Skip to content
Aerial view of a Las Vegas subdivision with curving streets, tile roofs and small backyard pools behind many of the homes.

Routva business plan, 2026 to 2030

More accounts on the streets you already drive.

Routva mails pool homes near a pool company's existing stops. Each letter carries the owner's name and a street the company already services. Every call traces to a carrier route. Clients prepay. We grow the agency, add software, then own routes.

$917Projectionvs $1,369Verified
Projected client cost per new account on Starter at 0.8% response and 25% close, the top of the 15% to 25% research range, against what an Arizona route buyer pays per account.[9]
$14.56MProjection
Agency and software ARR at month 48. Base case, which assumes a top-decile sales pace. Bear case: $4.37M. Projection
$950Assumption
Starting capital. Clients prepay. Cash stays above zero in all three modeled cases. Projection

Projections, not promises. Numbers marked projection come from our 48-month model and rest on assumptions pilots have not tested yet.

Drive time is the cost.

A pool route earns at the stop and loses on the road. An account across town adds drive time. We estimate an account next door adds 20 tech minutes and chemicals. Google Ads accounts cost $180 to $320 and land anywhere in the metro.

22%Assumption

assumed margin on a typical acquired route book

45%Assumption

assumed margin on an account added to a route already driven

Illustrative map. The 20 minutes and both margins are model assumptions; no pool-specific primary source was found. Google Ads cost per closed pool service account from an agency source[1].

Across town
Two doors down
  • Google Ads account: $180 to $320, anywhere in the metro Verified[1]
  • Two doors down: about 20 tech minutes and chemicals Assumption

Find the pool. Mail the neighbor. Trace the call.

We map a client's stops and find pool homes a few blocks away. Each home gets a letter in a printed handwriting font, with the owner's name. Each USPS carrier route gets its own phone number. The client sees calls and new accounts by street.

  1. Step 1: Route audit

    Stops in, nearby pool homes counted.

  2. Step 2: Letter

    Owner's name, a street they already service.

  3. Step 3: Tracking

    One number per carrier route.

  4. Step 4: Report

    Calls, answers and accounts by street, every month.

    Monthly report by street, illustrative
    StreetCallsAnsweredAccounts
    Desert Willow Dr982
    Mesa Verde Ln651
    Canyon Ridge Ct441
  5. First drop 14 days after signing (target). Letters use a printed handwriting font. Real-pen letters cost $1.72 to $2.07 each and erase the margin[2].
Drone view across a Las Vegas desert neighborhood of stucco homes under a clear sky, with the city and mountains on the horizon.

5.5M in-ground pools. We estimate 3.58M have no service.

5.5M Verified[4]3.58M Assumption

There are 78,817 pool cleaning businesses, and about 8,906 have employees. We sell one company per territory, so pool homes, not buyers, set our ceiling. Our four launch states hold about 1.53M pool homes. Florida, with 1.59M more, follows by month 30.

Market, area to scale

  1. 5.5MUS in-ground pools Verified
  2. 1.53MLaunch-state pool homes Verified

We estimate 65% of in-ground pools, 3.58M, have no pro service. Assumption

Revenue ceiling $36.1M to $54.1M a year nationally, $10.0M to $15.0M a year in launch states. Assumption

Base case month 48: $13.25M agency ARR, near the top of the launch-state ceiling. Projection That is why Florida goes live by month 30 and pest and lawn clients join from month 25.

Pool counts[4][5][6][7]; state counts are estimates and may include above-ground pools. Businesses[8]; employer share[3].
Show the numbers
Market steps
ViewStepValueLabel
By poolsUS in-ground pools5.5Mverified
By poolsLaunch-state pool homes1.53Mverified
By poolsNot on professional service (DIY)3.58Massumption
By businessesPool cleaning businesses78,817verified
By businessesEmployer firms (can afford a plan)8,906assumption
By businessesEmployer firms in launch states1,308assumption
By businessesClients at month 48, base245projection

