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Rare opportunity to acquire a long-established landscaping company serving one of Chicagoland’s most affluent markets. This business has operated for more than five decades and has built a loyal... Businesses Franchises Brokers Loading... Very Profitable Landscaping Company | Recurring Revenue Base Cook County, IL Asking Price:$1,991,849 Cash Flow (SDE):$537,512 EBITDA:Not Disclosed Gross Revenue:$1,373,082 Established:Not Disclosed Very Profitable Landscaping Company | Recurring Revenue Base Business Description Legacy Landscaping Company Rare opportunity to acquire a long-established landscaping company serving one of Chicagoland’s most affluent markets. This business has operated for more than five decades and has built a loyal customer base through recurring lawn maintenance, planting, grading, and outdoor property services. The company benefits from long-term client relationships, recurring maintenance revenue, strong word-of-mouth referrals, and an established digital presence. The business currently focuses primarily on recurring maintenance services, creating predictable and stable cash flow. Significant upside exists through expansion of hardscape, outdoor living, lighting, winter services, and additional exterior services. Highlights Include: • 50+ years of operating history • Strong recurring maintenance revenue base • Average annual revenue of approximately $1.4M • Seller’s Discretionary Earnings exceeding $500K • Affluent residential customer base • Established crews, equipment, trucks, and operational infrastructure included • Strong referral-driven business with established online presence • Significant upside through reactivation of higher-margin design/build services • Owner willing to provide transition support Ideal buyer could include: • Existing landscaping company seeking geographic expansion • Owner-operator looking for an established platform • Regional green industry operator • Strategic buyer seeking recurring residential accounts Important Operational Note: The business currently operates from seller-owned property that is NOT included in the sale. A buyer will be required to relocate operations following the season. Management believes the business can be effectively operated from a contractor yard, warehouse, or similar facility suitable for landscaping operations. The business is currently operated seasonally and presents additional growth opportunities through winter services and expanded marketing initiatives. The owner is pursuing a planned retirement and is committed to helping ensure a smooth transition. Serious inquiries only. NDA and proof of financial capability required prior to release of identifying details and financial information. Ad#:2512139 Detailed Information Facilities: The Company currently operates from property owned by the Seller, which is used for equipment storage, vehicle staging, and administrative functions. The real estate is not included in the sale, and a new owner will need to relocate operations following closing.The business can be effectively operated from a contractor yard, warehouse, storage facility, or similar property suitable for landscaping operations.The Seller is currently exploring a potential replacement location that may be available; however, no guarantees can be made regarding availability, pricing, lease terms, zoning, or suitability. Prospective buyers should conduct their own independent evaluation and assume responsibility for securing a future operating location.The sale includes vehicles, trailers, landscaping equipment, and operational assets necessary to continue servicing customers immediately following closing. Competition: The Company operates in one of the most desirable landscaping markets in the Midwest, serving affluent residential communities with a long-standing culture of investing in curb appeal, outdoor living, and property maintenance. Demand for professional landscaping services remains strong, supported by high home values, busy homeowners, and a preference for reliable service providers. The business benefits from over 50 years of brand recognition, a loyal recurring customer base, and a reputation built through referrals and repeat business. While competition exists, established landscaping companies with strong customer relationships, recurring revenue, experienced crews, and proven operating systems enjoy significant advantages over new market entrants. The Company's reputation, longevity, and established presence position it well for continued success and future growth. Growth & Expansion: The Company offers several attractive avenues for future growth. The most significant opportunity is expanding higher-margin landscape design, hardscape, and outdoor living services, which are currently underutilized despite strong market demand. Additional opportunities include expanding commercial and HOA accounts, implementing targeted digital marketing initiatives, and introducing complementary seasonal services.The business also benefits from a loyal customer base, strong referral network, and established reputation, providing a solid foundation for growth with relatively modest investment. A motivated owner-operator or strategic buyer may be able to accelerate revenue growth by leveraging the Company's brand recognition and long-standing presence in the market. Financing: Seller financing available Limited seller financing may be available for strong offers Support & Training: The Seller is committed to providing a smooth and professional transition to a new owner. Transition support may include introductions to key customers, vendors, and suppliers, as well as guidance on estimating, scheduling, operations, and other day-to-day business functions.The scope, duration, and any compensation associated with post-closing transition support will be determined by mutual agreement between the parties as part of the transaction process. Reason for Selling: The Owner is pursuing a planned retirement after decades of successful operation Business Location Location: Cook County, IL Demographic Information for Cook County Area Household Income Population Age Population Trend Population by Race/Ethnicity BizBuySell EDGE Financial Benchmarks for Illinois Landscaping and Yard Service Businesses Gross Revenue Benchmarks Cash Flow (SDE) Benchmarks EBITDA Benchmarks BizBuySell EDGE Listing Statistics Saved This Listing Listing Last Updated