Landscaping Business Valuation Multiples 2025
Landscaping businesses command 2.5x–4.5x SDE in today's market. PE consolidation is accelerating. Here's what your landscaping company is worth and what drives the multiple.
Read Article →Valuation BenchmarksMay 2025 · 5 min read
Landscaping Business Valuation in Oregon: Portland Metro Market Data 2025
Oregon landscaping businesses benefit from Portland's year-round mild climate, strong commercial and residential demand, and Pacific Northwest landscape expertise — with Oregon's 9.9% income tax requiring advance planning.
JT
Jason Taken
HedgeStone Business Advisors
Oregon's landscaping market is anchored by the Portland metro, where the maritime climate allows a 10-month growing season — far longer than most U.S. markets. Portland's culture of outdoor living, the Pacific Northwest's garden-friendly climate, and the city's established residential neighborhoods with mature landscape installations create strong recurring maintenance demand. Oregon's 9.9% income tax is the primary exit planning consideration.
Oregon Landscaping Multiples
Oregon landscaping businesses sell for 2.5x–4.5x SDE. Portland metro (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties) commands the strongest multiples — Nike's Beaverton campus requires commercial landscape management, Intel's Hillsboro campus has significant commercial landscape scale, and Lake Oswego, West Linn, and Southwest Portland's affluent residential communities generate premium residential accounts. Bend (Deschutes County) is a fast-growing secondary market — high-income Pacific Northwest migrants, resort communities at Mount Bachelor, and strong commercial growth create landscaping demand that is accelerating faster than Portland's mature market.
Pacific Northwest Garden Market
Portland's Pacific Northwest garden culture is distinctive — Oregon residents are deeply engaged with their landscape environments, with high rates of garden club membership, edible landscape installation, native plant conversion programs, and designed outdoor living spaces. This cultural engagement translates to high landscape maintenance spending per household — Portland area residential landscape customers average $2,400–$4,800 in annual recurring maintenance versus $1,200–$2,400 in comparable Midwest markets. Landscape businesses that position around Pacific Northwest expertise (drought-tolerant native plants, rain garden design, food forest installation) command premium pricing and strong customer loyalty.
Commercial and Institutional Accounts
Oregon's commercial landscaping market extends beyond the tech campuses to healthcare (OHSU, Providence, Legacy Health), university campuses (University of Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Reed College), and municipal contracts (Portland Parks & Recreation contracts, Metro Regional Government grounds maintenance). OHSU's Marquam Hill campus alone is a major landscape maintenance account requiring specialized operations on an elevated campus accessible by aerial tram. Landscape businesses with institutional accounts of this type have the multi-year contract stability and high switching costs that PE buyers value at EBITDA multiples rather than SDE.
Oregon's 9.9% Tax — Plan Well Ahead
Oregon's 9.9% top income tax rate requires comprehensive exit planning. On a $1.5M landscaping exit, Oregon sellers pay $148,500 in state income taxes. Total effective rate reaches approximately 36–38%. Oregon landscaping owners should begin exit planning 24–36 months before their target close date. Strategies that can reduce Oregon tax liability include: installment sale elections (spreading proceeds over multiple years), charitable remainder trusts (converting taxable gain to charitable deduction offset), and — for owners willing to relocate — establishing Washington state residency before the exit (Washington has no income tax, and Washington residency with Oregon business operations requires careful structuring but can be achieved for non-Oregon-source income).
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