Pest Control Business Valuation, Pest Control Company Value and What Pest Control Businesses Sell For
Enter the company's revenue and owner earnings and read a range benchmarked to what pest control businesses actually closed at, whether you are setting an asking price or checking a listing before you make an offer.
Estimated business value
Method breakdown
What moves this number
Estimate, not a certified appraisal. Your figures are not stored.
US pest control businesses sold across the five years 2021 to 2025 went for a median of 2.04x seller discretionary earnings, or 0.96x annual revenue, with a lower quartile of 1.69x and an upper quartile of 3.00x. The median pest control company sold for $249,000, on median revenue of $263,597 and median owner earnings of $124,184, after a median 109 days on the market.
Two numbers decide most deals. Listed companies ask a median 2.92x earnings and sold ones close at 2.04x, a 30.1 percent gap, the widest of the six sectors we compare below. And an SBA buyer who draws $80,000 a year can finance about $242,553, just under the median price, so the owner's own route work is what makes the deal pay. This is a benchmark and an estimator, not a certified appraisal.
Where the asking multiple goes
Multiples of seller discretionary earnings, medians. Listed and sold figures published by BizBuySell; the middle row is the sold median divided by the 0.91 average sale to ask ratio, computed here.
Closed transactions
01What pest control companies actually sold for
These are sale prices, not asking prices, from pest control businesses sold across the five years 2021 to 2025. The source describes them as mostly independent, locally owned companies, with franchise units also trading, earning from residential service for termites and bed bugs, commercial prevention contracts, and specialty work such as wildlife removal. Most pest control valuation guides quote a broker's band. This is the closed record those bands are argued from. If you have been pricing from a listing site's instant estimate, our comparison of BizBuySell valuation alternatives explains what those tools leave out.
Median sale price
$249,000
What the middle pest control company actually closed at, 2021 to 2025
Median asking price
$277,000
What the same sold companies were listed at
Median revenue
$263,597
Annual sales of the middle pest control company sold
Median owner earnings (SDE)
$124,184
Seller discretionary earnings, a 47.1 percent owner margin
| Pest control businesses sold, 2021 to 2025 | Lower quartile | Median | Average | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seller discretionary earnings multiple | 1.69x | 2.04x | 2.40x | 3.00x |
| Revenue multiple (multiple of annual sales) | 0.69x | 0.96x | 0.99x | 1.27x |
| Revenue | $155,250 | $263,597 | $473,414 | $598,500 |
| Owner earnings (SDE) | $71,964 | $124,184 | $167,352 | $187,787 |
Source: BizBuySell pest control business valuation benchmarks, pest control businesses sold on the platform 2021 to 2025, read September 2026. The page does not publish how many sales are in the set. Its headline box shows an average revenue multiple of 0.91 while its tables show 0.99; we use the tables. Benchmarks, not quotes.
The size thresholds BizBuySell publishes sit on these quartiles. It states that a pest control business with annual sales over $600,000 may sell for 3x earnings or better, and a smaller owner-operated company below $200,000 closer to 1.7x. The upper quartile of sold revenue was $598,500 and the lower quartile $155,250. So the practical reading: a company in the top quarter by sales, with the margin to match, sells near 3.00x; a one-truck operator near 1.69x; and the rest is argued out between them. If you are working out how to calculate SDE for the company in front of you, do that first, then find its row in section 10.
Our calculation
02The median company sits $6,447 above what an SBA buyer can borrow
Most pest control companies at this size are bought by an owner-operator with an SBA 7(a) loan, so it is worth knowing what that buyer can borrow. The table runs a loan at 10 years, 10.5 percent, 1.25x debt service coverage and a 10 percent injection against the median $124,184 of owner earnings, at each level of salary the buyer takes out. Everything in it is computed here, not quoted.
SBA-supportable price at an $80,000 draw, against the median sale
Scale $0 to $300,000
$242,553
What $124,184 of earnings supports once the buyer takes $80,000 a year.