Pool homes in launch markets

Verified
FL

  • 505,000Arizona statewide
  • 390,000+Phoenix metro
  • about 200,000Las Vegas / Clark County
  • 801,000Texas statewide; launch metros Dallas, Houston, Austin
  • 21,000Utah statewide; launch metro St. George
  • 1,590,000, laterFlorida
Launch stateLaterCircle area is proportional to pool homes.
Pool homes by state and metro[5][6][7]. Next trade: pest control, 16,535 employer firms[3].
Show the numbers
Pool homes by market
MarketPool homesStatusLabel
Phoenix metro390,000+Launchverified
Arizona statewide505,000Launchverified
Las Vegas / Clark Countyabout 200,000Launchverified
Texas statewide; launch metros Dallas, Houston, Austin801,000Launchverified
Utah statewide; launch metro St. George21,000Launchverified
Florida1,590,000Laterverified
Clear pool water above a strip of pale stone coping.

A client adds an account for $917. Buying one costs $1,369.

A letter costs us $0.83 all in. At 0.8% response and 25% close, a month of Starter mail adds 3 accounts for $917 each. Google Ads can cost less per account. Ours land on streets the client already drives.

One letter, all in

  • Print
  • Postage
  • Handwriting font
  • Property data
  • Call tracking
All in$0.83a letter
Projection

Cost per letter

Real-pen vendor price[2]. All-in letter cost is model output; postage at USPS Marketing Mail rates[11].
Show the numbers
Cost per letter
LetterCostLabel
Routva, printed handwriting font$0.83projection
Real-pen letter, vendor price$1.72 to $2.07verified

Client cost per new account

Arizona route price per account, $1,369Verified

$0$400$800$1,200$1,600

$917

Cost per new account Projection
$917
New accounts from one month of mail Projection
3.0
Route value at 10x monthly billing Projection
$4,200 of route value for $2,750 of fees
Payback in months Projection
6.5Months of the new accounts' billing to cover one month of fees; billing, not profit.
Model output. Illustrative at 25% close (top of the 15% to 25% research range) and $140 a month per account; a 2024 index puts Arizona at $104 to $110[10]. Response rates are assumptions until pilots report. At lower close rates every bar moves right. Route price per account and 10x multiple[9]. Google Ads cost per account[1].
Show the numbers
Client ROI by plan and response, at 25% close
PlanResponseNew accountsCost per accountAdded billingRoute valuePayback (months)
Starter0.5%1.9$1,467$262$2,62510.5
Starter0.8%3.0$917$420$4,2006.5
Starter1.2%4.5$611$630$6,3004.4
Growth0.5%3.8$1,307$525$5,2509.3
Growth0.8%6.0$817$840$8,4005.8
Growth1.2%9.0$544$1,260$13,0003.9
Fleet0.5%7.5$1,187$1,050$10,0008.5
Fleet0.8%12.0$742$1,680$17,0005.3
Fleet1.2%18.0$494$2,520$25,0003.5

Clients prepay. Postage is paid from their money.

Three plans: $2,750, $4,900 and $8,900 a month for 1,500, 3,000 and 6,000 letters. Clients prepay before letters print, and postage comes out of that prepayment. The model assumes no vendor credit. We start with $950. In the model, cash never drops below zero.

  • Starter

    $2,750a monthAssumption

    1,500 letters a month

  • Growth

    $4,900a monthAssumption

    3,000 letters a month

  • Fleet

    $8,900a monthAssumption

    6,000 letters a month

$1,500 setup on 6-month terms, waived on 12-month terms, which are 8% off. One pool company per territory.

  1. 1. Client prepays
  2. 2. Letters print and mail
  3. 3. Tracked calls come back
Lowest projected cash$1,679 in month 1, base case Projection
  • Bear$1,680
  • Base$1,679
  • Bull$4,394

Pine line: starting capital, $950 Assumption. No case drops below it. Projection

Assumption Prices are the founder's list, held flat for 48 months in the model.

245 clients and $14.56M ARR by month 48, base case.

The founder sells the first five pilots. Account executives join at months 7, 10 and 12. Pest and lawn clients join from month 25. Every hire waits for cash. Bear case: 87 clients and $4.37M ARR. Bull case: 434 clients and $29.10M ARR.

