How much is a landscaping business worth to sell?

Landscaping spans seasonal mow-and-blow operations and year-round commercial maintenance firms, and valuations reflect that. Smaller owner-operated companies are usually valued on SDE (profit plus the owner's pay and discretionary expenses) at about 1.5x-3.5x, while larger, professionally managed firms are valued on EBITDA at roughly 3.0x-5.5x.

Recurring revenue is the dominant lever. A book of ongoing maintenance contracts, especially commercial accounts on annual agreements, is worth far more than one-time design/install or snow-only work. Route density, a diversified customer base, crews and foremen who stay after the sale, well-maintained equipment, and management that runs operations without the owner all push you to the top. Heavy seasonality, project-only revenue, and owner-dependent sales pull the multiple down.

Buyer type sets the ceiling: an individual buyer typically pays 2x-3x SDE with SBA financing, while consolidators and PE-backed platforms pay EBITDA multiples and often 60%-80% cash at close with the rest as equity rollover or a seller note. DealSeam is not a traditional business broker; where there's a fit, it introduces owners to qualified buyers, and because the buyer pays the success fee, sellers pay nothing.