Buying a drywall or finish carpentry company in Treasure Coast

Treasure Coast has 22 established drywall and finish carpentry companies by our count: companies in business at least 15 years that still file with the state every year and aren't part of a larger group. Of those, 82% have been in business 20 years or more. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

established companies

82%

built over 20+ years

$192k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

32%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Drywall and finish carpentry companies in Treasure Coast come in every size. Here's what owning one could look like at three levels, from a solid company to one of the leaders, with a small business loan covering most of the price.

A solid company

Earns about: $93,000 a year
Price about: $274,000
Your cash: $38,000
Could pay you: up to $44,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Treasure Coast

Earns about: $192,000 a year
Price about: $566,000
Your cash: $79,000
Could pay you: up to $90,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Treasure Coast

Earns about: $262,000 a year
Price about: $773,000
Your cash: $108,000
Could pay you: up to $123,000 a year

Earnings are owner earnings: profit plus what the owner pays themselves, before loan payments and taxes. They and the prices are our estimates from public records, not the owners' figures, and we value companies like these at about 3.0 times a year's owner earnings. Your cash covers the down payment and closing costs, and what the business could pay you is what's left after the loan payments and the cushion lenders require. The more cash you bring, the further up you can go.

Age, size and location

Revenue is our estimate from public records, grouped into wide ranges.

In business	Companies
Under 20 years	4
20 to 29 years	11
30 to 39 years	4
40 years or more	3

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	8
$1M to $2M	2
$2M to $4M	1

County	Companies
Indian River	8
St. Lucie	7
Martin	6
Other counties	1

Town	Companies
Vero Beach	6
Stuart	5

What the best drywall and finish carpentry companies have in common

Several builder and contractor customers, so one builder's slowdown doesn't idle the crews.
Crew leaders who manage quality and schedule without the owner, and fix problems before the builder's superintendent finds them.
Estimates from plans, with margins tracked per house or project.
A reputation for being on time: a late drywall or trim crew holds up every trade after it.
Enough crews to take on a new subdivision without hiring in a panic.
Proper insurance for every crew and a clean workers' compensation record.
Some remodel or commercial work to soften housing slumps.
Lifts, tools and trucks in good shape, with no surprise replacements due.

What to check before you buy

Revenue by customer for three years, and how much each builder owes now.
What each builder pays per house or square foot, and whether that has kept up with labor and material costs.
Who buys materials, the company or the builder. Buying drywall or trim ties up cash and adds risk.
Whether workers are employees, paid by the piece, or subcontractors, and how each is insured. Treating employees as independent contractors can mean back taxes and penalties; ask your accountant.
Callbacks and punch-list work (small fixes before handover) that eat into margins.
Back charges (deductions builders take for problems), disputes and unpaid invoices.
Equipment and trucks, and any loans on them.
Past injuries. Drywall and trim work involve lifts, stilts and ladders, and claims raise insurance costs.

Questions to ask the owner

Who are your main builders and contractors, and how long have you worked with them?
How do you price a house or a project, and when did you last raise prices?
Do you buy materials, or does the builder supply them?
Are your crews employees or subcontractors, and how are they paid?
What licenses or certifications does the company hold?
How often do builders hit you with back charges, and what for?
Who runs the crews day to day?

To learn what these companies do, which licenses they need and how ownership works, read our full guide to buying a drywall or finish carpentry company in Florida.

Owning a company in Treasure Coast

The local economy

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.

What's different about owning a company 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.