Buying a charter or tour company in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida has 48 established charter and tour 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, 60% 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

60%

built over 20+ years

$233k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

19%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Charter and tour companies in Southwest Florida 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: $108,000 a year
Price about: $329,000
Your cash: $46,000
Could pay you: up to $49,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $233,000 a year
Price about: $711,000
Your cash: $100,000
Could pay you: up to $105,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $374,000 a year
Price about: $1.1 million
Your cash: $160,000
Could pay you: up to $168,000 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	19
20 to 29 years	20
30 to 39 years	6
40 years or more	3

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	11
$1M to $2M	4
$2M to $4M	5
$4M to $8M	1
Over $8M	1

County	Companies
Collier	15
Lee	12
Manatee	10
Sarasota	6
Other counties	5

Town	Companies
Naples	11
Bradenton	6

What the best charter and tour companies have in common

Strong reviews and listings that bring direct bookings without heavy commissions.
A dock or base with a long lease in a busy visitor area, since good slips and dock space are hard to find.
Boats or vehicles in good condition, with maintenance logs and inspection records.
Licensed captains or drivers besides the owner, who come back season after season.
Repeat business from companies, hotels or cruise passengers that fills slow periods.
A clean safety record and insurance at a reasonable cost.
Revenue spread across the year, or costs that shrink in the slow season.
A booking system that takes deposits and handles weather cancellations clearly, so refunds don't become disputes.

What to check before you buy

For each boat or vehicle: its age, marine survey or inspection, maintenance logs and what's still owed on it.
The dock or base lease: term, renewal, and any rules from the marina, city or park.
Bookings by month for several years, and by source (direct, booking sites, hotels), with the commissions paid.
Insurance cost and claims, including passenger injuries, and a quote for you as the new owner.
Captain and driver credentials, drug testing records, and who will stay after the sale.
Hurricane plans: where the boats or vehicles go, and how many days are lost to weather each year.
For contract routes, the term, who can cancel, and whether the contract can be assigned to you.
Permits or agreements to operate in parks, preserves or city waterfronts, and whether they transfer.

Questions to ask the owner

Who captains or drives each trip, and will they stay?
How do customers find you, and what do the booking sites charge?
What were your best and worst months last year?
How old are the boats or vehicles, and what major repairs are coming up?
Has anyone been hurt on a trip, and how did you handle it?
How long is the dock or yard lease, and can it be transferred to me?
How does hurricane season affect the business?

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

Owning a company in Southwest Florida

The local economy

This region covers Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties on the Gulf coast and Hendry, Glades and DeSoto inland: Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton, LaBelle, Clewiston, Moore Haven and Arcadia. The coastal economy runs on people who choose to live or spend the winter here: retirees, seasonal residents, and the construction, real estate, health care, financial and home services that follow them. Tourism, golf and boating add to it.

Inland, the economy is agricultural: sugarcane around Clewiston, citrus, cattle and vegetables, with Immokalee in Collier County a center for farm work. The building trades, pool, landscaping and pest control companies, property managers, medical and dental practices, and marine businesses tend to do well along the coast.

What's different about owning a company here

This is one of Florida's most seasonal markets. From roughly January through April, restaurants, shops and service companies run at full speed. Summers are slower, so look at monthly revenue, not only the yearly total. The coast has taken two major hurricanes in recent years: Ian came ashore at Cayo Costa in Lee County in September 2022, and Milton at Siesta Key in Sarasota County in October 2024. Rebuilding brought a wave of work for contractors that won't last forever, so ask how much recent revenue came from storm repairs. Insurance costs and flood zones weigh on every property.

Housing costs near the coast make hiring hard, especially around Naples. New communities east of Interstate 75 in Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Manatee keep service companies busy.