Buying a specialty contracting business in Florida

These are specialty contractors outside the major trades: fence builders, paver and driveway installers, asphalt sealing and striping, artificial turf, scaffolding, flagpoles, boat lift and dock work, mobile home setup and similar niches. They differ a lot, but most share a pattern: one focused service, sold to homeowners, builders, property managers or businesses, and done by small crews with specialized equipment.

Most revenue is one-time project work. Residential jobs come through referrals, online reviews and home shows, paid with a deposit and a final payment. Builder and commercial work is bid, then paid on credit terms. Some niches bring repeat work: parking lot sealing and striping on a cycle, scaffold rentals, boat lift maintenance, fence repairs after storms. A typical company has a few crews, a salesperson or estimator who measures and quotes, a yard for materials and equipment, and an owner who still sells and schedules.

• A clear niche and reputation: the company local builders, pool contractors or property managers call first. Narrow specialists often face fewer competitors than general trades.
• A mix of residential and commercial customers, with none dominating.
• Repeat or cyclical work, such as parking lot maintenance or service contracts, alongside one-time jobs.
• Accurate quoting from site visits or measurements, so jobs don't run over.
• Crews that can sell add-ons and handle customers without the owner.
• Good supplier terms on key materials (fence panels, pavers, turf, aluminum, lift parts).
• Equipment suited to the work and maintained, without big replacements looming.
• A steady flow of leads that doesn't depend on the owner's personal network.

Licensing depends on the niche, so start with an exact list of what the company does. Installing mobile homes requires a license from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The Construction Industry Licensing Board at the Florida DBPR offers specialty certifications for marine work (docks, seawalls, boat lifts, pile driving) and aluminum screen and pool enclosures, among others. State law makes these voluntary, but cities and counties may license work that matches them.

At the other end, state law bars local governments from requiring a license for driveway installation, decorative stone installation, pressure washing or ornamental iron installation. Fence installation is in between: local governments that licensed it before 2021 may keep doing so.

Where a state license applies, the company works through a licensed qualifier, and the license stays with that person. If the only qualifier leaves, the company has 60 days to hire another and can't do licensed work in the meantime. Confirm the company's specific work with the DBPR and each county where it operates, and expect a local business tax receipt.

• Exactly what work the company does, and whether each kind is properly licensed and permitted.
• Revenue by niche and customer type, and how much depends on new home construction.
• Customer deposits on jobs not yet done, and whether materials already bought cover them.
• Warranty promises (fence posts, paver settling, turf, lifts) and how often crews get called back.
• Equipment and vehicles. In some niches, such as asphalt, scaffolding or marine work, equipment is most of the value.
• Insurance: general liability, auto, workers' compensation, and marine coverage where needed.
• Permits left open on finished jobs. Dock and seawall work usually also needs environmental permits from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or a water management district, and often from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Dependence on one supplier whose terms are tied to the owner.
• Seasons and storms: fence and dock work can spike after hurricanes and then fall back.

• What kinds of jobs make up most of your revenue, and which make the most money?
• Which licenses and certifications does the company hold, and who holds them?
• Where do your leads come from?
• What do you guarantee, and how often do you get called back?
• What equipment would a buyer need to replace in the next few years?
• How many crews do you run, and who leads them?
• How did the business do the last time new home construction slowed?