do to increase that number before you sell.