$249,000
What the median pest control company sold for.
| Owner draw the buyer takes | Left for debt service | Supportable purchase price | As a multiple of $124,184 SDE |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 (buyer takes no salary) | $124,184 | $681,722 | 5.49x |
| $60,000 | $64,184 | $352,345 | 2.84x |
| $70,000 | $54,184 | $297,449 | 2.40x |
| $80,000 | $44,184 | $242,553 | 1.95x |
| $100,000 | $24,184 | $132,761 | 1.07x |
Computed here. Annual loan constant 0.16192 for a 10 year loan at 10.5 percent, so the supportable price is (SDE minus draw) divided by 1.25, divided by 0.16192, divided by 0.90. Illustrative arithmetic, not a loan offer or a credit decision.
Work it backwards and a financed buyer can take $78,826 a year and still pay exactly the median price, or needs $125,358 of earnings to pay $249,000 and draw $80,000. The median company earns $124,184, $1,174 short. That is the market clearing almost exactly at what a lender will carry, which is what you would expect in a sector where most buyers borrow. It also means there is no room for a premium on borrowed money: a seller asking the listed median of 2.92x is asking for $362,617 on median earnings, about $120,000 more than the loan can support.
Cash to close on the median company
$29,942
A $249,000 purchase at 10 percent down is a $24,900 injection and a $224,100 loan, with a 3 percent SBA guaranty fee of $5,042 on the $168,075 guaranteed portion. Annual debt service is about $36,287, covered 3.42 times by $124,184 of earnings before the owner is paid. Legal fees, licensing and working capital come on top.
The 2025 company
$66,084
The median company sold in 2025 went for $237,500 on $100,695 of earnings, at 2.36x. After about $34,611 of debt service the buyer keeps $66,084 a year, not $80,000. The 2025 median company supports only $113,608 of price at an $80,000 draw, so the buyers who closed at $237,500 were taking less pay, bringing more cash or getting seller financing.
For a seller, that means the asking price should be built on what a lender will carry, not on the listing next door. For a buyer, it means the offer should start from the earnings you can verify in the bank deposits, less the salary you need. Our guide to using an SBA loan to buy a business walks through the lender side, and buying a pest control business, cost and cash to close runs the full purchase at three price points.
Regulation
03The license does not come with the trucks
A pest control company cannot legally treat a single account without a licensed business and a certified individual behind it. That makes the license the one asset a buyer cannot simply take over. The two largest markets show the pattern.
Florida
A new license at the transfer
Florida Statute 482.071 requires every pest control business to apply for a license before entering business or upon transfer of business ownership, and each business location must be licensed. The license fee runs $75 to $300.
Florida
A certified operator in charge
The same section bars the state from issuing or renewing the license unless the pest control work is under a certified operator in charge, certified in the categories the company works in. A buyer who is not certified needs one on staff before closing.
California
A qualifying manager on file
Business and Professions Code 8610 requires every structural pest control company to register with the Structural Pest Control Board and designate a qualifying manager who holds an operator license. One operator can qualify no more than two companies, and a change of qualifying manager must be reported within 10 days (8613).
Sources: Florida Statutes section 482.071; California Business and Professions Code sections 8610 and 8613. Other states set their own rules, usually through the state department of agriculture; check the state where the company operates before signing.
In practice that gives a buyer three ways to close. Be certified already. Keep a certified technician through closing on an employment agreement. Or have the seller stay on as the certified operator under a consulting agreement until the buyer passes the exam. Each one has a cost, and a seller who is the only certified person in the company is selling a business that stops the day they leave. That risk belongs in the price.
The SBA valuation line moved to $350,000
Under SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026, the lender may value a business itself when the purchase price is $350,000 or less and buyer and seller are not closely related. Above that, it must order an independent valuation from a credentialed appraiser. The median $249,000 pest control company falls under the line. An upper quartile company priced at 3.00x, $563,361, needs the outside report, and any price above the appraised value must be paid with equity.
Pest control is an environmentally sensitive industry
Appendix 6 of the same SOP lists NAICS 56171, exterminating and pest control services. When a property is pledged as collateral and its current or past use matches the list, the lender's environmental investigation must begin with a Phase I, regardless of the loan amount. The SOP also names pesticides stored in containers over 5 gallons, or 50 gallons in total, as a potential source of contamination. Most small companies rent a shop and pledge no real estate; confirm with the lender how it treats yours.
