Sell Your Pool Service Business

Why pool services

Recurring routes are real moats

Pool service businesses share the economic DNA we look for: route density, sticky customer relationships, and predictable seasonal cash flow.

01

Route density compounds

Each new account in an existing service territory increases technician productivity without adding fixed cost. The best pool businesses don't just have customers — they have geography.

02

Sticky by inertia

Pool owners rarely switch service companies. Switching means draining and rebalancing chemistry, finding someone reliable, dealing with key handoffs. The default behavior is to stay — which is exactly what a long-term owner wants.

03

Multiple revenue layers

Recurring service contracts anchor the business; equipment installs, repairs, restorations, and openings/closings layer on top. The mix is what makes a pool company genuinely profitable.

Acquisition criteria

What a Stockton fit looks like

Most successful pool businesses we acquire share these traits. Few have all six on day one — that's why we have a conversation.

$500K–$4M annual revenue

Established route base. Not a side hustle, not a private-equity-sized platform.

Recurring service base

A meaningful portion of revenue from regular weekly or biweekly service contracts, not just one-off installs.

A field supervisor or manager

Someone who already runs daily operations — dispatch, training, route adjustments — without you in the loop.

Geographic density

Routes that cluster, not customers spread thin across two counties. Density is margin.

Multi-year profitability

Three years of clean financials with healthy SDE margins (typically 15–25% in this category).

A reason you're ready to sell

Retirement, succession, partnership exit, or just done with the seasonality grind. We respect that this is personal.

How a sale works

Three steps. Sixty to ninety days.

A short, respectful process — not a months-long auction.

1

Initial conversation

30 minutes, fully confidential, no NDA required. We learn about your routes, your team, and what you want out of a sale.

2

Diligence + offer

Three years of financials, route review, customer retention data, equipment list. We know which questions matter and which don't.

3

Close + transition

Cash at close, no convoluted earnouts. Transition support timed around opening or closing season — whichever works for you.

Questions

Selling a pool service business: FAQ

What multiple do pool service businesses sell for?

Profitable pool service businesses in the $500K–$4M range typically sell for 2.5–4× SDE. Pure recurring service routes with high retention land at the higher end; businesses skewed toward one-time installs or restoration land lower. Geographic density and supervisor depth are the biggest swing factors.

Do you buy pool businesses with seasonal revenue?

Yes. Seasonality is normal in this category. We look at trailing twelve-month revenue and full-year SDE — not a single peak month. We also discuss working-capital structure so the off-season doesn't create cash-flow stress for the next owner.

What about my technicians and route drivers?

They stay. The team that knows the customers and their pools is what makes the business valuable. We protect existing pay structures and typically introduce better tools (route optimization, mobile inspection apps, digital invoicing) to make their jobs easier.

Do you handle restoration / build-out work, or only routine service?

Both, when they share customers and infrastructure. Pool restoration and equipment install businesses are great companions to a service base — same crews, same trucks, higher ticket sizes. We'll evaluate the full revenue mix.

Will you keep the company name?

Yes. Brand equity in pool services is real — your customers know you by your company name. We keep the brand, the trucks, the uniforms, and the local identity. Stockton Ventures is the holding company, not the customer-facing label.

I'm not ready to sell yet — is it worth talking now?

Yes. Many pool business owners we work with start the conversation 12–24 months before they sell. Knowing what your business is worth — and what would push the multiple up — is worth a 30-minute call regardless of when you intend to transact.

Other verticals we buy

Adjacent service businesses we acquire

Ready to talk about your pool business?

Whether you're ready to sell now or 18 months out, the first conversation is the same: confidential, 30 minutes, no obligation.

Book a confidential call

leo@stocktonvc.com · LinkedIn

Selling your pool service business? We buy them.