How much does a Process Serving Company cost to buy?

A typical Process Serving Company sells for 2x to 4x annual revenue. With average revenue of $400K, expect to pay $800K to $1.6M.

How much does it cost to start a Process Serving Company?

Startup costs range from $5K to $30K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Process Serving Company

Q: What are the profit margins for a Process Serving Company?

The average profit margin for a Process Serving Company is around 35%. Extremely lean business model. Primary costs: server contractor pay ($25–$60 per serve), dispatcher wages, software (ServeManager or similar), and E&O insurance. Net margins of 30–40% are achievable at $300K+ revenue. Can be operated as a side business initially.

The legal system can't function without someone physically handing people their summons — that someone runs a business

Process serving companies deliver legal documents — summons, complaints, subpoenas, restraining orders — on behalf of attorneys, law firms, corporations, and government agencies. Every lawsuit begins with someone physically serving the defendant; this is a constitutional requirement. A well-run regional process serving firm with 10–20 field servers handles hundreds of serves per month, charging $50–$200 per serve depending on urgency and difficulty. Annual revenue for a 3-dispatcher operation with a team of servers ranges from $300K–$900K at net margins of 30–40%. The business is boring, essential, and almost entirely recession-proof — lawsuits spike in recessions.

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Avg Revenue

$400K

Profit Margin

35%

Acquisition Multiple

2x - 4x

Startup Cost

$5K - $30K

Difficulty

2/5

How It Works

Law firms and courts send service requests electronically. Dispatchers assign jobs to field servers (often independent contractors) who locate the recipient and hand them documents. Proof of service is filed with the court. Rush serves (same-day, skip-trace, or evasive defendants) carry premium fees of $150–$500+. Volume firms develop attorney client accounts billed monthly. Many firms also offer related services: court filing, document retrieval, and legal research — adding revenue without adding headcount.

Revenue Range

Low End

$150K

Typical

$400K

High End

$900K

Pros

+Almost zero startup cost — a laptop, a phone, and a process server license
+Recession-proof and counter-cyclical: litigation volume rises in economic downturns
+Sticky B2B client relationships: a law firm that trusts your speed and accuracy won't switch
+Scales via independent contractor network — no W2 headcount burden

Cons

-Low average ticket — volume business requires strong dispatcher systems and routing efficiency
-Field servers face safety risks when serving defendants in domestic/criminal matters
-Some states require process server licensing or registration; requirements vary widely
-Highly fragmented market with hundreds of small local competitors

Best For

Operationally-minded entrepreneurs comfortable with B2B service businesses; strong fit for those with legal industry connections or prior skip-tracing/investigative backgrounds

Operating Costs

Extremely lean business model. Primary costs: server contractor pay ($25–$60 per serve), dispatcher wages, software (ServeManager or similar), and E&O insurance. Net margins of 30–40% are achievable at $300K+ revenue. Can be operated as a side business initially.