Our calculation
04How much of the 47 percent margin is the owner on a route
A 47.1 percent owner margin is second only to commercial laundry in the service peer set below, and the main reason is that seller discretionary earnings include the owner's pay. In a company doing $263,597 a year, the owner is usually also the lead technician, the certified operator and the salesperson. The table prices what happens when a buyer hires that route work out, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics median wage for pest control workers in May 2025 plus employer FICA.
| Who does the work | Earnings left for the owner | $249,000 price as a multiple of that | SBA-supportable price, no owner draw | SBA-supportable price, $80,000 draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner runs routes and treats accounts, no hires | $124,184 | 2.01x | $681,722 | $242,553 |
| One technician hired ($48,712 with FICA) | $75,472 | 3.30x | $414,314 | Not financeable |
| Two technicians hired ($97,423) | $26,761 | 9.30x | $146,906 | Not financeable |
Computed here. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimate for May 2025: pest control workers, median $45,250 a year (102,620 jobs), plus 7.65 percent employer FICA. Vehicles, insurance and chemicals for an added technician cost more on top. The hires are illustrative inputs.
To a buyer who will run the route the way the seller did, the $249,000 price is 2.01x earnings. To an investor who hires one technician, it is 3.30x, above the upper quartile of what pest control companies sell for, and the business can no longer carry the debt and a salary for the owner. That is why companies at the median sell to technicians, and why the upper quartile belongs to companies large enough that the owner already manages rather than sprays. The most useful question for a seller: how many of the stops on the route are yours?
Listings against reality
05Sellers price on revenue, buyers pay on earnings
If you are browsing pest control businesses for sale, the earnings multiples on listings run far ahead of the sold record, 30.1 percent at the median. The revenue multiples barely move: 1.00x listed against 0.96x sold. The listings are also bigger, with median revenue of $392,000 against $263,597 for the companies that sold, and thinner, at a 39.5 percent margin against 47.1 percent.
| Quartile | Listed SDE multiple | Sold SDE multiple | Difference | Listed revenue multiple | Sold revenue multiple | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 2.33x | 1.69x | -27.5% | 0.69x | 0.69x | 0.0% |
| Median | 2.92x | 2.04x | -30.1% | 1.00x | 0.96x | -4.0% |
| Average | 3.55x | 2.40x | -32.4% | 1.20x | 0.99x | -17.5% |
| Upper quartile | 3.55x | 3.00x | -15.5% | 1.29x | 1.27x | -1.6% |
| Financials | Pest control companies listed now | Pest control companies that sold | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile owner earnings | $88,796 | $71,964 | +23.4% |
| Median owner earnings (SDE) | $154,695 | $124,184 | +24.6% |
| Upper quartile owner earnings | $253,398 | $187,787 | +34.9% |
| Median revenue | $392,000 | $263,597 | +48.7% |
| Upper quartile revenue | $706,392 | $598,500 | +18.0% |
| Implied owner margin (computed here) | 39.5% | 47.1% | -7.6 points |
Listed and sold figures are published. Difference columns and the margin row are computed here.
Put the two tables together and the pattern is plain. Sellers ask about one times revenue, which is roughly what pest control companies sell for on revenue. But the companies on the market today earn less per dollar of sales than the ones that sold, so one times their revenue is a much higher multiple of their earnings. A buyer's lender prices earnings. The gap splits into two parts: listings that asked too much and never sold, and the discount the ones that did sell gave up in negotiation.
| Sector | All listings ask | Closers asked | Selection | Sold at | Negotiation | Total gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control | 2.92x | 2.24x | -23.2% | 2.04x | -9.0% | -30.1% |
| Laundromats | 4.80x | 3.80x | -20.7% | 3.50x | -8.0% | -27.1% |
| Restaurants | 2.50x | 2.06x | -17.8% | 1.85x | -10.0% | -26.0% |
| Grocery stores | 2.88x | 2.30x | -20.3% | 2.25x | -2.0% | -21.9% |
| Dry cleaners | 2.19x | 2.05x | -6.2% | 1.91x | -7.0% | -12.8% |
| Liquor stores | 3.18x | 2.94x | -7.6% | 2.85x | -3.0% | -10.4% |
Computed here from published median listed and sold SDE multiples and the published average sale to ask ratio of each sector. Closers asked = sold median divided by the sale to ask ratio. Using the ratio of the pest control five-year medians instead, $249,000 over $277,000 or 0.90, gives 2.27x, a selection effect of 22.3 percent and negotiation of 10.1 percent.
