How do I find a gravel pit or aggregate business for sale in Canada?
Decide first whether you want a going business or a parcel of land. A going pit comes with crushing and screening equipment and customer accounts. Look through industry contacts, equipment dealers and brokers, then approach owners directly. Ask your lawyer early what happens to the pit’s permits when ownership changes.
People who search for a gravel pit for sale find two very different things. One is a piece of land with sand and stone under it. The other is an operating business that digs, crushes, screens and sells material to regular customers. This page is about finding the second kind.
Know what you are looking for
A going aggregate business has three parts: the land, the plant and the customers. The plant is the crushers, screens, conveyors and loaders. The customers are road builders, concrete makers, contractors and landscapers who buy on account. A listing may offer only one part, so read each description closely and ask what is missing.
Where these businesses sell
Try listings filed under aggregates, construction materials, excavation and trucking. Equipment dealers and used-machinery sellers hear about owners who want out. Contractors and haulers know who is supplying whom. Brokers who work in construction and resource businesses sometimes hold quiet mandates that never appear online. If you do not know who to call, our page on buying a dump truck and aggregate hauling company gives a feel for the neighbouring trade.
What to ask first
- Does the sale include the land, or only the business and equipment?
- How much usable material is left, and who has confirmed it?
- Who are the main customers, and are they under contract?
- Who holds the permits, and are the owners’ names on them?
Leave permits to your lawyer
Whether a pit’s permits and approvals stay with the business, move to you or must be applied for again is a legal question. Ask your lawyer before you spend money on an engineer or an equipment inspection. BDC’s due diligence article is a useful companion for the rest of your checks.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
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- Expert answerHow do I check a landscape supply yard’s gravel, soil and mulch stock counts?
Due diligence
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWorking with a broker to find a business to buy
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentEquipment valuation: How to do it
- 04Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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