How much does a Dog Daycare & Boarding cost to buy?

A typical Dog Daycare & Boarding sells for 3x to 5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $150K, expect to pay roughly $450K to $750K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Dog Daycare & Boarding?

Startup costs range from $80K to $300K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Dog Daycare & Boarding

Q: What are the profit margins for a Dog Daycare & Boarding?

The average profit margin for a Dog Daycare & Boarding is around 30%. Staff wages represent 40–50% of revenue. Major costs: rent/mortgage, liability insurance, supplies, utilities, and veterinary relationships for health protocols.

Americans spend more on their dogs than their kids' extracurriculars

Bottom line

Operator-friendly model; diligence should focus on acquisition price.

Dog daycare and boarding facilities provide supervised daytime care and overnight stays for pets while owners are at work or traveling. The U.S. pet care industry surpassed $150B in 2024, with boarding and daycare as one of the fastest-growing segments. BizBuySell data shows median revenue of $569K and a 34.2% profit margin in 2025 — and these businesses sell for 3–4x earnings due to recession-resistant demand and strong repeat clientele.

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Acquisition score

Strong

Avg Revenue

$500K

Profit Margin

30%

Acquisition Multiple

3x - 5x

Startup Cost

$80K - $300K

How It Works

Dogs are dropped off by owners for daytime supervision or overnight stays. Facilities charge $30–$60/day for daycare and $45–$85/night for boarding. Revenue is amplified through add-ons: grooming, training, one-on-one playtime, and retail. Memberships and packages create recurring revenue and smooth cash flow.

Revenue Range

Low End

$200K

Typical

$500K

High End

$1.2M

BizBite underwriting snapshot

Watch / verify

Dog Daycare & Boarding 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.

Speculative / 100

Data confidence

medium

52/100

Financing fit

medium

Category-level fit before lender-specific diligence.

Confidence cap

Weak source data caps the final score.

Why it may work

+Attractive 30% estimated margin profile
+SBA dataset shows 134 recent comparable loans

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No category operating model yet
!No category model yet

Real Acquisitions in This Category

SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 812910 · Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services

Deals tracked

302

134 in last 24 mo

Median loan

$531K

$250K–$1.0M p25/p75

Implied deal size

$625K

median · ~85% LTV

Charge-off rate

—

not enough resolved loans

Deal Size Distribution

<$150K

$150K–500K

104

$500K–1M

$1M–2M

>$2M

Deal Flow Over Time

12-month momentum

-2.9%

deal volume vs prior 12 mo

Median loan Δ

+58.0%

66 recent · 68 prior

Financing Profile

Median rate

8.75%

14% fixed · last 24 mo

Median term

120 mo

standard 10-yr

Collateralized

of loans secured

Median jobs

supported per deal

Top lenders in this space

Live Oak Banking Company45

First Financial Bank43

The Huntington National Bank31

BayFirst National Bank5

Peoples Bank5

Where deals happen

CA25

TX24

FL18

MN17

NC16

OH14

WI14

GA13

IL12

NY12

Franchise vs independent

Franchised acquisitions finance at $675K median vs $496K for independents — a +36% franchise premium. Franchises make up 15% of deals tracked.

Recent Comparable Deals

Closed	State	Loan	Implied deal	Jobs	Franchise
Mar 2026	NE	$2.5M	$3.0M	7	—
Mar 2026	WI	$290K	$342K	2	—
Mar 2026	NY	$3.4M	$4.0M	1	Dappertails
Mar 2026	MN	$380K	$447K	21	—
Mar 2026	CA	$50K	$59K	36	Aussie Pet Mobile
Mar 2026	CA	$2.9M	$3.4M	36	Aussie Pet Mobile
Mar 2026	CA	$357K	$419K	4	—
Mar 2026	MO	$175K	$206K	2	—
Mar 2026	CA	$50K	$59K	4	—
Mar 2026	WI	$982K	$1.2M	11	—

Volume rank #23/544Deal-size rank #367/544Momentum rank #196p90 loan: $1.8MData as of Mar 2026

Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.

Pros

+Recession-resistant — pet spending holds even in downturns
+Strong repeat business: loyal customers come weekly
+Multiple revenue streams: boarding, daycare, grooming, retail
+Low-tech operations with high margins once at scale

Cons

-Zoning and kennel licensing can be restrictive
-Requires staff who are reliable and animal-experienced
-Liability risk from dog bites or illness incidents

Best For

Animal lovers who want a semi-passive business with community ties

Operating Costs

Staff wages represent 40–50% of revenue. Major costs: rent/mortgage, liability insurance, supplies, utilities, and veterinary relationships for health protocols.

SBA Financing Estimator

Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service

$-816/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $1.3M

Range: $1.3M (3×) to $3.0M (5×+)

Down payment — 15% ($188K)

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

Interest rate — 8.75%

SBA median for this category: 8.8%

Loan term — 10 years (120 mo)

SBA median for this category: 120 months

Down payment

$188K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$1.1M

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$13K/mo

$535K total interest

Monthly profit

$12K/mo

at 30% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

$-816/mo

Margin does not cover debt service at these terms. Lower the deal price, increase the down payment, or extend the loan term.

Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.