Pest control carries the largest selection effect in the set: dropping the listings that asked too much and never sold takes the median asking multiple down 23.2 percent, most of the 30.1 percent total. For a seller, pricing at 2.9x earnings because the listings do is the most reliable way to spend a year on the market. For a buyer, a listing priced near one times revenue is fair only if its margin is close to the sold median, which is a question for the tax returns and the bank deposits, not the listing sheet.
Value drivers
06What moves a pest control company between the quartiles
The distance between the lower and upper quartile multiple is 1.69x to 3.00x, which on $124,184 of earnings is the difference between $209,871 and $372,552. For larger companies, advisers price the same idea on EBITDA, and recurring revenue is the axis they sort on.
EBITDA multiple by share of recurring revenue, larger operators
3.5x to 4.5x
4.5x to 5.5x
5.5x to 6.5x
6.5x to 8.0x
8.0x and up
Below 50% recurring
50% to 70% recurring
70% to 85% recurring
85% to 95% recurring
95% and up, with commercial mix
Quoted from CT Acquisitions, 2026 pest control valuation guide. These are EBITDA multiples for companies large enough to have managers and a technician payroll; for owner-operated companies the same guide quotes 2.0x to 3.5x SDE.
Recurring share of revenue
The single largest driver. Quarterly and monthly service plans, termite renewals and commercial contracts transfer to a buyer. One-time jobs such as bed bug treatments and wildlife removal have to be won again. Ask for revenue split by contract type for three years.
Sales volume
BizBuySell states that a pest control business with annual sales over $600,000 may sell for 3x earnings or better, while a smaller owner-operated one below $200,000 would likely sell closer to 1.7x. The sold quartiles for revenue were $155,250 and $598,500, so those thresholds sit on the quartile edges.
Commercial accounts and concentration
CT Acquisitions puts commercial pest contracts 0.5 to 1.0 turn above residential-only peers when retention is strong. It also treats a top customer above 20 percent of revenue as a 10 to 25 percent discount and above 35 percent as often a deal-breaker.
Route density
Stops per technician per day decide margin. A book of accounts scattered across three counties is worth less than the same revenue in a tight service area, because the buyer pays for the windshield time.
Technicians and the license
Who holds the certification matters as much as who holds the accounts. If the seller is the only certified operator, the license leaves with the seller. CT Acquisitions also flags technician turnover above 30 percent as worth one to two turns of discount at larger companies.
Termite warranties
Renewable termite contracts are some of the best recurring revenue in the trade, and also an open obligation: if termites return, the company holding the contract retreats and under some contracts pays for repairs. Ask for the claims history and read what the contracts promise.
Five-year record
07Pest control prices by year, 2021 to 2025
The median sale price barely moved, from $200,000 to $262,000 in any year. What moved is the mix of companies selling: median revenue swings between about $220,000 and $400,000, and the owner margin between 30.4 and 59.8 percent, so read any single year as a sample, not a trend.
| Year | Median revenue | Median SDE | Owner margin | Average SDE multiple | Average revenue multiple | Median sale | Median ask | Sale to ask | Median sale over median SDE | Median sale over median revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $399,289 | $125,296 | 31.4% | 2.44x | 0.94x | $237,500 | $332,000 | 0.89 | 1.90x | 0.59x |
| 2022 | $221,391 | $109,754 | 49.6% | 2.16x | 1.01x | $200,000 | $216,500 | 0.94 | 1.82x | 0.90x |
| 2023 | $400,531 | $121,778 | 30.4% | 2.60x | 0.84x | $262,000 | $275,000 | 0.96 | 2.15x | 0.65x |
| 2024 | $253,140 | $151,329 | 59.8% | 2.56x | 0.97x | $250,000 | $297,500 | 0.84 | 1.65x | 0.99x |
| 2025 | $220,413 | $100,695 | 45.7% | 2.35x | 1.10x | $237,500 | $262,500 | 0.92 | 2.36x | 1.08x |
Published by BizBuySell except the last two columns, which divide each year's median sale by its median SDE and median revenue, computed here. Five-year published averages: 2.40x SDE and 0.99x revenue.