Growth, months 1 to 48

$0$5M$10M$15M$20M$25M$30MNov 2026Nov 2028Oct 2030
$14.56MBase

Assumption The base case is not a median case: it assumes a top-decile sales pace, 3 new clients a month from the founder and 1.25 per account executive, and 25% close. ARR covers agency and software; owned-route revenue is in annual revenue.

By year, base case Projection

YearRevenueEBITDAClients
Year 1$804k$84k36
Year 2$3.79M$205k98
Year 3$9.09M$1.16M188
Year 4$15.99M$3.02M245
Show the numbers
ARR, agency and software by month, three cases
MonthBearBaseBull
Nov 2026 (month 1)$33k$33k$66k
Dec 2026 (month 2)$66k$99k$132k
Jan 2027 (month 3)$99k$165k$198k
Feb 2027 (month 4)$191k$287k$381k
Mar 2027 (month 5)$254k$481k$557k
Apr 2027 (month 6)$341k$570k$756k
May 2027 (month 7)$445k$786k$1.03M
Jun 2027 (month 8)$537k$875k$1.21M
Jul 2027 (month 9)$603k$1.16M$1.31M
Aug 2027 (month 10)$659k$1.40M$1.57M
Sep 2027 (month 11)$779k$1.55M$1.95M
Oct 2027 (month 12)$777k$1.80M$2.33M
Nov 2027 (month 13)$941k$2.11M$2.71M
Dec 2027 (month 14)$1.03M$2.48M$3.15M
Jan 2028 (month 15)$1.12M$2.77M$3.55M
Feb 2028 (month 16)$1.24M$2.97M$4.14M
Mar 2028 (month 17)$1.24M$3.21M$4.64M
Apr 2028 (month 18)$1.42M$3.57M$5.11M
May 2028 (month 19)$1.35M$3.91M$5.76M
Jun 2028 (month 20)$1.39M$4.17M$6.60M
Jul 2028 (month 21)$1.52M$4.45M$7.59M
Aug 2028 (month 22)$1.72M$4.73M$8.52M
Sep 2028 (month 23)$1.77M$4.98M$9.43M
Oct 2028 (month 24)$1.87M$5.34M$10.36M
Nov 2028 (month 25)$1.87M$5.83M$11.25M
Dec 2028 (month 26)$2.02M$6.24M$12.18M
Jan 2029 (month 27)$2.05M$6.69M$13.01M
Feb 2029 (month 28)$2.00M$7.23M$13.91M
Mar 2029 (month 29)$2.04M$7.79M$14.66M
Apr 2029 (month 30)$2.31M$8.10M$15.70M
May 2029 (month 31)$2.39M$8.59M$16.37M
Jun 2029 (month 32)$2.50M$9.23M$17.26M
Jul 2029 (month 33)$2.71M$9.46M$18.09M
Aug 2029 (month 34)$2.87M$9.93M$18.83M
Sep 2029 (month 35)$3.08M$10.42M$19.70M
Oct 2029 (month 36)$3.14M$10.79M$20.44M
Nov 2029 (month 37)$3.24M$11.07M$21.29M
Dec 2029 (month 38)$3.47M$11.49M$21.80M
Jan 2030 (month 39)$3.64M$11.88M$22.70M
Feb 2030 (month 40)$3.88M$12.22M$23.55M
Mar 2030 (month 41)$3.93M$12.44M$24.24M
Apr 2030 (month 42)$3.99M$12.99M$24.89M
May 2030 (month 43)$4.03M$13.24M$25.78M
Jun 2030 (month 44)$4.17M$13.53M$26.52M
Jul 2030 (month 45)$4.22M$13.93M$27.10M
Aug 2030 (month 46)$4.29M$14.09M$27.85M
Sep 2030 (month 47)$4.39M$14.41M$28.50M
Oct 2030 (month 48)$4.37M$14.56M$29.10M

Agency first. Software next. Then routes.

Phase 1 sells done-for-you mail from month 1. Phase 2 adds a route analytics add-on, about $300 a month, at month 15. Phase 3 buys pool route books with SBA loans from month 30. Base case timing. Each phase waits for cash.

