Routes are the asset
Buyers count weekly accounts, their monthly price and how long customers have stayed. A tight route with houses close together costs less to serve than a scattered one.
Show the number of accounts, average monthly revenue and how many customers left in the last year.
Service versus repair and builds
Weekly service brings steady cash. Equipment repair and renovation work pays more per job but varies. Buyers want to see the split and the margin on each.
Companies that also build pools should separate that income, since construction is a different business with different risks.
Technicians and trucks
Buyers ask who services each route and whether customers know the technician or the company. Keep customer accounts in a system, not in one person's phone.
List each truck, its age and any lien.
Seasonality
Summer is the peak, and the winter dip matters to lenders. Build a monthly cash forecast so a buyer can see the lows and how you cover them.
Chemicals, insurance and compliance
Buyers ask what the company carries for liability and workers compensation, and how chemicals are stored and tracked. A clean safety record supports the price.
Keep contracts or written terms with commercial accounts, such as apartments and homeowner groups, because those accounts are among the most valuable.
Our note on keeping a sale quiet covers when to tell technicians.
Getting ready
Move billing and scheduling into software and document each route. Read our note on how buyers read your books, then request a price range.
Who Writes the Check
- Larger pool service operatorWants dense routes and technicians it can add to its own territory.
- Home services investorLooks for recurring accounts and a manager who can run the routes day to day.
- Technician ready to ownKnows the routes and needs books that support a loan.