How much does a Boat Upholstery Repair cost to buy?

A typical Boat Upholstery Repair sells for 1.7x to 4.2x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $95K, expect to pay roughly $162K to $400K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Boat Upholstery Repair?

Startup costs range from $18K to $120K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Boat Upholstery Repair

Sun-cracked cushions become high-ticket marina work

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Boat upholstery repair shops replace vinyl seats, foam cushions, helm pads, bolsters, bimini canvas, snap covers, and cockpit interiors for recreational boat owners and marinas. It is a seasonal craft business with surprisingly premium pricing because owners want boats ready before launch weekend.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

66Strong

Avg revenue

$280K/yr

$90K–$850K range

Profit margin

34%

~$95K SDE

Multiple

1.7–4.2×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$162K–$400K

startup: $18K–$120K

How It Works

Operators quote cushions and cockpit interiors, template the job, order marine vinyl or canvas, remove old covers, sew replacements, install foam when needed, and deliver before boating season. Revenue comes from seat repairs, full interior refreshes, canvas add-ons, marina referrals, and winter backlog work.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Boat Upholstery Repair has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.

66Strong

low data confidence · 40/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

+Attractive 34% estimated margin profile

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No SBA category enrichment yet
!No category operating model yet
!Low data confidence

Deal Calculator

Priced off $95K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.47×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 2.8× SDE ($265K)

Category range: 1.7×–4.2× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($27K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 10.50%

Typical SBA 7(a) range: 9.5–12% (prime-based)

Loan term — 10 years

Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition

Purchase price

$265K

2.8× of $95K SDE

Cash to close

$34K

$27K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$3K/mo

$39K/yr on $239K loan

Cash-on-cash

164%

cash back in ~8 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.47×+$5K/mo after debt

Most SBA lenders want ≥1.25× coverage; 1.5×+ is a strong file.

SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.

Pros

+Premium labor rates for skilled specialty work
+Marinas generate steady referral flow
+Winter/off-season backlog can fill the shop
+Small team can produce meaningful revenue

Cons

-Seasonality is brutal in cold-water markets
-Skilled sewing labor is hard to hire
-Material delays can miss launch deadlines

Best For

Hands-on operators, upholstery shops, marina-service buyers, and craft tradespeople who can manage seasonal demand

Operating Costs

Costs include industrial sewing machines, foam, marine vinyl, canvas, thread, snaps, zippers, shop rent, labor, patterns, and delivery. Published pricing guides cite roughly $60-$150/hour labor for boat upholstery work, with full projects depending heavily on materials and complexity.