Phases, months 1 to 48

Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4

Exit window: year 4 Target

Projection In the bear case no acquisition closes by month 48 and the company stays an agency with software.
Show the numbers
Phase start month by case
PhaseBearBaseBull
AgencyMonth 1Month 1Month 1
SoftwareMonth 19Month 15Month 13
Routes, first dealNone by month 48Month 30Month 23
  1. 1. Agency

    Month 1, base caseTarget

    Done-for-you mail to pool homes near each client's stops.

  2. 2. Software

    Month 15, base caseProjection

    Route analytics add-on, about $300 a month.

  3. 3. Routes

    Month 30, base caseProjection

    Buy pool route books with SBA loans, then mail around every stop.

Buy a route. Mail around every stop.

Each owned book gets 3,000 letters a month nearby. At base response that adds about 6 accounts a month before churn. A deal closes only at 1.25x debt coverage or better. Base case: three deals buy 2,100 accounts; 2,195 are owned at month 48.

29%Verifiedof pool pros say they would sell to private equity if approached, in a pool software vendor's survey.[19]

Owned routes run under a separate brand and subsidiary. We never buy inside a client's territory without the client's written consent. (Policy pending counsel review.)

A backyard pool from above with a vacuum hose on the floor.

How a route purchase is funded

Every deal clears 1.25x debt coverage before it closes. Verified

  • 80%SBA 7(a) loanAssumption
  • 15%Seller notesAssumption
  • 5%Routva cashVerified

10% equity injection; half may be a standby seller note. Verified

SBA 7(a) DSCR and equity rules[12]; loan terms[13].

Owned pool accounts, months 20 to 48

01k2k3k4k5kMonth 2430364248+400+700+1,000
2,195month 48

Deal closes: accounts bought, DSCR at close Projection

Projection Acquired-book margin, engine margin and churn are assumptions with no pool-specific source. DSCR floor and SBA terms[12][13].
Show the numbers
Acquisitions by case
CaseClose monthAccounts boughtDSCR at close
BaseMonth 30 (Apr 2029)4001.73x
BaseMonth 33 (Jul 2029)7001.72x
BaseMonth 41 (Mar 2030)1,0001.66x
BullMonth 23 (Sep 2028)5001.73x
BullMonth 28 (Feb 2029)9001.72x
BullMonth 35 (Sep 2029)1,2001.66x
BullMonth 42 (Apr 2030)1,5001.61x
BearNone by month 480n/a
BearOwned at month 480
BaseOwned at month 482,195
BullOwned at month 484,553

Three buyer types. Three ways to price it.

Field-service software companies pay for ARR. Pool platforms pay per account or on EBITDA. Home-services marketing companies pay on agency EBITDA. Routva is built to show all three: agency, software and owned routes, each with its own numbers.

  • Field-service software

    Pays for
    Software ARR, customers in its vertical, integrations
    Method
    EV / software revenue

    Where Routva would sit at month 48

    3.3x small deals Verified[15][20]

    At scale: 7.0x to 8.5x

    Named in the plan

    • Skimmer (Mainsail Partners)Largest pool service software base; now buying companies.[21][22]
    • ServiceTitanBuys trade software, including a sales and marketing platform.[23]
    • Housecall Pro (Permira, Vista Credit)Already sells neighbor postcards to its pros.[24]
    • Jobber (General Atlantic)Marketing add-on with radius mail.[25]
  • PE-backed pool and home-services platforms

    Pays for
    Weekly recurring accounts, route density, EBITDA, add-on pipeline
    Method
    Per account or EBITDA

    Where Routva would sit at month 48

    4.5x to 6x EBITDA Verified[16]

    At scale: 6x to 8.5x

    Named in the plan

    • SPS PoolCare (Storr Group)Most active residential pool consolidator; in AZ, NV, TX and FL.[26]
    • Pool Centurion (Atlantic Street Capital)New platform with a debt facility set aside for acquisitions.[27]
    • Azureon (O2 Investment Partners)Serial pool service buyer.[28]
    • Poolie (Unity Partners)Austin platform with a stated plan to buy into Dallas and Houston.[29]
  • Home-services marketing companies

    Pays for
    Retained client book, low concentration, owned technology
    Method
    Agency EBITDA by size band

    Where Routva would sit at month 48

    4.9x at $1M to $3M EBITDA Verified[14]

    At scale: 6.1x at $3M to $5M; 9.0x at $5M to $10M

    Named in the plan

    • Scorpion (Bregal Sagemount)Home-services marketing buyer, based in Lehi, Utah.[30]
    • ThryvBuys small-business marketing software.[31]

Potential acquirers named in our plan from public sources. Naming a company implies no contact, relationship or interest.

