How much does a Vacuum Truck Service cost to buy?

A typical Vacuum Truck Service sells for 2.5x to 5.8x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $294K, expect to pay roughly $735K to $1.7M before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Vacuum Truck Service?

Startup costs range from $180K to $900K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Vacuum Truck Service

Big hoses, ugly jobs, invoices customers gladly pay

Bottom line

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

Vacuum truck companies remove liquids, sludge, grit, mud, grease, stormwater debris, and industrial waste from job sites, plants, car washes, catch basins, tanks, and municipal systems. The business is capital intensive, but the work is hard to DIY and customers often need scheduled compliance cleanouts plus emergency response.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

49Fair

Avg revenue

$1.4M/yr

$350K–$8M range

Profit margin

21%

~$294K SDE

Multiple

2.5–5.8×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$735K–$1.7M

startup: $180K–$900K

How It Works

Operators dispatch vacuum trucks to clean basins, pits, tanks, interceptors, trenches, and spills, then transport material to approved disposal sites. Revenue comes from hourly truck rates, disposal markup, recurring municipal or facility routes, emergency premiums, and environmental documentation.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Vacuum Truck 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.

49Fair

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 $294K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

1.81×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 3.8× SDE ($1.1M)

Category range: 2.5×–5.8× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($112K)

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

$1.1M

3.8× of $294K SDE

Cash to close

$145K

$112K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$14K/mo

$162K/yr on $1.0M loan

Cash-on-cash

91%

cash back in ~14 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

1.81×+$11K/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

+Specialized trucks create a real barrier to entry
+Recurring cleanouts from municipalities and industrial sites
+Emergency and dirty-work pricing can be strong
+Pairs well with septic, sewer, grease, and environmental services

Cons

-Truck purchases and repairs are expensive
-Disposal compliance and manifests matter
-Driver hiring, CDL requirements, and safety training are constant constraints

Best For

Operators with fleet discipline, environmental-service experience, or an existing route base to feed utilization

Operating Costs

Costs include truck debt, CDL drivers, fuel, pumps and hose maintenance, disposal fees, insurance, permits, PPE, and downtime reserves. Utilization and disposal pricing determine whether the truck is a cash machine or a parked liability.