How much does a Catch Basin Cleaning Service cost to buy?

A typical Catch Basin Cleaning Service sells for 2x to 4.2x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $252K, expect to pay roughly $504K to $1.1M before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

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

Startup costs range from $120K to $650K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Catch Basin Cleaning Service

Private storm drains quietly fill with sludge until the parking lot floods

Bottom line

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

Catch basin cleaning companies vacuum sediment, trash, oils, and debris from private storm drains at shopping centers, industrial yards, apartment complexes, hospitals, schools, and municipalities. It is an unglamorous compliance-and-prevention business: property owners pay because flooding, blocked drains, and improper sediment disposal become expensive fast.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

61Strong

Avg revenue

$900K/yr

$250K–$2.4M range

Profit margin

28%

~$252K SDE

Multiple

2–4.2×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$504K–$1.1M

startup: $120K–$650K

How It Works

Crews use vacuum, vactor, clamshell, or jetting trucks to remove sediment from catch basins and storm drains, haul waste to approved disposal sites, document service for compliance, and schedule annual or biannual maintenance. Dense routes around commercial properties are the margin lever.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Catch Basin Cleaning Service 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.

61Strong

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 $252K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.29×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 3.0× SDE ($755K)

Category range: 2×–4.2× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($76K)

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

$755K

3.0× of $252K SDE

Cash to close

$98K

$76K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$9K/mo

$110K/yr on $680K loan

Cash-on-cash

145%

cash back in ~9 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.29×+$12K/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

+Annual or biannual recurring maintenance demand
+Compliance documentation creates switching friction
+Emergency flooding calls can be high-ticket
+Natural add-on for sewer, pumping, and parking-lot maintenance operators

Cons

-Vacuum trucks and disposal requirements raise startup cost
-Permitting and environmental compliance vary by region
-Weather can create uneven demand and emergency scheduling

Best For

Environmental-service buyers, sewer contractors, septic operators, and route businesses with heavy-equipment discipline

Operating Costs

Major costs include vactor or vacuum trucks, fuel, disposal fees, CDL or trained operators, insurance, maintenance, jetting equipment, and compliance paperwork. Profit depends on route density, disposal distance, and recurring contracts rather than one-off emergency calls.