How much does a Catch Basin Cleaning cost to buy?

A typical Catch Basin Cleaning sells for 2.2x to 5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $198K, expect to pay roughly $436K to $990K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Catch Basin Cleaning?

Startup costs range from $175K to $900K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Catch Basin Cleaning

Storm drains, vacuum trucks, and compliance-driven sludge removal

Bottom line

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

Catch basin cleaning companies vacuum sediment, trash, and oily sludge out of parking-lot drains, municipal storm systems, industrial yards, HOAs, campuses, and retail centers. The surprising angle is that one blocked basin can flood a property, so owners often buy scheduled maintenance before rainy seasons rather than wait for emergencies.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

55Strong

Avg revenue

$900K/yr

$250K–$3M range

Profit margin

22%

~$198K SDE

Multiple

2.2–5×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$436K–$990K

startup: $175K–$900K

How It Works

Crews dispatch a vacuum truck or jet-vac unit, remove grates, vacuum sediment and water, pressure-wash the structure, transport waste to an approved disposal site, and document the service for property managers or municipal compliance files. Revenue comes from recurring basin routes, emergency flood calls, hydro-jetting add-ons, and municipal or commercial maintenance contracts.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Catch Basin Cleaning 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.

55Strong

low data confidence · 40/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

No strong positives yet. More verified data needed.

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 $198K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.14×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 3.2× SDE ($635K)

Category range: 2.2×–5× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($64K)

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

$635K

3.2× of $198K SDE

Cash to close

$83K

$64K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$8K/mo

$93K/yr on $572K loan

Cash-on-cash

128%

cash back in ~10 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.14×+$9K/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

+Compliance and flood-prevention budgets create repeat demand
+High minimum job tickets because truck mobilization is expensive
+Good tuck-in for vacuum truck, septic, sewer, or stormwater contractors
+Emergency calls can command premium pricing

Cons

-Vacuum trucks and disposal compliance require real capital
-Waste handling rules vary by market
-Weather and municipal bid cycles can make revenue lumpy

Best For

Vacuum truck operators, septic buyers, sewer contractors, and stormwater maintenance companies

Operating Costs

Major costs are vacuum truck payments, fuel, CDL drivers, disposal fees, insurance, jetting equipment, confined-space safety gear, and municipal compliance paperwork. Margin improves with route density and bundled stormwater maintenance contracts.