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POOL SERVICE · Q1 2026 · 2.5×–4.5× SDE band held quarter-over-quarter (n=71, BizBuySell trailing-12-month closed deals)POOL SERVICE · Chemical costs at trough-period rate in 55% of deals · 8–15 point margin compression at run-ratePOOL SERVICE · Route density above 20 stops/day within 10-mile radius is top-of-band signal · Below 14 = structural problemPOOL SERVICE · Sun Belt vs seasonal-market mis-benchmark in 31% of deals · Different attrition and margin frameworksPOOL SERVICE · Sole-operator owner-technician in 49% of deals · #1 Transferability risk + post-close attrition driverPOOL SERVICE · Industry size $13B (IBISWorld 2024) · ~5.2% CAGR 2020–2025 · Sun Belt-dominatedPOOL SERVICE · Trichlor (chlorine tablet) prices showed 30–60% volatility post-2020 BioLab Westlake firePOOL SERVICE · Pool Corp / Pinch A Penny franchise + Authority Brands Pool Scouts lead consolidationPOOL SERVICE · DOE variable-speed pool pump rule (effective July 2021) · Forward equipment-replacement demandPOOL SERVICE · Florida ~1.3M residential pools · Year-round routes · Highest-density US marketJAPAN · Limited residential-pool density · Commercial pool maintenance only · Building-Maintenance-Act mediatedMETHODOLOGY · Acquidex v1.0 · Sample window 2025-05 → 2026-04 · Trailing 12 months · n=71 SMB transactionsPOOL SERVICE · Q1 2026 · 2.5×–4.5× SDE band held quarter-over-quarter (n=71, BizBuySell trailing-12-month closed deals)POOL SERVICE · Chemical costs at trough-period rate in 55% of deals · 8–15 point margin compression at run-ratePOOL SERVICE · Route density above 20 stops/day within 10-mile radius is top-of-band signal · Below 14 = structural problemPOOL SERVICE · Sun Belt vs seasonal-market mis-benchmark in 31% of deals · Different attrition and margin frameworksPOOL SERVICE · Sole-operator owner-technician in 49% of deals · #1 Transferability risk + post-close attrition driverPOOL SERVICE · Industry size $13B (IBISWorld 2024) · ~5.2% CAGR 2020–2025 · Sun Belt-dominatedPOOL SERVICE · Trichlor (chlorine tablet) prices showed 30–60% volatility post-2020 BioLab Westlake firePOOL SERVICE · Pool Corp / Pinch A Penny franchise + Authority Brands Pool Scouts lead consolidationPOOL SERVICE · DOE variable-speed pool pump rule (effective July 2021) · Forward equipment-replacement demandPOOL SERVICE · Florida ~1.3M residential pools · Year-round routes · Highest-density US marketJAPAN · Limited residential-pool density · Commercial pool maintenance only · Building-Maintenance-Act mediatedMETHODOLOGY · Acquidex v1.0 · Sample window 2025-05 → 2026-04 · Trailing 12 months · n=71 SMB transactions
Scored Listing·Pool Service·Updated 2026-05-02
Mid-bandComposite

Pool service route, 88 accounts, geographically dispersed, repair revenue elevated

§ 01 · Observed

What was documented in diligence.

Route map: 88 accounts spread across 4 counties with average 24-minute drive between stops — 5.8 effective stops per day vs. 8–10 in a dense route. Equipment repair revenue $96,000 (31% of total) in trailing period — elevated due to a deferred-maintenance catch-up cycle; prior year was $41,000. Chemical cost per trailing period: $31/account/month; current supplier quote $36.50/account/month — 18% above trailing actuals. Monthly attrition 3.1%, within benchmark range but elevated. Owner services 18 accounts personally; replacement normalization $28,000.

§ 02 · Outcome

What happened.

Initial ask 3.8× blended SDE. After chemical cost restatement to current pricing, repair revenue normalization to run-rate, and owner-route replacement, repriced to 3.1× adjusted SDE. Closed at 3.1×.

§ 03 · Structural Pattern

How this deal fits the four-pillar framework.

Mid-band placement reflects route dispersion compressing per-stop economics, repair revenue above run-rate, and chemical cost at trough rather than current pricing. The three adjustments combined reduced SDE by 22% — consistent with the dispersion-and-repair-normalization pattern seen in mid-band pool service deals.

This is an anonymized composite drawn from observable structural patterns in the sample window. It is not a specific deal. The structural pattern, band placement, and outcome reflect commonly observed combinations; a future consented case study will replace this entry.

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Methodology · Acquidex v1.0, §3.4 (Earnings Quality), §3.3 (Transferability), §5.1 (Add-Back Stripping per SBA SOP 50 10 8). Methodology paper forthcoming Q3 2026.

Sources · BizBuySell closed-deal data, IBBA Market Pulse Q3–4 2025 and Q1 2026, Pratt's Stats SMB transaction database, Acquidex direct deal observations.

Author · Avery Hastings, CPA. Tokyo-based; SMB and lower-middle-market acquisitions in the US and Japan.

Pool service route, 88 accounts, geographically dispersed, repair revenue elevated — Pool Service Deal Teardown | Acquidex | Acquidex