The one steady number is the sale price. That fits a market where most buyers are technicians with an SBA loan: what a lender will carry on one owner's earnings sets a ceiling, and the typical deal lands under it whatever the revenue of the company that year. BizBuySell notes that from 2023 to 2025 revenue and earnings multiples moved against each other as companies coming to market reported higher margins, which is exactly the swing in the margin column.
Cross-check
08Four routes to the median, and why the revenue route works here
Multiply the median earnings or revenue by a median or average multiple and you get four readings of what the typical company is worth. On several of our other sector pages the revenue route drifts furthest. In pest control it lands within 1.6 percent of the median sale, closer than the earnings route with the average multiple.
| Route | Calculation | Result | Against the $249,000 median sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings x median earnings multiple | $124,184 x 2.04 | $253,335 | +1.7% |
| Median earnings x average earnings multiple | $124,184 x 2.40 | $298,042 | +19.7% |
| Median revenue x median revenue multiple | $263,597 x 0.96 | $253,053 | +1.6% |
| Median revenue x average revenue multiple | $263,597 x 0.99 | $260,961 | +4.8% |
| Observed median sale price | reported directly | $249,000 | n/a |
Computed here from published medians and multiples. Averages of ratios sit above ratios of medians because a minority of large companies sell above the upper quartile, which is why the average-multiple rows read high.
Sector comparison
09Pest control against sixteen other service businesses
Pest control sits in the middle of the service set on its earnings multiple and near the top on margin. BizBuySell attributes the modest premium to high margins and recurring service with low customer turnover. About the same money, $249,000 against $250,000, buys $124,184 of pest control earnings but only $76,560 at a laundromat, 38.3 percent less, because a laundromat runs largely without its owner.
| Service category | Median revenue | Average revenue multiple | Median SDE | Average SDE multiple | Owner margin | Median sale | Median ask | Sale to ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funeral homes | $750,000 | 1.67x | $318,000 | 4.28x | 42.4% | $1,500,000 | $1,800,000 | 0.85 |
| Laundromats and coin laundries | $219,878 | 1.33x | $76,560 | 3.65x | 34.8% | $250,000 | $275,000 | 0.92 |
| Medical billing businesses | $614,000 | 1.24x | $180,000 | 3.63x | 29.3% | $500,000 | $599,000 | 1.01 |
| Waste management and recycling | $710,000 | 0.95x | $176,635 | 3.31x | 24.9% | $525,000 | $625,000 | 0.91 |
| Commercial laundry businesses | $198,000 | 1.25x | $112,000 | 2.83x | 56.6% | $250,000 | $269,000 | 0.92 |
| Staffing agencies | $1,306,129 | 0.65x | $301,147 | 2.74x | 23.1% | $670,000 | $725,000 | 0.90 |
| Security businesses | $862,943 | 0.85x | $241,687 | 2.73x | 28.0% | $750,000 | $750,000 | 0.89 |
| Property management businesses | $565,658 | 0.93x | $167,000 | 2.70x | 29.5% | $397,500 | $425,000 | 0.94 |
| All service businesses | $455,000 | 0.86x | $146,927 | 2.62x | 32.3% | $325,000 | $350,000 | 0.92 |
| Architecture and engineering firms | $1,090,000 | 0.74x | $332,171 | 2.59x | 30.5% | $742,000 | $800,000 | 0.90 |
| Landscaping and yard service | $708,412 | 0.70x | $187,761 | 2.46x | 26.5% | $425,000 | $450,000 | 0.93 |
| Pest control businesses | $263,597 | 0.99x | $124,184 | 2.40x | 47.1% | $249,000 | $277,000 | 0.91 |
| Locksmith businesses | $550,776 | 0.70x | $166,567 | 2.36x | 30.2% | $300,000 | $300,000 | 0.94 |
| Cleaning and janitorial businesses | $433,327 | 0.70x | $136,326 | 2.19x | 31.5% | $260,000 | $295,000 | 0.92 |
| Dry cleaners | $360,000 | 0.76x | $132,513 | 2.09x | 36.8% | $250,000 | $275,000 | 0.93 |
| Catering companies | $931,891 | 0.44x | $212,204 | 2.00x | 22.8% | $332,500 | $442,500 | 0.87 |
| Legal services and law firms | $921,000 | 0.72x | $281,411 | 1.96x | 30.6% | $500,000 | $575,000 | 0.90 |
Source: BizBuySell service business valuation benchmark comparison, 2021 to 2025, as published on the pest control page. Owner margin (median SDE over median revenue) computed here. Ordered by average SDE multiple.
