Sale price by true earnings
Likely sale price of a landscaping business at 1.8 to 2.8 times SDE.| Owner's true earnings (SDE) | Likely sale price |
|---|
| $50,000 | $90,000 to $140,000 |
| $75,000 | $135,000 to $210,000 |
| $100,000 | $180,000 to $280,000 |
| $150,000 | $270,000 to $420,000 |
| $200,000 | $360,000 to $560,000 |
Source: BizBuySell valuation multiples by industry. SDE is profit plus the owner's pay plus personal and one-time expenses the business pays for.
What moves a landscaping business up or down the range
- Maintenance contracts versus one-off installs. Weekly mowing and seasonal contracts on paper are recurring revenue a buyer can bank on; design-build jobs are not.
- Equipment, owned and maintained. Trucks, mowers and trailers are part of the price. A dated list with condition and whether each item is owned or financed matters to the lender.
- Crews and a foreman who stay. If you run every crew, the buyer is buying your job. A foreman who can quote and schedule moves you up.
- Seasonality. Snow removal or winter services that keep revenue flowing year round raise the multiple.
- Commercial accounts and HOAs spread across many customers, not one big property manager.
On revenue alone
Landscaping business sale price at 0.45 to 0.85 times annual revenue (a rougher check than SDE).| Annual revenue | Likely sale price |
|---|
| $200,000 | $90,000 to $170,000 |
| $400,000 | $180,000 to $340,000 |
| $750,000 | $338,000 to $638,000 |
| $1,200,000 | $540,000 to $1,020,000 |
Revenue multiples are a sanity check only. Equipment-heavy businesses can show the same sales with very different earnings.
How to value your landscaping business
- Total your true earnings. Profit from the tax return, plus your salary, plus personal expenses the business pays (truck, phone, fuel, insurance), plus one-time costs such as a big equipment purchase. That is SDE.
- Apply the multiple. Multiply SDE by 1.8 and 2.8. Contracts, a foreman and year-round revenue place you in the range.
- Price the equipment honestly. List every truck, mower and trailer with its year and condition. Buyers pay for working equipment included in the deal; they discount for loans that come with it.
- Prove it. Three years of tax returns, a contract list by customer with annual value, an equipment list, and the crew roster. SBA lenders price from the returns.
Sources
- BizBuySell, Business Valuation Multiples by IndustryBusinesses sold Q3 2021 through Q2 2026, updated biannually · Aggregated closed sales reported to BizBuySell over a trailing five-year periodFigures are averages of closed sales reported to one marketplace, US only. A marketplace sees the deals listed on it, not every sale in the country.
- US Small Business Administration, SOP 50 10: Lender and Development Company Loan ProgramsVersion 8 effective June 1, 2025; version 8.1 effective October 1, 2026For a 7(a) loan that funds a complete change of ownership, the buyer must inject at least 10% of total project cost. A seller note can count toward up to half of that only if it is on full standby (no payments) for the life of the SBA loan. SBA revises this SOP; confirm the current rule with the lender.
YourBizWorth is not a broker, appraiser, or law firm. This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Questions people ask
Is the equipment included in the sale price?
Usually yes, and the multiple already assumes the working equipment comes with the business. If you want to keep a truck, say so in the listing; the price adjusts.
Is a lawn care business worth the same as a landscaping business?
The multiples overlap. A mowing route with recurring customers is steady and simple, which buyers like; a design-build landscaper has bigger jobs but less predictable revenue. Recurring revenue is what pulls either one up the range.
Should I sell to a competitor?
Competitors are often the fastest buyers because they can fold your routes into their crews. They also tend to pay less for equipment and goodwill, so get a second buyer at the table if you can. A blind listing keeps your customers from hearing about it before a deal is real.
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