Equity value at month 48

Sum of parts, before banker fees, deal costs and taxes. The math is below.

Bear
$1.58MProjection
Base(Top-decile sales pace)
$17.07MProjection
Bull(Top-decile on all inputs)
$50.72MProjection
Bull: agency one band lower.

Value at month 48, base caseTop-decile sales pace

This adds three parts, each at its own buyer type's multiple. No single buyer pays all three. A single buyer would price the whole on one method, likely lower.

$0$10M$20M$30M$40M$50MAgencySoftwareRoutesDebtCashEquity
Agency
$9.77M
Software
$4.32M
Routes
$3.11M
Debt
−$2.71M
Cash
$2.57M
Equity
$17.07M

Agency one band lower: $13.68M

Base case equity value at month 48: $17.07M

Projection Before banker fees, deal costs and taxes. Multiples are advisor ranges[14][15][16]. Most software value comes from software-only accounts that have no benchmark yet.
Show the numbers
Value stack at month 48 by case
StepBearBaseBull
Agency value$11k$9.77M$30.87M
Software value$1.37M$4.32M$9.11M
Owned routes value$0$3.11M$8.19M
Less debt$0−$2.71M−$5.34M
Plus cash$199k$2.57M$7.89M
Equity value$1.58M$17.07M$50.72M
Equity, agency one band lower$1.58M$13.68M$50.72M

Bull: agency one band lower. Bear and base value the agency at the full multiple for its size band.

Five gates. Each one has a fallback.

Every gate has a bear line. Miss it, and hiring, software and deals wait for cash. Month 3: five paid pilots. Month 12: 36 clients. Month 15: software live. Month 30: first deal. Month 48: exit window. Ten numbers track the way.

  1. Month 3, Jan 2027

    5 paid founding pilots, $14k MRR Target

    Bear case: 3 clients, $8,250 MRR Projection

  2. Month 12, Oct 2027

    36 clients, $150k MRR, 3 account executives Target

    Bear case: 18 clients, $65k MRR Projection

  3. Month 15, Jan 2028

    Software live; founder off delivery by month 17 Target

    Bear case: Software in month 19 Projection

  4. Month 30, Apr 2029

    Deal 1 closes: 400 accounts at DSCR 1.25x or more; Florida live Target

    Bear case: No deal; stays agency plus software Projection

  5. Month 48, Year 4

    245 clients, $14.56M ARR, 2,195 owned accounts; exit window Target

    Bear case: 87 clients, $4.37M ARR Projection

The numbers we report

Operating metrics at months 12, 24 and 48, base case
MetricMonth 12Month 24Month 48
ClientsProjection3698245
ARRProjection$1.80M$5.34M$14.56M
Revenue retentionProjectionn/a53%60%(see note below the table)
ResponseAssumption0.8%0.8%0.8%
Close rateAssumption25%25%25%
Gross marginProjection48%48%46%
CAC payback (months of gross profit)Projection1.64.95.1
Owned accountsProjection002,195
Founder items open (of 8)Target850(by month 42)
LTM EBITDA, totalProjection$84k$205k$3.02M($1.99M agency)

Buyers flag revenue retention under 70%.

Target All milestones are targets set at base-model values, so they carry the base case's top-decile sales pace. Response and close rate are assumptions until pilots report.

What could break, and what we watch.

These are the five risks that move the plan most. Each has an early warning number we check every month and a response we have already planned.

  1. Retention

    Base gross revenue retention is 60% at month 48; buyers flag anything under 70%. Target: 70%+ by month 36, which the model reaches only in the bull case.[17]

    Watch: First-term renewals under 80%.

