How much does a Dry Ice Blasting Service cost to buy?

A typical Dry Ice Blasting Service sells for 1.5x to 3.5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $70K, expect to pay roughly $105K to $245K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Dry Ice Blasting Service?

Startup costs range from $20K to $60K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Dry Ice Blasting Service

Q: What are the profit margins for a Dry Ice Blasting Service?

The average profit margin for a Dry Ice Blasting Service is around 35%. Reddit and operator interviews show net ~$100/hour after pellet costs ($2/kg, 50-100kg/hour consumption) and machine overhead. At $250/hour billed for 800 hours/year, an owner-operator approaches $200K revenue with 35% net margin. Main costs are pellet supply, fuel, machine maintenance, and liability insurance.

Blasts away grease, mold, and industrial buildup — and leaves zero waste behind

Bottom line

Accessible entry point; validate local supply before buying.

Dry ice blasting uses pellets of solid CO2 propelled at high velocity to clean machinery, electrical panels, food processing equipment, historic surfaces, and fire-damaged structures. The pellets sublimate on impact — turning directly from solid to gas — leaving no secondary waste, no moisture, and no residue to clean up after. This makes it the only approved cleaning method in environments where chemical or water-based cleaning would cause damage or require complete disassembly. Operators charge premium rates because no substitute exists for the applications that demand it.

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Acquisition score

Strong

Avg Revenue

$200K

Profit Margin

35%

Acquisition Multiple

1.5x - 3.5x

Startup Cost

$20K - $60K

How It Works

The operator purchases a dry ice blasting machine ($15K-$40K) and sources CO2 pellets from a local gas supplier at roughly $2/kg. Jobs are priced at $200-$400+ per hour depending on application. Common clients include food manufacturers (FDA-mandated cleaning without disassembly), auto body shops (paint stripping), restoration contractors (fire damage cleanup), and utilities (electrical panel cleaning without shutdown). A single operator can run $150K-$250K in annual revenue working regional accounts.

Revenue Range

Low End

$80K

Typical

$200K

High End

$450K

BizBite underwriting snapshot

Watch / verify

Dry Ice Blasting 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.

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 35% estimated margin profile
+SBA dataset shows 67 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 561790 · Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings

Deals tracked

182

67 in last 24 mo

Median loan

$448K

$245K–$978K p25/p75

Implied deal size

$527K

median · ~85% LTV

Charge-off rate

—

not enough resolved loans

Deal Size Distribution

<$150K

$150K–500K

$500K–1M

$1M–2M

>$2M

Deal Flow Over Time

12-month momentum

-13.9%

deal volume vs prior 12 mo

Median loan Δ

-51.7%

31 recent · 36 prior

Financing Profile

Median rate

9.75%

9% 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 Company23

The Huntington National Bank13

Customers Bank7

Stearns Bank National Association6

Columbia Bank5

Where deals happen

FL23

TX21

CA17

AZ11

OH9

CO8

WA6

IL6

KS5

MA5

Franchise vs independent

Franchised acquisitions finance at $350K median vs $471K for independents — a -26% franchise discount. Franchises make up 20% of deals tracked.

Recent Comparable Deals

Closed	State	Loan	Implied deal	Jobs	Franchise
Mar 2026	TX	$350K	$412K	4	Dryer Vent Wizard
Mar 2026	NJ	$1.2M	$1.4M	7	—
Feb 2026	LA	$402K	$473K	5	—
Feb 2026	FL	$55K	$65K	1	—
Feb 2026	FL	$615K	$723K	8	—
Feb 2026	FL	$50K	$59K	2	—
Jan 2026	TX	$270K	$318K	2	Koala Insulation
Jan 2026	KS	$171K	$201K	6	—
Jan 2026	FL	$650K	$765K	2	—
Jan 2026	KS	$211K	$248K	3	—

Volume rank #44/544Deal-size rank #438/544Momentum rank #222p90 loan: $1.6MData 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

+No secondary waste — pellets sublimate, leaving only the removed contamination
+Premium pricing with virtually no substitutes in regulated food and electrical environments
+FDA and USDA approved for in-place food processing equipment cleaning
+Low labor overhead — one operator per machine is standard

Cons

-Dry ice pellet supply requires a nearby gas supplier — rural markets are harder
-Equipment is specialized and sourcing parts requires a vendor relationship
-Loud — hearing protection required and residential jobs face noise complaints

Best For

Operators in industrial or manufacturing corridors who want high-ticket service work with defensible pricing

Operating Costs

Reddit and operator interviews show net ~$100/hour after pellet costs ($2/kg, 50-100kg/hour consumption) and machine overhead. At $250/hour billed for 800 hours/year, an owner-operator approaches $200K revenue with 35% net margin. Main costs are pellet supply, fuel, machine maintenance, and liability insurance.

SBA Financing Estimator

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

$-58/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $530K

Range: $200K (1.5×) to $900K (3.5×+)

Down payment — 15% ($80K)

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

Interest rate — 9.75%

SBA median for this category: 9.8%

Loan term — 10 years (120 mo)

SBA median for this category: 120 months

Down payment

$80K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$451K

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$6K/mo

$256K total interest

Monthly profit

$6K/mo

at 35% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

$-58/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.