How much does a Irrigation Maintenance cost to buy?

A typical Irrigation Maintenance sells for 2x to 3.2x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $70K, expect to pay roughly $140K to $225K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Irrigation Maintenance?

Startup costs range from $15K to $80K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Irrigation Maintenance

Q: What are the profit margins for a Irrigation Maintenance?

The average profit margin for a Irrigation Maintenance is around 27%. Primary costs include technicians, service vans, fittings and controllers, pipe and valve inventory, fuel, insurance, and occasional excavation or leak-detection tools. Margins improve when contracts cluster by neighborhood or property-management group.

Recurring sprinkler work hidden inside every office park and HOA

Bottom line

Accessible entry point; validate local supply before buying.

Irrigation maintenance companies repair sprinkler heads, valves, controllers, backflow components, and drip systems for HOAs, office parks, retail centers, sports fields, and higher-end residential communities. The surprising angle is how recurring the revenue becomes once you own the property manager relationship: seasonal turn-ons, shutdowns, leak fixes, and controller issues show up every year like clockwork.

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Acquisition score

Strong

Avg Revenue

$260K

Profit Margin

27%

Acquisition Multiple

2x - 3.2x

Startup Cost

$15K - $80K

How It Works

Techs inspect systems, replace broken heads and valves, troubleshoot controllers, adjust watering zones, and winterize or start up systems seasonally. Revenue comes from service agreements, emergency leak repair, controller upgrades, drip conversions, and cross-sold landscape maintenance.

Revenue Range

Low End

$90K

Typical

$260K

High End

$650K

Real Acquisitions in This Category

SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 561730 · Landscaping Services

Deals tracked

577

212 in last 24 mo

Median loan

$531K

$236K–$1.2M p25/p75

Implied deal size

$625K

median · ~85% LTV

Charge-off rate

—

not enough resolved loans

Deal Size Distribution

<$150K

$150K–500K

176

$500K–1M

127

$1M–2M

116

>$2M

Deal Flow Over Time

12-month momentum

-39.4%

deal volume vs prior 12 mo

Median loan Δ

+61.0%

80 recent · 132 prior

Financing Profile

Median rate

9.75%

15% 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

The Huntington National Bank64

Live Oak Banking Company23

First Internet Bank of Indiana13

BayFirst National Bank12

Beacon Bank and Trust12

Where deals happen

FL83

PA30

TX30

MI27

CO26

MN26

CA24

UT21

OH19

AZ18

Recent Comparable Deals

Closed	State	Loan	Implied deal	Jobs	Franchise
Mar 2026	NY	$135K	$159K	2	—
Mar 2026	NJ	$150K	$177K	6	Monster Tree Service
Mar 2026	NJ	$1.4M	$1.6M	6	Monster Tree Service
Mar 2026	CA	$333K	$392K	4	—
Mar 2026	MN	$83K	$97K	1	—
Mar 2026	IL	$1.2M	$1.4M	6	—
Mar 2026	MA	$100K	$118K	10	—
Mar 2026	FL	$1.2M	$1.4M	16	—
Feb 2026	SC	$480K	$565K	11	—
Feb 2026	IN	$990K	$1.2M	11	—

Volume rank #10/544Deal-size rank #366/544Momentum rank #298p90 loan: $2.0MData 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

+High repeat revenue from seasonal service cycles
+Property managers prefer one reliable vendor across many sites
+Low startup cost compared with heavier trades
+Good adjacency to landscaping and drainage services

Cons

-Seasonality is real in colder climates
-Weather and drought restrictions can affect project work
-Harder to scale if the owner remains the main troubleshooter

Best For

Route-minded service operators who want recurring outdoor maintenance revenue without huge equipment needs

Operating Costs

Primary costs include technicians, service vans, fittings and controllers, pipe and valve inventory, fuel, insurance, and occasional excavation or leak-detection tools. Margins improve when contracts cluster by neighborhood or property-management group.

SBA Financing Estimator

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

$-1153/mo

after debt service

Deal price — $630K

Range: $390K (2×) to $1.1M (3.2×+)

Down payment — 15% ($95K)

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

$95K

15% equity injection

Loan amount

$536K

85% SBA-financed

Monthly payment

$7K/mo

$305K total interest

Monthly profit

$6K/mo

at 27% margin

Monthly cash flow after debt service

$-1153/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.