This Fieldhaven Business Funding article answers how to buy a landscaping business in Porter County, Indiana: what the price pays for, how accounts and equipment are valued, whether a lawn care purchase can be financed, what it costs to run a crew, and the checklist a buyer works through. Porter County, Indiana counted 83 landscaping employers with payroll in 2023.
How to Buy a Landscaping Business: The Short Answer
Buy the accounts and the equipment, and check both before paying for either. A landscaping company's value sits in its recurring commercial and residential contracts and in its mowers, trailers and trucks. A buyer confirms which accounts are under contract and likely to stay, inspects the equipment, and then funds the price with a down payment and a term loan, sometimes with part of the price paid to the seller over time.
Landscaping Crews in Porter County, IN by the Census Counts
Porter County, IN had 83 landscaping companies with payroll in 2023, and 67.5% of them employed fewer than five people (County Business Patterns 2023); another 210 ran without payroll in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Most purchases in a trade of this size are small: a crew of a few people, a handful of mowers and a list of accounts.
What the Purchase Price Pays For, Worked Through
Illustration only, invented figures: a seller asks an invented $265,000 for a crew, made up of $118,000 of equipment at fair value and $147,000 for the accounts, the name and the goodwill (our arithmetic). The invented business shows $96,000 a year in owner earnings before the owner's pay. If the buyer needs to draw an invented $52,000 a year to live on, $44,000 is left each year to cover the loan (our arithmetic).
With $39,750 down, the buyer finances $225,250; over 84 months at an invented 9.75%, the payment is about $3,710 a month, or $44,525 a year (our arithmetic). That is close to the invented $44,000 left over, which is exactly the tightness a partner looks for. A larger down payment, a seller note or a lower price would give the invented buyer more room.
Can You Finance a Landscaping Business Purchase?
Yes. A term loan funds the purchase, and the equipment in the sale can sometimes sit on equipment financing secured by the machines, which can lower the rate on that part. A partner reads the seller's tax returns, the account list with contract terms, the equipment's age and the buyer's experience running crews or working in the trade.
Can You Finance a Lawn Mower After the Purchase?
Yes. Replacing a worn mower after the sale is a standard equipment purchase. Illustration only, invented figures: an invented $14,800 commercial zero-turn financed over 48 months at an invented 9% costs about $368 a month (our arithmetic). Plan replacements in the first-year budget, since equipment bought with the company may be older than the price suggested. The landscaping page covers equipment and payroll.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Lawn Care Business?
The main costs are labor, fuel, equipment payments and repairs, insurance, trailer and truck costs, and materials such as mulch and seed. Porter County, IN landscaping payroll averaged about $51,962 per employee in 2023 (our arithmetic from County Business Patterns 2023 figures). A buyer should rebuild the seller's cost list from bank statements, not from a summary, and add anything the seller did personally that the buyer will have to pay someone to do.
How to Buy a Lawn Care Business From a Retiring Owner
A retiring owner selling a lawn care route often stays on for a transition period, introducing the buyer to customers and showing how the route runs. Agree on that period in writing: how many weeks, which accounts get personal introductions, and whether the seller will be paid for the time. A seller who agrees to a short noncompete and a transition gives the buyer a better chance of keeping the accounts, and a partner reading the request can weigh that.
Residential routes and commercial contracts behave differently after a sale. Homeowners on a weekly route may stay out of habit, while a commercial property manager can rebid the contract at renewal. Ask for the renewal dates of each commercial contract before setting a price.
Can I Get a Loan for Landscaping Equipment the Seller Does Not Include?
Yes. Some sales leave out a truck the seller is keeping, or equipment so worn it is not worth buying. A buyer can finance replacements separately on equipment financing, which keeps the acquisition loan smaller. Build those purchases into the first-year plan so that the combined payments still fit the cash flow left after the buyer's own pay.
A Buyer's Checklist for a Porter County, IN Crew
- Get three years of the seller's business tax returns and the year-to-date profit and loss.
- List every account with its contract terms, renewal date and annual billing.
- Ask how much of revenue the five largest accounts represent.
- Inspect every machine and record hours, serial numbers and condition.
- Find out which employees will stay and what they are paid.
- Sign a letter of intent with the price, the down payment and any seller note.
- Call (219) 206-9543 or send the request form with the price and down payment.
Porter County, IN business counts by sector sit on the Valparaiso, IN page.
By Fieldhaven Business Funding · Updated
