A pool service route isn't just a customer list, it's a system. Five things make a route worth buying, and you should grade every deal against them.
1. Density. How many stops sit within a 10-minute drive of each other? Tight clusters mean lower fuel, more stops per day, and less burnout. A great residential tech does 18–22 stops a day in a dense suburban route. A scattered route caps that at 10–13, same revenue, double the windshield time, half the margin. Look at a pin map of every account before you make an offer; if the pins don't form clear clusters, discount accordingly.
2. Recurrence. Look for >90% of revenue from weekly recurring service with auto-billing. One-time cleans, repairs, and on-demand work don't transfer reliably and shouldn't be valued at the same multiple. A route that's "$25k/month" but actually $14k recurring + $11k of seller-relationship repair work is really a $14k route with a side hustle attached.
3. Account quality. Average ticket, length of relationship, payment history, and concentration. A 7-year customer paying $165/month is worth more than a 6-month customer paying $200. Pull a tenure histogram, if more than 30% of accounts are under 12 months old, the route hasn't earned its retention yet. Also check concentration: any single account over ~5% of revenue is a risk; any HOA or commercial account over 15% is an existential risk if it cancels.
4. Equipment & systems. Is there a working CRM (Skimmer, Pool Office, Pooltrac, Jobber)? Are routes optimized in software? Is the truck included and roadworthy? Are there written SOPs, gate-code lists, dog notes, and chemical preferences per account? Tribal knowledge in a seller's head is liability, documented systems are an asset that justify a higher multiple.
5. The seller. A motivated, organized seller who'll do a real transition is worth more than a fire-sale at a discount. Why? Because *they* are 30% of what you're buying. Customers don't wake up loyal to your LLC, they're loyal to the person who's been showing up for years. A seller who hands over with care unlocks 90%+ retention. A seller who ghosts after closing torches 20% of your accounts in 60 days.
Bonus: regulatory & insurance posture. Confirm the seller carries general liability and (where required) a contractor's or pool-service license in your state. Operating without proper licensure can expose you personally, and may invalidate the transfer of certain HOA or commercial contracts. We're not lawyers; verify with one in your state.
Grading framework. Score each of the five pillars 1–5. A 22+ total is a premium route worth the top of the multiple range. 17–21 is a solid average deal. Under 17 should either be a steep discount or a pass.