Find your row
10What a pest control company at your earnings is worth
Each row takes an earnings level from the sold record and prices it at the lower quartile, median and upper quartile multiple, next to what an SBA buyer drawing $80,000 a year could finance. Where the last column sits below the median-multiple price, the company sells to a buyer who takes less pay or brings more cash.
| Owner earnings (SDE) | At 1.69x | At 2.04x | At 3.00x | SBA-supportable, $80,000 draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,964 (lower quartile sold) | $121,619 | $146,807 | $215,892 | Not financeable |
| $100,695 (2025 median sold) | $170,175 | $205,418 | $302,085 | $113,608 |
| $124,184 (median sold) | $209,871 | $253,335 | $372,552 | $242,553 |
| $167,352 (average sold) | $282,825 | $341,398 | $502,056 | $479,529 |
| $187,787 (upper quartile sold) | $317,360 | $383,085 | $563,361 | $591,709 |
Computed here. Business value before any real estate. SBA column on the same terms as section 02. Illustrative arithmetic, not a loan offer.
The pattern flips above the median. At $167,352 of earnings a lender supports $479,529, well above even the 3.00x price, so a larger company can be priced at the top of the range and still finance. Below the median, the loan runs out first. If your numbers sit between rows, the estimator at the top of the page will place them, and our SDE multiples by industry page shows where pest control sits across the whole market.
Methods
11The five ways a pest control company gets valued
You will meet all five in a pest control sale, often in the same conversation. A route buyer counts accounts, a lender counts earnings, and a consolidator counts EBITDA. Knowing which one the other side is using is most of the negotiation.
Seller discretionary earnings multiple
The primary method for an owner-operated pest control company. Normalized SDE times a multiple between about 1.69x and 3.00x, where half of all pest control sales landed. It is the method a lender checks, because SDE is what services the acquisition debt.
Revenue multiple
More useful here than in most sectors. Pest control companies sold at a median 0.96x revenue, and the revenue route lands within 1.6 percent of the median sale. Sellers tend to ask about one times revenue, and on revenue that is close to what they get.
Price per recurring account
Route buyers and consolidators often think in dollars per recurring account or per dollar of recurring revenue. It is the revenue multiple split by customer, and it only works if you know how many accounts are on a contract and how many cancel each year.
EBITDA multiple
For larger companies with managers in place and a real payroll, buyers switch to EBITDA. CT Acquisitions quotes 3.5x to 6x EBITDA for the broad market in 2026 and 7x to 10x and up for platform-grade operators with 80 percent or more recurring revenue across several markets.
Asset value
The floor. Service trucks, rigs and tanks, sprayers, bait stations in the field, routing software and chemical inventory at depreciated value. In a company this asset-light, the floor sits far below the earnings value.
Questions
Pest control valuation questions, answered against the sold record
How much is my pest control business worth?
The median US pest control business sold between 2021 and 2025 went for $249,000, on median revenue of $263,597 and median owner earnings of $124,184. That is about 2.0 times owner earnings and 0.94 times revenue on the reported medians. Half of all sales landed between 1.69x and 3.00x owner earnings, set mostly by size and recurring revenue.
How do you value a pest control business?
Start from normalized seller discretionary earnings: net profit plus owner salary, owner benefits, interest, depreciation and one-time costs. Apply a multiple between about 1.69x and 3.00x, higher for larger companies with contracted, recurring accounts. Cross-check against revenue, where the median was 0.96x, and against what a financed buyer can actually borrow.
What is the multiple for a pest control business?
Pest control businesses sold at a median of 2.04 times seller discretionary earnings and an average of 2.40 times, with a lower quartile of 1.69x and an upper quartile of 3.00x. On revenue the median was 0.96x and the average 0.99x. The yearly average earnings multiple ranged from 2.16x in 2022 to 2.60x in 2023.
Is a pest control business profitable?
