How do I find an irrigation business for sale?

Irrigation work sits between landscaping, plumbing and pump service. Some firms install systems on new properties, some only service old ones, and some do both for homes, farms or large commercial grounds. Because the trade is small and local, a search for an irrigation business for sale often turns up little. Start by deciding which kind of firm you want, then search wide.

Listings and brokers

Ask a few business brokers to keep you in mind, and describe the work you want: lawn systems, commercial grounds or pump and well service. Check listing sites often, and try searching for landscaping, lawn care and pool or water-service companies as well, since irrigation is sometimes a division inside a larger sale.

Suppliers, landscapers and property managers

The people who sell pipe, valves and controllers see which contractors are busy and which owners are slowing down. Ask them for an introduction rather than a name. Landscapers and property managers who hire irrigation subcontractors also hear when an owner wants out. Introduce yourself in the off-season, when everyone has time to talk.

What to ask once you find one

Ask how the work splits between new installations and the yearly service of spring start-ups and fall shut-downs, since the second tends to repeat. Ask who the technicians are and whether they would stay. Ask for a list of the equipment and how the owner keeps records of the systems already installed. See what a seller should prepare for handover for the paper to expect.

If you are comparing it with a lawn care purchase, whether customers stay after a sale applies here too, because the owner is often the face of the firm.