Full-Service Commercial Landscape Maintenance, 10-Year Central Florida Operator

$4.7M

Revenue

$647K

SDE

4.6x

Multiple

Subscribe Free

Read the full deal writeup

Get Free Access Access Unlimited Deals

Already a member? Sign in

Full Editorial Writeup

This is a full-service commercial landscape maintenance company operating in Central Florida for a decade. Roughly 75% of its $4.7M in annual revenue, about $300K per month, comes from repeat maintenance contracts, with the balance generated through higher-ticket add-on services like landscape projects, irrigation, tree trimming, fertilization and pest control. All of those services are delivered in-house rather than subcontracted, which keeps margin inside the business and gives the operator control over quality and scheduling.

The customer base is sticky and mature. The listing notes clients dating back to "Day One" with most exceeding five years of tenure, a profile that points to low churn and a maintenance book that renews by default. With 49 full-time W-2 and E-verified employees organized into departments each led by a division head, the business has real operating infrastructure rather than a single owner carrying every function.

At a $3.0M asking price against $647K of cash flow, the deal is marked at roughly 4.6x SDE, with $935K of FF&E included in the price. The included fleet and equipment, combined with a contracted recurring maintenance base in one of the fastest-growing metros in the country, make this a credible platform for a buyer who wants durable cash flow in an essential, non-cyclical service category.

Why we like it

Earnings quality is anchored by roughly 75% recurring maintenance revenue, about $300K per month, on contracts where most customers exceed five years of tenure. That base renews by default rather than needing to be re-won each season, which makes the $647K of cash flow far more predictable than a project-driven landscaper.
The durability case is strong because commercial grounds maintenance is a non-discretionary line item for property owners and HOAs who need curb appeal and compliance regardless of the economy. Delivering irrigation, tree work, fertilization and pest control in-house widens the moat by capturing margin and locking customers into a single vendor relationship.
Central Florida is a genuine tailwind, with Orlando among the fastest-growing US metros and a steady pipeline of commercial and residential development feeding new maintenance contracts. The listing explicitly notes annual revenue growth driven by loyal customers and referrals, suggesting demand is outrunning sales effort.
This is already a built-out organization, not a solo owner-operator, with 49 full-time W-2 employees and department heads for each division. An incoming operator inherits a management layer that can keep the business running during transition, which de-risks the handoff and supports a true absentee or portfolio structure over time.

How to improve it

Audit and systematize contract renewals and pricing within the first 90 days to ensure every maintenance agreement has built-in annual escalators tied to labor and fuel cost. Many legacy accounts from "Day One" may be underpriced, and a modest across-the-board increase on sticky clients flows almost entirely to the bottom line.
Push the 25% non-recurring work (projects, irrigation installs, tree trimming) harder into the existing maintenance base, since those customers already trust the crew on site. Cross-selling enhancement work to a captive, loyal book is the cheapest revenue a landscaper can buy.
Install or upgrade route-optimization and crew-productivity software to tighten drive time, labor hours and equipment utilization across 49 employees. In a business this size, a few points of gross margin from scheduling efficiency is worth six figures annually.
Formalize a sales and estimating function to convert referral-driven growth into a repeatable pipeline rather than relying on word of mouth. Hiring a dedicated business developer or commissioned estimator can accelerate new logo wins in a growing metro without owner involvement.
Reduce customer concentration risk by diversifying into additional property types such as municipal, retail, industrial and multifamily if the book is skewed toward one segment. A broader mix protects the recurring base against the loss of any single large account.
Document standard operating procedures for each department and reduce reliance on the two departing owners before the transition window closes. Codifying how the business actually runs is what converts this from an owner-dependent asset into a scalable platform.

Diligence notes

Verify the recurring revenue claim by pulling the actual contract register: count of active maintenance agreements, contract length, auto-renewal terms, pricing, and churn history over the last three years. The entire valuation thesis rests on that 75% base being genuinely contracted and sticky rather than informal month-to-month work.
Examine customer concentration in detail, since a $4.7M book can hide a handful of outsized accounts. Quantify revenue from the top 5 and top 10 clients and confirm none represent a single point of failure that would crater cash flow if lost post-close.
Scrutinize labor economics given 49 W-2 employees in a tight Florida market, including wage rates, turnover, workers' comp experience, and dependence on seasonal or H-2B labor. Rising labor costs or crew availability issues are the primary margin threat in this industry.
Confirm the condition, age, and ownership status of the $935K FF&E and fleet included in the price, and whether any equipment is leased or financed. Deferred maintenance or imminent replacement capex on trucks and mowers would materially change the effective purchase multiple.
Pressure-test whether $647K cash flow is true SDE after normalizing for both active owners' compensation and benefits. With two working owners departing, confirm the cost to replace their roles so the buyer understands real post-acquisition earnings.
Review how the business operates without an owned facility, including yard, storage, and office arrangements. Understand any lease terms, assignability, and whether the business will need to relocate or secure new premises after the sale.

Source

Originally listed on BizBuySell. View original listing →