Yes, it is one of the most profitable small service businesses to own. The median pest control company sold on BizBuySell kept $124,184 of owner earnings on $263,597 of revenue, a 47.1 percent owner margin, against 32.3 percent for all service businesses. Part of that margin is the owner working routes, which a buyer has to replace or do.
What is the profit margin of a pest control business?
The five-year median owner margin, meaning seller discretionary earnings over revenue, was 47.1 percent. Yearly medians swung from 30.4 percent in 2023 to 59.8 percent in 2024, because each year mixes different companies. At larger operators with salaried staff, CT Acquisitions puts well-run EBITDA margins at 18 to 28 percent.
How long does it take to sell a pest control business?
The median pest control business that sold spent 109 days on the market, against 139 for laundromats, 144 for storage businesses and 190 for dry cleaners. That counts only companies that sold. Licensing and the transfer of a certified operator often set the closing date after the price is agreed.
Do pest control businesses sell for the asking price?
Close to it on revenue, not on earnings. The average sale to ask ratio was 0.91. Listed companies ask a median 2.92 times earnings but sold companies closed at 2.04 times, a 30.1 percent gap, wider than laundromats, restaurants or grocery stores. On revenue the gap is only 4 percent, because listed companies report thinner margins.
Can you get an SBA loan to buy a pest control business?
Yes. At 10 years, 10.5 percent, 1.25x coverage and 10 percent down, the median $124,184 of owner earnings supports about $242,553 if the buyer draws $80,000 a year, just under the $249,000 median price. Pest control is on the SBA list of environmentally sensitive industries, so any property pledged as collateral starts with a Phase I.
Does a pest control license transfer when you sell the business?
Usually not as-is. In Florida the new owner must apply for a license upon transfer of business ownership, and the license cannot be issued without a certified operator in charge. In California the company must keep a qualifying manager with an operator license on file. Plan who holds the certification before you sign.
How much does a pest control business valuation cost?
A formal business valuation commonly runs $1,500 to $8,000 for a calculation engagement and $5,000 to $15,000 for a full conclusion of value. On a $249,000 company that is 0.6 to 3.2 percent of the sale price for a calculation and 2.0 to 6.0 percent for a full report.
Asked another way
What pest control owners and buyers ask when they are deciding
These come up once the numbers are understood and the decision is the real problem, whether that is making an offer, reading a listing or choosing when to sell. Answered against the same sold record.
Is a pest control company listed at one times revenue a fair price?
Often, yes, if its margin is typical. Sold pest control companies traded at a median 0.96x revenue and an upper quartile of 1.27x. Check the earnings too: at a 47 percent owner margin, 1x revenue is about 2.1x owner earnings, near the median. At a 30 percent margin the same price is 3.3x, above the upper quartile.
Should I buy a pest control company if I am not a licensed operator?
You can, but price the license into the deal. Most states require a certified operator or qualifying manager for the company to keep working, and in Florida the license must be applied for again at transfer. Either keep a certified technician through closing, have the seller stay on under contract, or get certified first.
Are commercial pest control accounts worth more than residential?
Usually. Commercial contracts renew on schedule and often carry compliance requirements that keep a customer from switching. CT Acquisitions puts commercial-weighted operators 0.5 to 1.0 turn above residential-only peers when retention is strong. The catch is concentration: one account above 20 percent of revenue earns a discount.
Why do pest control listings ask 2.92x when companies sell for 2.04x?
Two reasons. Listings that ask too much never sell: the companies that did sell had asked about 2.24x. Then negotiation takes about 9 percent more off. Listed companies also report a 39.5 percent margin against 47.1 percent for sold ones, so a listing priced at one times revenue looks expensive on earnings.
Do I need a formal appraisal or is an estimate enough?
An estimate is enough to set an asking range or decide whether a listing deserves an offer. A formal appraisal is needed for a partner buyout, estate or gift tax filings, litigation, and an SBA loan on a purchase above $350,000 under the rules effective October 1, 2026. At the $249,000 median, the lender may value the company itself.
Benchmarks behind the estimate
Find out where in the range a pest control company sits
Enter revenue and owner earnings, for your own company or for a listing you are considering, and read a value range against real pest control sales. An educational estimate in a few minutes, before you pay a broker or an appraiser.