How much does a Commercial Pond & Fountain Maintenance cost to buy?

A typical Commercial Pond & Fountain Maintenance sells for 1.8x to 4.6x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $145K, expect to pay roughly $261K to $667K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Commercial Pond & Fountain Maintenance?

Startup costs range from $35K to $220K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Commercial Pond & Fountain Maintenance

Decorative water features look peaceful until algae, pumps, and leaks show up

Bottom line

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

Commercial pond and fountain maintenance businesses clean, treat, inspect, repair, and winterize water features for HOAs, office parks, hotels, shopping centers, campuses, golf courses, municipalities, and apartment communities. The revenue is boringly practical: property managers need clear water, working pumps, and fewer resident complaints.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

62Strong

Avg revenue

$500K/yr

$140K–$1.6M range

Profit margin

29%

~$145K SDE

Multiple

1.8–4.6×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$261K–$667K

startup: $35K–$220K

How It Works

Crews visit on recurring schedules to remove debris, treat algae, inspect pumps, clean filters, test water, repair liners and plumbing, service aerators, winterize systems, and respond to leaks or cloudy water. Revenue comes from monthly maintenance contracts, seasonal cleanouts, pump replacements, lighting upgrades, aquatic plant work, and emergency calls.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Commercial Pond & Fountain Maintenance 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.

62Strong

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 $145K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.37×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 2.9× SDE ($420K)

Category range: 1.8×–4.6× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($42K)

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

$420K

2.9× of $145K SDE

Cash to close

$55K

$42K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$5K/mo

$61K/yr on $378K loan

Cash-on-cash

153%

cash back in ~8 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.37×+$7K/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

+Recurring property-manager contracts create predictable routes
+Pump and equipment replacements add profitable project work
+Visible results make retention easy when water clears up
+Pairs well with landscaping, irrigation, and aquatic weed control

Cons

-Seasonality in cold climates
-Leaks and electrical issues can become messy troubleshooting jobs
-Water quality problems may require repeated visits before improvement is visible

Best For

Operators with landscaping, irrigation, aquatics, pool service, or property-maintenance experience

Operating Costs

Costs include service trucks, pumps, hoses, nets, water-treatment chemicals, test kits, PPE, small tools, disposal, insurance, and technician labor. Route density and recurring contracts drive profitability.