The Gross Profit Margin (GPM) Model
Many buyers are willing to pay one year’s worth of gross profit for a book of maintenance or service business. The formula for GPM is basically revenue minus direct costs as follows:
Lawn maint. | Irr. Service | |
Revenue | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Materials | $75,000 | $150,000 |
Direct labor | $350,000 | $225,000 |
Direct labor burden | $105,000 | $65,000 |
Subcontractors | 0 | 0 |
Trucks & equipment | $130,000 | $100,000 |
Rental equipment | $5,000 | 0 |
Total direct costs |
$665,000 |
$540,000 |
GPM | $335,000 33.5% | $460,000 46% |
Benchmark GPM ranges for green industry maintenance and service work are as follows:
Lawn maintenance | 35% | +/- 5% | Includes Mowing |
Irrigation service | 50% | +/- 5% | |
Tree work | 35% | +/- 5% | |
Christmas decorations | 35% | +/- 5% | |
Lawn fertilization | 55% | +/- 5% | Includes weed and pest control. The |
EBITDA model is normally used to | |||
determine value for lawn fertilization. |
Here’s an easy-to-use benchmark evaluation chart for companies with normal, before tax, profit margins – ones around 10% NPM. I included lawn fertilization (or any chemical application business), which normally sells for approximately $1.25 per revenue dollar.
Type work | Blue-sky | Value per | $1.00 of revenue |
Lawn maintenance |
$0.35 |
+/- $0.05 |
Includes mowing |
Irrigation service | $0.50 | +/- $0.05 | |
Tree work | $0.35 | +/- $0.05 | |
Christmas decorations | $0.35 | +/- $0.05 | |
lawn fertilization | $1.25 | +/- $0.25 | To include weed and pest control |

Explore the June 2012 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
Latest from Lawn & Landscape
- LMN partners with Attentive.ai
- Get to know the generations working for you
- Addressing addiction in landscaping
- Fairway expands national footprint with 6 acquisitions
- Graze Robotics opens new headquarters in Plano, Texas
- Addiction in the green industry
- Kress earns Sourcewell approval
- The best laid plans