Scored pool service listings.
Anonymized observations from real pool service business acquisitions evaluated against the four-pillar framework. Each entry reports what was observed and what happened. Neutral evaluation; no recommendations.
3 scored listings
Q1 2026
01 · Upper band
Sun Belt pool service route, 142 weekly accounts, 9.2 stops/day, no seasonal exposure
Observed: Year-round Sun Belt operation with 142 weekly maintenance accounts within a 12-mile radius. Monthly attrition 1.4%. Chemical cost at current run-rate supplier pricing. All accounts on written month-to-month service agreements. Owner performs 8 stops per week; replacement normalization modest.
Outcome: Signed at 4.1× SDE. Lender DSCR 1.31×. Closed without repricing.
Composite →02 · Mid-band
Pool service route, 88 accounts, geographically dispersed, repair revenue elevated
Observed: Route covers 88 accounts across 4 counties — average 5.8 stops per day due to drive time. Equipment repair and installation revenue at 31% of trailing total. Chemical cost presented at trailing trough; current supplier pricing 18% higher. Monthly attrition 3.1%.
Outcome: 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×.
Composite →03 · Lower band
Seasonal pool service route, northern climate, 5.8% monthly attrition, owner-only technician
Observed: Northern-climate operation with 6 active months per year. Monthly attrition 5.8% — above the 4% threshold indicating route quality issues. Owner is the sole technician. No written service agreements. Chemical cost at trough pricing from 2024 supplier contract.
Outcome: Buyer submitted LOI at 3.1× stated SDE. After seasonal DSCR stress, attrition normalization, chemical cost restatement, and owner-labor replacement, adjusted SDE declined 58%. Financing declined — no lender could underwrite DSCR at the requested purchase price.
Composite →
Listings above are anonymized composites pending the publication of consented case studies. Each scored listing has its own URL — citable, shareable, long-tail-SEO eligible. Composites preserve the structural pattern without identifying the specific deal, seller, or broker.
How to read these
What each scored listing reports.
Band placement
Where in the multiples band the deal sat — upper, mid, or lower third. Tied to the structural conditions in the Atlas.
Observed
The specific structural conditions documented in diligence — the four pillars applied to the specific deal.
Outcome
What happened — closed, repriced, financing fell through, walked. We report. We do not claim the score "told you to" do anything.