DFW Residential Pool Maintenance & Repair, 24-Year Texas Service Business

$3.1M

Revenue

$662K

SDE

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Full Editorial Writeup

This is a 24-year-old residential pool service business operating across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex since 2002. The company runs a full-stack pool model: recurring weekly maintenance, equipment repairs, renovations and remodeling, and new pool start-ups that frequently convert into long-term maintenance contracts. It carries 1,300 customers in its database with 625 active recurring accounts, and roughly 85% of income comes from repeat customers, producing predictable weekly route revenue.

The operation is built on a staff of 23 full-time employees, a 2,270 SF headquarters and staging facility, and a fleet of 5 to 6 company-owned service vehicles. On $3.1M in revenue it generates $662K of cash flow (SDE) and $512K of EBITDA, implying mid-teens margins typical of a labor-heavy field-service business. Inventory of $100K and FF&E of $220K are included in the asking price.

What makes the deal notable is the referral engine: established relationships with homeowners and pool builders consistently feed new accounts, effectively functioning as an outside sales force. The DFW market offers a near year-round pool season and continuous residential growth, giving the buyer a dense, defensible territory with a clear path to add route density and higher-margin repair and remodel work. The owners are retiring and offering seller financing plus a negotiable transition period.

Why we like it

Earnings quality is strong for a home-services business, with $662K SDE and $512K EBITDA on $3.1M revenue and 85% of income from repeat customers. The 625 recurring maintenance accounts throw off predictable weekly cash that funds the lumpier repair and remodel revenue, so the base is not dependent on new-project wins.
The moat is route density and relationships. Twenty-four years of reputation, 1,300 names in the database, and standing referral partnerships with local pool builders mean the business captures new installs that convert into recurring maintenance, a flywheel that is hard for a new entrant to replicate quickly.
Market tailwinds are real and specific. The DFW metroplex has a near year-round pool season and ongoing residential growth, so the serviceable base of backyard pools keeps expanding, and pools require non-discretionary, safety-driven upkeep that holds up in a downturn.
Operator advantage exists on margin and mix. The business already fields 23 employees and 5 to 6 trucks with capacity for more density, and there is clear room to push higher-margin repair, equipment upgrade, and remodel work across an installed base that currently leans on lower-margin weekly service.
This is a clean, boring, durable cash flow business with a retiring seller, seller financing on the table, and inventory plus FF&E included. That combination usually means a reasonable multiple and a financeable structure for a capitalized buyer.

How to improve it

Audit and reprice the recurring book in the first 90 days. With 625 active accounts and 1,300 in the database, identify underpriced routes, implement a standardized annual price escalator, and re-activate dormant customers who already know the brand, which drops almost entirely to the bottom line.
Densify the routes. Map every account geographically and cluster service days to cut windshield time and fuel, then target new-account acquisition in the tightest zip codes to raise stops-per-truck before adding headcount or vehicles.
Systematize the pool-builder referral channel into formal agreements. These partnerships currently work informally; converting them into structured referral or subcontract arrangements with the top builders locks in a steady pipeline of start-up jobs that convert to recurring maintenance.
Push the high-margin repair and remodel mix. Train field techs to flag failing equipment on every maintenance visit and sell heater, pump, and automation upgrades, turning routine route stops into a steady stream of profitable repair and renovation tickets.
Build digital lead generation, which the listing flags as underdeveloped. A basic local SEO, Google Business, and paid-search presence in a market this size should produce qualified inbound at a low cost per acquisition and reduce reliance on word of mouth.
Install management and operating cadence so the business can run owner-light. Document scheduling, pricing, and QA processes, elevate a service manager, and put route and margin dashboards in place so the buyer is not personally running daily operations.
Review labor model and retention on a 23-person crew. Technician turnover is the biggest risk to service quality and route continuity, so put in competitive pay, a simple bonus tied to retention and upsell, and a hiring pipeline to protect the asset.

Diligence notes

Verify the recurring revenue claim. Pull the actual billing records to confirm 625 active accounts, the 85% repeat-income figure, average monthly ticket, contract versus month-to-month status, and trailing 12-month churn, since route durability is the entire thesis.
Separate the revenue and margin by service line. Understand how much of the $3.1M is low-margin weekly maintenance versus higher-margin repair and remodel, and confirm whether the $662K SDE is sustainable or inflated by a few large one-time renovation projects.
Scrutinize the owner's role and the add-backs that bridge $512K EBITDA to $662K SDE. Confirm what the retiring owners actually do day to day, whether a replacement manager salary is needed, and whether the transition timeline covers it.
Confirm the real estate treatment. The $800K facility is owned but explicitly excluded from the asking price, so clarify whether a lease will be offered, at what rent, and for what term, since occupancy cost directly affects go-forward EBITDA.
Check the fleet and equipment condition. With only 5 to 6 vehicles and $220K FF&E supporting the whole operation, assess vehicle age, deferred capex, and whether near-term replacement spend will dent the cash flow a buyer is underwriting.
Validate employee and licensing continuity. Confirm key technicians will stay post-close, review any Texas pool/electrical licensing or permitting requirements tied to specific individuals, and assess customer concentration among the largest accounts and referral builders.

Source

Originally listed on BizBuySell. View original listing →