What should I check before buying a landscape supply yard?

A bulk materials yard looks simple from the road: piles of stone and soil, a loader and a few trucks. Underneath, the business depends on the land it sits on, the equipment that moves the material and the contractors who keep coming back. Garden centres and building supply dealers have their own checklists, but this one is built around the yard itself.

The site and the space

Ask whether the seller owns the land or leases it, and read the lease for its remaining term, renewal rights and any limit on the use of the property. Walk the site. Is there room to stockpile, turn a truck and keep products apart? Is the scale accurate and recently checked? Permits and zoning are the lawyer’s job, so ask early and let them confirm what carries over.

Trucks, loaders and the people who run them

Request a list of every truck and machine with its age, condition and service history. Ask whether the trucks are owned or financed, and who drives them. BDC’s guide to equipment valuation explains how equipment is assessed, a question to raise with your advisers. Find out which employees you would need to keep.

Contractor accounts and credit

Many yards sell to contractors on account. Ask for a list of those accounts, how long each has been a customer and what payment terms apply. See how much is owing and how old it is. Ask whether the biggest accounts would stay with a new owner, and whether any rely on a personal relationship with the seller.

Seasons and stockpile counts

Sales may rise and fall with the building and gardening seasons, so ask to see a full year of monthly records. Agree in writing how the stockpiles will be counted at closing, who does the measuring and how disputes are settled. BDC explains inventory, which helps when reading the seller’s books.

Our garden centre due diligence guide covers the retail side, which some yards also run.