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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
Upper bandComposite

Sun Belt pool service route, 142 weekly accounts, 9.2 stops/day, no seasonal exposure

§ 01 · Observed

What was documented in diligence.

Route map confirmed 142 accounts within a 12-mile radius — 9.2 stops per technician per day. Monthly attrition data for 24 months: average 1.4%, below the 2% threshold for top-of-band scoring. Chemical cost verified at current supplier pricing (not trailing trough): $38/account/month COGS, consistent with benchmark range. Year-round climate — zero seasonal revenue exposure. Equipment repair revenue $42,000 (8% of total) separated from recurring maintenance base. Service agreements: 100% of accounts on written month-to-month agreements. Owner performs 8 stops/week; replacement normalization $19,000.

§ 02 · Outcome

What happened.

Signed at 4.1× SDE. Lender DSCR 1.31×. Closed without repricing.

§ 03 · Structural Pattern

How this deal fits the four-pillar framework.

Upper-band placement driven by route density above 100 weekly accounts within 10 miles, attrition below the 2% benchmark, and year-round revenue without seasonal compression. Dense routes with low attrition and written agreements are the structural conditions that support 3.8×–4.5× placement.

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.

Sun Belt pool service route, 142 weekly accounts, 9.2 stops/day, no seasonal exposure — Pool Service Deal Teardown | Acquidex | Acquidex