  2. Client results

    0.8% response and 25% close are untested. At 0.5% a Starter account costs $1,467, above the route price.[9]

    Watch: Two drops under 0.6% response.

  3. Sales pace

    The base case needs a top-decile pace from the founder and each account executive. Hiring slows on its own if sales lag.

    Watch: Founder under 2 closes a month.

  4. Postage

    We assume +4.5% each July with prices held flat; Marketing Mail rose about 4.8% in July 2026. Response: a postage pass-through clause.[18]

    Watch: USPS filings.

  5. Roll-up conflict

    Buying routes near clients could cost their trust. Response: separate brand, no deals inside a client territory without consent, counsel review before deal 1.

    Owned routes run under a separate brand and subsidiary. Policy pending counsel review.

Retention benchmark from a search snippet[17]. Postage increase[18].

A backyard pool with a stone water feature under a pergola at sunset.

Built by a field sales operator.

Routva's founder built door-to-door sales teams and was COO of a nationwide door-to-door fiber sales agency. Sales leadership at large companies. Fluent in Spanish. Based in Utah. Sells the first five pilots personally.

Who we want to meet.

We are signing five founding pilot clients in Phoenix, Las Vegas and St. George. We also want to meet pool software teams, supply houses, print and mail vendors, SBA lenders and route brokers. If one of those is you, reply to the person who sent you this page.

Sources and labels

Projections, not promises. Figures labeled projection come from Routva's 48-month operating model (base, bull and bear cases; month 1 is November 2026). They rest on assumptions about letter response, client close rates, renewals and sales pace that our first pilots have not tested yet. The base case assumes a top-decile sales pace. Exit values are before fees and taxes. Market facts link to their sources, accessed October 21, 2026. Nothing on this page is an offer to sell securities.

What the labels mean

Verified
Read on the cited page.
Assumption
An input or estimate.
Target
A goal.
Projection
Model output, not a fact.

Sources, accessed October 21, 2026

  1. 1.Google Ads cost per closed pool service account. webtonic.io
  2. 2.Real-pen letter cost. simplynoted.com
  3. 3.Census County Business Patterns 2023 (employer establishments, pest control). census.gov
  4. 4.In-ground pools, Pool Corp 10-K FY2025. sec.gov
  5. 5.Phoenix metro pool homes. orchard.com
  6. 6.Las Vegas / Clark County pools. nbcnewyork.com
  7. 7.State pool estimates (AZ, TX, UT, FL). poolresearch.com
  8. 8.Pool cleaning businesses. ibisworld.com
  9. 9.Pool route sale prices and multiples. pooldial.com
  10. 10.Arizona pool service price. pooldial.com
  11. 11.USPS Marketing Mail prices. pe.usps.com
  12. 12.SBA 7(a) DSCR and equity rules (secondary). beancount.io
  13. 13.SBA 7(a) terms. sba.gov
  14. 14.Agency EBITDA multiples by size. capitala.co
  15. 15.SaaS revenue multiples, small deals. aventis-advisors.com
  16. 16.Pool company and platform multiples. clearlyacquired.com
  17. 17.Agency retention benchmark (search snippet). agiled.app
  18. 18.USPS July 2026 price change. pitneybowes.com
  19. 19.Pool pros willing to sell to PE (industry survey). getskimmer.com
  20. 20.Field-services SaaS multiples. windsordrake.com
  21. 21.Skimmer pro count. getskimmer.com
  22. 22.Skimmer acquisitions (search result only). peprofessional.com
  23. 23.ServiceTitan S-1 (FieldRoutes and Convex acquisitions). sec.gov
  24. 24.Housecall Pro postcard integration. salestechstar.com
  25. 25.Jobber and Housecall Pro neighbor postcards. mediapost.com
  26. 26.SPS PoolCare acquisitions. peprofessional.com
  27. 27.Pool Centurion debt facility. abladvisor.com
  28. 28.Azureon acquisitions. honigman.com
  29. 29.Poolie platform. poolspanews.com
  30. 30.Scorpion acquisition of 1SEO. scorpion.co
  31. 31.Thryv acquisition of Keap. silicon.co.uk

Photographs

Stock photographs used as places, not as clients or results.