Why a Pool Service Sold at 35x EBITDA with Route Data

In Episode 78 of The Buyer & Seller Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down how a small Florida-based pool cleaning service—three trucks, twelve routes, no website—sold for 35 times EBITDA. The buyer wasn't paying for chlorine or filters. They paid for the route density map, the renewal rate data, and the customer lifetime value spreadsheet that the owner had been quietly building for eight years. Lucas walks through the specific numbers: $1.2 million in revenue, 38% EBITDA margins, 93% annual renewal rate, and a buyer who structured the deal as 70% upfront plus a 3-year earnout tied to route retention. Luna challenges whether the multiple was a bubble or a signal of what data-driven service businesses are worth in 2026. This episode is essential listening for any main street entrepreneur who owns a van, a route, and a spreadsheet. #PoolService #RouteData #EBITDA #BusinessExit #SmallBusiness #MainStreet #RecurringRevenue #CustomerLifetimeValue #BusinessBroker #MergersAndAcquisitions #ServiceBusiness #FloridaBusiness #Valuation #Earnout #DataDriven #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #BuyerAndSeller Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo