What is my pool service business or pool route worth?

Pool service is unusual: small routes are usually priced on monthly service billing, not on SDE. Larger pool companies with techs, repair revenue and a store are priced like other service businesses. This page shows both.

Avg SDE multiple

2.61×

Typical range

1.88–3.16×

Avg revenue multiple

0.83×

Median sale price

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BizBuySell publishes no pool-service row, so this uses the BizBuySell Service Businesses SECTOR average. Pool routes are usually priced on monthly billing instead: 10–12× monthly service-only billing (Business Reference Guide rule of thumb); we show that as a cross-check. Range applies the typical quartile spread (0.72×–1.21× of the average, from BizBuySell's HVAC quartiles) because no trade quartiles are published. Source: BizBuySell — Business Valuation Multiples by Industry (businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026); Business Reference Guide rule of thumb for pool service routes (10–12× monthly service-only billing), as reproduced in a BizBuySell-hosted listing report.

Value your pool service business

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Trade: Pool service / routes ·

Which state is it in?

Worked example

Hypothetical. A pool company with about 300 weekly accounts and two techs. 75% of revenue is monthly service; the rest is repairs and equipment.

Revenue $420,000, owner earnings (SDE) $150,000, 8 years, about 75% recurring, “I manage, my team does the work”.
Start at the published 2.61× average (sector average).
Owner involvement: I manage, my team does the work: +0.15×. Buyers pay more when the business runs without the owner.
Recurring revenue 60%+: +0.25×. Contracts and memberships make next year's revenue predictable.
Adjusted multiple 3.01× × $150,000 = $451,000 on the SDE method.
Revenue cross-check: $420,000 × 0.83× = $349,000.
Route rule of thumb: about $26,250 monthly service billing × 10–12 = $263,000 – $315,000.
Because this is a small route business (under $250K SDE), we blend the two methods 50/50: $370,000, range $295,000 – $431,000.

What raises the price

Dense routes with weekly service accounts
Accounts on written agreements and autopay
Repair and equipment revenue on top of service
Techs who will stay after the sale

What lowers it

Scattered accounts across a large area
High churn or seasonal-only accounts
No records of account-level billing
Owner servicing every pool

Calculating SDE for a pool service business

Start from net profit on your tax return or P&L, then add back:

Owner salary
Truck and fuel used personally
Depreciation
One-time equipment purchases

Only add back what a buyer can verify. If there are two working owners, the second owner's salary usually stays as a cost, because a buyer will need to replace that person.

Questions

What multiple do pool routes sell for?

The Business Reference Guide rule of thumb, as reproduced in a BizBuySell-hosted report, is 10 to 12 times monthly service-only billing. Owner-direct marketplaces show similar or lower multiples, so treat it as an upper guide.

Why do you label this a sector average?

BizBuySell doesn't publish a pool-service row, so the SDE number uses its Service Businesses sector average. We don't invent trade-specific numbers.

Compare other trades

Trade	Avg SDE multiple	Avg revenue multiple	Median sale price	Basis
Plumbing	2.61×	0.69×	$699,000	Trade row
HVAC	2.83×quartiles 1.99–3.33×	0.60×	$750,000	Trade row
Electrical	2.77×	0.63×	$1,009,000	Trade row
Landscaping	2.49×	0.72×	$449,950	Trade row
Pool service / routes	2.61×	0.83×	—	Sector average (no trade row)
Pest control	2.46×quartiles 1.69–3×	1.01×	$250,000	Trade row
Cleaning	2.25×	0.72×	$281,500	Trade row
Roofing	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Auto repair	2.85×	0.65×	$430,000	Trade row
Salon / barbershop	2.10×	0.52×	$117,375	Trade row
Other main-street business	2.61×	0.83×	$350,000	General main-street range

Source: BizBuySell, Business Valuation Multiples by Industry, businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026; quartiles from BizBuySell's HVAC and pest-control benchmark pages (sold 2021–2025). Pool and roofing use sector averages; “Other” uses the Service Businesses sector. Retrieved Oct 30, 2026.

Estimates for information only; not an appraisal or an offer. MainStreetKeys is not a business broker. Data retrieved Oct 30, 2026.