Landscaping Business Valuation
Landscaping Business Valuation Calculator & Exit Planning Built for Business Owners
We built one platform that tracks your landscaping business's value monthly, identifies exit gaps early, and ensures your personal finances align with your exit timeline.
1,000+ Businesses have joined YourExitValue.com
Most Landscaping Owners Have No Idea What Their Business is Actually Worth
Current Landscaping Valuation Multiples (2026)
Landscaping values are strong due to increased buyer demand from landscape consolidators like BrightView. Here's what companies sell for:
Every business is different. That's why you need to track your value.
Included in Your Exit Value is a complete Exit Planning Assessment where you track your progress quarterly against your results from the previous quarter.
Know your number and watch it grow
Most business owners guess at their value. You'll know it with precision.
Our platform uses six proven valuation methodologies to give you a complete picture of what your business is worth today—and tracks how that number changes month over month. No more waiting for annual appraisals or paying $15K+ for outdated reports.
See your trends. Spot opportunities. Make informed decisions
What Actually Drives Landscaping Business Value
Revenue and earnings are the two most influential factors in your landscaping business's valuation. But not all companies are valued equally. Here are the factors that move your number up—or down:
Maintenance Contracts
60%+ Recurring
Monthly maintenance contracts are gold. 60%+ recurring from HOAs and commercial gets top multiples. Buyers will pay 3-4x for recurring revenue vs. one-time projects because it's predictable, forecastable, and renews automatically.
Project-only = bottom multiples
Crew Retention
Core Crew 3Yr+
Crew foremen with 3+ years show stability buyers pay for. The landscaping industry has brutal turnover—a company with retained foremen has solved the hardest problem, and those relationships often stay post-acquisition.
Annual turnover = training costs
Owner Field Time
Zero Field Work
Owners running mowers are selling a job. Need foremen handling all fieldwork. Buyers want owners who manage the business, not do the work—if you're on a mower, the business can't run without you.
Working owners can't scale
Commercial Accounts
50%+ Commercial
HOA and commercial contracts are larger, predictable, often multi-year. Commercial accounts typically sign 1-3 year contracts, creating locked-in revenue that makes the business more valuable and easier to finance.
Residential-heavy = constant acquisition
Service Diversity
Full-Service Menu
Irrigation, hardscaping, tree care command higher multiples—more upsell. Full-service companies capture more wallet share per customer and have higher revenue per account than mow-and-go operations.
Mowing-only = commodity
Equipment Condition
Fleet <5 Yrs
Well-maintained trucks and commercial mowers signal professional operations. Buyers inspect equipment carefully—a modern, well-maintained fleet means lower near-term capital requirements and professional management.
Worn equipment = hidden capital
How to Value a Landscaping Business
The U.S. landscaping services industry encompasses over 600,000 businesses generating more than $130 billion in annual revenue. From lawn care operators to full-service design-build firms, understanding how to value a landscaping business starts with three established valuation approaches.
Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is the standard method for valuing landscaping companies. SDE adjusts net income by adding back owner salary, perks, depreciation, and one-time costs. Landscaping businesses typically sell for 1.5x to 3.5x SDE, with higher multiples going to companies that have strong recurring maintenance contracts, a reliable crew, and operations that function without the owner performing daily fieldwork.
A common rule of thumb values landscaping businesses between 0.25x and 0.50x annual revenue. However, this varies significantly based on the revenue mix — a company generating 70% of revenue from recurring weekly maintenance contracts is worth substantially more than one that relies on one-time landscape installations or seasonal cleanup work.
The single biggest value driver unique to landscaping is contract-based recurring revenue. Buyers pay premiums for predictable monthly income from maintenance agreements because it reduces risk and provides steady cash flow from day one. A company with 200 weekly maintenance accounts locked into annual contracts represents a fundamentally different asset than a company chasing one-off projects. Equipment condition and fleet age also matter — a well-maintained fleet reduces the buyer's immediate capital expenditure needs.
The landscaping industry has grown steadily as commercial property management companies outsource grounds maintenance and residential homeowners increasingly hire professionals. Labor remains the biggest challenge, and companies that have solved the labor puzzle through H-2B visa programs, competitive pay structures, or efficient routing command premium valuations. Use our free calculator above to get your instant estimate, then track your value monthly with YourExitValue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What multiple do landscaping businesses sell for?
Most landscaping businesses sell for 2.0x – 3.0x SDE or 0.4x – 0.7x annual revenue. However, the range is wide. Companies with strong maintenance contracts can command significantly higher multiples. YourExitValue tracks exactly where you fall on each value driver.
How does maintenance contracts affect my company's value?
Maintenance Contracts is one of the biggest value drivers for landscaping businesses. Landscape consolidators like brightview specifically look for companies with strong performance here. Improving this metric can significantly increase your multiple.
How long before selling should I start tracking my landscaping business value?
Ideally 1 to 5 years before your target exit. This gives you time to improve your maintenance contracts, reduce owner dependence, strengthen your team, and document growth trends buyers pay premium prices for.
Who buys landscaping businesses?
Common buyers include landscape consolidators like BrightView, as well as individual buyers looking to own a business and strategic acquirers. Each buyer type values different aspects. YourExitValue helps you understand what each looks for.
What valuation method is used for landscaping businesses?
Most landscaping businesses are valued using SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) multiples for smaller companies under $1M in earnings, and EBITDA multiples for larger companies. Revenue multiples (0.4x – 0.7x) are sometimes used as quick reference.
What's the fastest way to increase my landscaping business value?
The fastest improvements typically come from: 1) Improving your maintenance contracts to hit the target, 2) Reducing owner dependence, 3) Documenting your systems and processes, and 4) Cleaning up financials. Most owners add 20-40% in 12-24 months.