Buying an auto repair shop in Treasure Coast

• Technicians who have been there for years, including at least one who can diagnose hard electrical and computer problems without the owner.
• A trusted service writer who isn't the owner.
• A spread of customers: no single fleet, dealer or insurer the shop can't live without.
• Shop software with clean repair orders, so you can see month by month how many cars came in, the average bill and the comebacks (jobs redone under warranty).
• Current scan tools, and equipment for calibrating driver assistance cameras and sensors, which many newer cars need after windshield or body work.
• For body shops: a working paint booth, a frame machine, and insurer or manufacturer certifications that keep work coming.
• A lease with years left, enough bays and parking, and zoning that allows auto repair.

Ask for repair orders, not just tax returns. Shop software shows how many cars come in, the average repair order, margins on parts and labor, and which customers bring in the money. If one fleet or one insurer's referral program is a big share, ask how that relationship started and whether it depends on the owner personally.

Technicians are the hardest part to replace. Find out what each one earns and how (flat rate or hourly), whether they own their tools, and whether any have said they'd leave if the shop sells.

Go over the equipment with someone who knows it: the lifts (and their inspection records), alignment rack, scan tools, air compressor and, for body shops, the paint booth and frame equipment. Check how often jobs come back, the warranty claims, and any open complaints with FDACS.

Shops handle oil, solvents and paint, and some sit on properties with old underground tanks or in-ground lifts. If real estate is part of the deal, or your lease makes you responsible for contamination, get an environmental report before you close.

• Who are your biggest customers, fleets or insurers, and how long have they been with you?
• How long has each technician been here, and how are they paid?
• What does a typical week look like for you, and which jobs can only you do?
• Where do new customers come from now: referrals, online reviews, a dealer or an insurer program?
• What equipment will need replacing in the next few years?
• Have there been any complaints to FDACS or the county, or any warranty disputes?
• In Miami-Dade or Broward: which of your technicians hold the county certifications, and do you think they'll stay?

This region covers Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties on the Atlantic coast and Okeechobee and Highlands counties inland: Stuart, Palm City, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastian, Okeechobee, Sebring and Avon Park. Port St. Lucie is the largest city and has grown quickly as a suburb within reach of Palm Beach County to the south.

The coast draws retirees and winter residents, and health care, construction, real estate, boating and sport fishing are big parts of the economy. The coast lies in the Indian River citrus district, named for the lagoon. Inland, Okeechobee and Highlands are cattle, dairy and citrus country around Lake Okeechobee and along the ridge near Sebring, with many retirees of their own. Home service companies, the building trades, marine businesses and medical practices find steady customers here.

The coast is seasonal, with winter residents filling restaurants, golf courses and service schedules, and summer is quieter. Hurricane Nicole came ashore near Vero Beach in November 2022, and the region has a long history of storms, so check insurance, flood zones and how a business came through recent ones.

Water quality in the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon is a recurring problem, and in a bad year it can hurt fishing, boating and tourism businesses. Inland, distances are longer and the labor pool thinner. A company in Sebring or Okeechobee may be one of very few of its kind nearby, which can mean loyal customers and little competition, but also few people to hire. Most new homes on the coast are going up in and around Port St. Lucie.