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Valuation BenchmarksMay 2025 · 5 min read

Landscaping Business Valuation in Nebraska: Omaha Market Data 2025

Nebraska landscaping businesses benefit from Omaha's strong commercial market, Elkhorn and Papillion suburban growth, year-round commercial snow removal, and Nebraska's declining income tax rate toward 3.99% by 2027.

JT

Jason Taken

HedgeStone Business Advisors

Nebraska's landscaping market is anchored by the Omaha metro — a stronger commercial landscape market than its Midwestern profile suggests, driven by Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, and the fast-growing western suburbs of Elkhorn and Papillion. Nebraska's income tax rate is declining steadily toward 3.99% by 2027, improving exit economics for business owners who time their sale appropriately.

Nebraska Landscaping Multiples

Nebraska landscaping businesses sell for 2.5x–4.0x SDE. Omaha metro (Douglas County and suburban Sarpy County) commands the strongest multiples — corporate campus landscape management for Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific's downtown headquarters, and Omaha Steaks; fast-growing residential suburbs in Elkhorn and Papillion (Sarpy County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in Nebraska); and commercial HOA community accounts in the western suburbs. Lincoln (Lancaster County) is the second market with University of Nebraska institutional landscape accounts, state government campus grounds, and growing residential suburbs in Southwest Lincoln.

Omaha Corporate Campus Landscape

Omaha's corporate landscape is denser than its size suggests — Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha, Gavilon (Marubeni-owned agribusiness), and PayPal's regional operations center all have significant Omaha presences requiring professional corporate campus landscape management. These accounts are long-term, stable, and carry multi-year contract terms with CPI-based escalation clauses. Landscaping businesses with established Omaha corporate campus accounts represent the most sought-after acquisitions in Nebraska — buyers price these accounts at EBITDA multiples rather than SDE multiples for businesses with $300K+ annual corporate contract revenue.

Snow Removal Revenue

Nebraska winters include heavy snowfall events — Omaha averages 27 inches of snow per year, with blizzard events every 2–3 years that generate significant commercial snow removal demand. Landscaping businesses in Omaha with year-round operations (summer landscaping + winter snow removal) improve annual revenue by 20–30% and benefit from year-round crew retention. Commercial snow removal contracts with Omaha's corporate campuses, retail centers, and healthcare campuses (Nebraska Medicine, CHI Health) carry seasonal pricing of $3,000–$8,000 per property per season. Buyers value year-round operations significantly above seasonal-only landscaping businesses.

Nebraska's Declining Tax Rate Opportunity

Nebraska's top individual income tax rate is declining from 5.84% (2025) toward 3.99% by 2027. Nebraska landscaping owners approaching exit face a genuine timing decision: exit at 5.84% now (savings from selling sooner) versus waiting for 3.99% in 2027 (tax savings of $27,750 on a $1.5M exit at 3.99% versus 5.84%). The optimal timing depends on business performance trajectory and opportunity cost of waiting. On a $1.5M exit: at 5.84% today = $87,600 state tax; at 3.99% in 2027 = $59,850 state tax — a $27,750 difference. Whether it's worth waiting two years depends on business growth and M&A market conditions in 2027.

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