Appeared in Search Listing Detail Views BizBuySell EDGE Know the True Market Value Before You Make an Offer Get valuation data to negotiate with confidence. Get a Valuation Report Business Listed By: Lighthouse Business Brokers Lighthouse Business Brokers View My Listings Phone Number 312-467-7726 Voice only (no SMS) Ad#:2512139 The information in this listing has been provided by the business seller or representative stated above. BizBuySell has no stake in the sale of this business, has not independently verified any of the information about the business, and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. Read BizBuySell's Terms of Use before responding to any ad. Learn how to avoid scams. Contact Form Full Name* Enter a valid Full Name Phone Number* Enter Phone Number Email Address* Enter Email Address Zip Code Amount to Invest Purchase Timeframe 1-3 Months 3-6 Months 6+ Months Optional Message Yes, send me the Buyer Newsletter for popular businesses, tips, & email promotions. Show sellers you’re serious - learn about BizBuySell Edge for premium buyer tools & alerts Send Message By clicking the button, you agree to BizBuySell’s Terms of Use and Privacy Notice Business Listed By: Andrew Rosenthal Lighthouse Business Brokers View My Listings Phone Number 312-467-7726 Voice only (no SMS) Your request has been sent. What Happens Next? is reviewing your details. A representative will reach out soon to discuss your options. Expect a response in 1-2 business days. Report an issue with this listing Similar Listings Landscaping and Yard Service Businesses for Sale Other Service Businesses for Sale All Businesses for Sale in Cook County Fast-growing, absentee Waste Hauling Business-- with 50% net Profit! Champaign County,
Why we like it
- Earnings quality is strong for the category: $537K SDE on $1.37M revenue is a 39 percent margin, and the revenue is anchored by recurring lawn maintenance rather than one-off project work. Recurring maintenance contracts in an affluent market produce the kind of predictable, defensible cash flow you can underwrite a loan against.
- The moat is real and unusual for landscaping: 50-plus years of brand recognition, a loyal referral-driven base in one of the Midwest's wealthiest zip-code clusters, and established crews and systems. New entrants cannot manufacture five decades of reputation, and affluent homeowners reward reliability over price.
- Landscaping in high-home-value suburbs is recession-resistant. Busy, wealthy homeowners outsource property upkeep regardless of the cycle, and curb-appeal culture in these communities makes professional maintenance a default expense rather than a discretionary one.
- The operator advantage is clear: the seller has run this seasonally and left margin on the table by neglecting design/build, hardscape, outdoor living, lighting, and winter services. A motivated owner-operator inherits brand, crews, and a customer list and can layer higher-margin offerings onto an existing relationship base with modest capital.
How to improve it
- Reactivate higher-margin design/build, hardscape, and outdoor living services in the first 90 days. These carry far better margins than recurring mowing and you already have the customer relationships and brand permission to upsell them, so the cost of acquisition is effectively zero.
- Add winter services such as snow and ice management to convert the seasonal model into year-round revenue. The same affluent client base needs driveways and walkways cleared, and this smooths cash flow across the slow months while improving crew utilization.
- Lock in the relocation early and turn it from a risk into a fixed cost. Secure a contractor yard or warehouse lease before the season ends, ideally during diligence, so there is no operational gap and you can model the new occupancy cost into the deal.
- Convert informal recurring maintenance into signed annual contracts with auto-renew and price escalators. This hardens the revenue base, raises the multiple at your eventual exit, and protects against churn during the ownership transition.
- Expand into commercial and HOA accounts using the existing residential reputation as a credential. Commercial contracts are larger, multi-year, and less seasonal, and they leverage the same crews and equipment without proportional overhead.
- Implement targeted digital marketing and a simple CRM to capture referral demand the business is likely leaving unmonetized. With an established online presence already in place, modest spend on local SEO and review generation should convert in an affluent, high-intent market.
- Audit pricing across the maintenance book and reprice underwater accounts. Long-tenured family businesses routinely under-raise prices on loyal clients, and a disciplined 5 to 10 percent increase on a sticky base flows almost entirely to SDE.
Diligence notes
- Quantify how much of the $537K SDE is genuinely recurring versus project-based. The listing leans heavily on recurring maintenance language, so pull customer-level revenue, retention, and contract terms to confirm the durability that justifies the 3.71x multiple.
- Scrutinize the relocation problem hard, because the real estate is excluded and operations must move after the season. Confirm zoning, availability, lease terms, and added occupancy cost for a suitable contractor yard, and verify the business can run without disruption from a new site.
- Verify the condition, age, and ownership status of the included trucks, trailers, and equipment. Landscaping is capital-intensive, so confirm assets are owned free and clear and assess near-term replacement capex that the SDE figure may not reflect.
- Assess crew and key-person dependency since this is a 50-year owner-run business. Identify whether crew leads will stay post-close, what the owner personally handles in estimating and customer relationships, and how transferable those relationships are to a new owner.
- Confirm the seasonality of cash flow and working capital needs through a downturn-style stress test. Pull monthly revenue to understand the off-season cash gap, and model how much working capital a buyer needs to carry crews and equipment through winter absent snow services.
- Clarify the seller financing terms and structure given only limited financing is offered for strong offers. Push for a meaningful seller note and a holdback tied to customer retention through the transition to align incentives during the relocation.