Sell a Service Business
Whether you just got a call from a buyer or you have been quietly thinking about how to sell your service business, this is where trades business owners come to get real answers, from advisors who have been in your shoes.
Request Valuation
Why Now Is a Good Time to Sell a Service Business
The M&A market for trades and home service businesses is as strong as it has been in over a decade. If you are thinking about selling a service business, the conditions right now are in your favor. Private equity firms, strategic consolidators, and regional operators are actively pursuing acquisitions in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, garage door, restoration, landscaping, and pool services. The capital is available. The buyer pool is deep. And the multiples being paid for well-run businesses reflect a level of demand that rewards owners who go to market now.
Three things are driving this environment. First, the trades industry is highly fragmented, thousands of profitable local companies, very few national players, which makes it a textbook rollup market for institutional capital. Second, these are essential services with strong recurring revenue potential, which makes them lower-risk investments compared to discretionary industries. Third, there simply are not enough quality businesses available to satisfy the number of buyers currently looking. Supply is tight. When supply is tight and demand is high, sellers have leverage.
This is the gap Brentwood Growth was built to serve, specifically for owners looking to sell a trades or home service business in the $3M to $100M range. Small and mid-sized businesses between $3M and $100M in value require more comprehensive service than a local business broker can provide, but they are often too small to attract the attention of leading investment banks. Brentwood Growth brings the professionalism and execution of an investment bank to this segment of the market, with a team whose backgrounds span investment banking, private equity, consulting, and law.
This does not mean you need to sell tomorrow. But it does mean that getting a valuation now, understanding what your business would trade for in this market, is one of the most valuable conversations you can have. Markets shift. Buyer appetite changes. Interest rates move. The owners who benefit from strong markets are the ones who know their number before the window starts to close.
The Brentwood Growth Process
Step 1: Discovery
Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a pitch. John Bartlett, Brentwood Growth’s founder, grew a company from $10M to $100M over 10 years and sold it. He has been involved in six additional acquisitions and sales. His team, including Steve Thompson (who has closed nearly $1 billion in M&A and financing transactions), understands what you have built because they have been on your side of the table. In this first conversation, the focus is on you: your goals, your timeline, your concerns, and what matters to you beyond the price.
Step 2: Valuation and Preparation
Your advisor builds a comprehensive valuation based on your financials, your customer base, your team, and current market demand. This includes financial normalization, adding back owner compensation, personal expenses, and one-time costs to present your true EBITDA. Many trades owners discover their business is worth significantly more than their tax returns suggest. Brentwood Growth then reviews your financial processes and advises on the types of information buyers will request, so you are fully prepared before going to market.
Step 3: Market and Negotiate
Your business is introduced, confidentially, to buyers from Brentwood Growth’s network of over 2,000 private equity firms, consolidators, and strategic buyers. The goal is to create competition among multiple buyers, because competition is what drives price. Your advisor manages all buyer communications, negotiations, and deal terms. As one active buyer said about working with Brentwood Growth: “They understand the market, what we are looking for, come prepared, and manage the seller and the process extremely professionally. We always listen when Brentwood calls with an opportunity.”
Step 4: Due Diligence and Close
Once terms are agreed, your advisor coordinates the due diligence process, managing document requests, buyer questions, and the legal and financial workstreams required to close. Brentwood Growth works with your management team, lawyers, and the buyer to drive timely execution and ensure that Reps and Warranties are reasonable and represent the market. Throughout this phase, you keep running your business. Compensation is 100% success-based. You pay nothing unless and until the deal closes.
What Buyers Are Looking for by Industry
HVAC
HVAC is the single most actively acquired trade in the country right now. Private equity rollups are aggressively building platforms, paying premium multiples for businesses with service agreement bases, certified technicians, and scalable operations. HVAC businesses typically sell for 3x to 6x EBITDA, with recurring maintenance revenue being the most powerful value driver. PE-backed platforms have built portfolios of 50+ companies in just a few years by acquiring businesses like yours. If you own an HVAC business, your timing could not be better.
Plumbing
Plumbing businesses with steady service revenue, licensed crews, and repeat customers are in high demand from buyers looking to acquire plumbing companies. Buyers value the essential-service nature of plumbing and the recession resistance of the revenue stream. Typical multiples range from 2.5x to 5x EBITDA, with higher multiples going to businesses that have recurring contracts and low owner dependence. Brentwood Growth helped the LePrevost family sell their 30-year plumbing business to the right partner, and get the highest price.
Roofing
The roofing industry, a $50–60 billion market, is attracting significant private equity interest. Multiple PE-backed platforms are actively targeting residential roofing companies with strong crews, clean fleets, and recurring maintenance or warranty revenue. Multiples typically range from 3x to 6x EBITDA. If you own a roofing business doing $3M or more in revenue, there is a buyer out there looking for you.
Garage Door
Garage door businesses benefit from a mix of installation, repair, and recurring service revenue. While the market is smaller than HVAC or plumbing, serious buyers, especially those building home service platforms, are looking for garage door operators in growth territories with strong customer retention. Typical multiples range from 2x to 4x EBITDA.
Electrical
Electrical businesses with a mix of residential and commercial work, licensed electricians, and recurring service contracts are attractive acquisition targets. The growing demand for EV infrastructure, solar integration, and smart home systems is adding new revenue streams that buyers value. Typical multiples range from 2.5x to 5x EBITDA.
What Owners Say About Working with Brentwood Growth
“We really liked John. He came to our house and sat at the kitchen table. He was honest, kind and straight forward which we really appreciated. We had no idea what the process looked like to sell a business. Brentwood Growth broke it down into different stages that helped immensely. They were always available for a meeting when we had questions. They handled us with care. When they saw us struggling, they boosted us when we needed it. We truly enjoyed working with them. We always felt they had our best interest at heart. They listened to what kind of company we wanted to partner with, they found us the right partner and we got the highest price.”
– Jan, LePrevost Plumbing, Heating and Cooling
“They have earned every penny, probably more, and honestly, we wouldn’t have gotten to where we are today without them. On a daily basis they impressed me with their knowledge. They communicate well and I felt like I was Brentwood Growth’s only customer. You should know, these guys are rock stars. I’ll tell everyone I know who is looking to exit to reach out to Brentwood Growth. Hands down the best experience I could have hoped for.”
– Nathan, who sold his HVAC business through Brentwood Growth
“I was given a timeline early on of what to expect. That timeline was hit every time. Our close actually happened sooner than the given timeline. My overall experience was excellent, and I would recommend Brentwood Growth to other sellers without hesitation.”
– Anonymous Seller
These are not extraordinary outcomes. They are the outcome of a well-run process managed by advisors who do this every day for trades business owners, and who get paid only when the deal closes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to stop running my business during the sale process?
No. The process is designed for owners who are still operating their businesses every day. Brentwood Growth handles the preparation, the buyer outreach, the negotiations, and the coordination of due diligence. You will need to provide financials and answer questions at certain milestones, but you will not need to step away from daily operations. Most owners continue running their company right up to the day the deal closes, and most deals include a transition period where the owner stays on to train the buyer and ensure continuity.
How long does a sale typically take?
Most transactions close within six to nine months from the start of the engagement. The first phase: preparation, valuation, and positioning, which takes 60 to 90 days. The remaining time is spent on buyer outreach, negotiation, due diligence, and closing. Well-prepared businesses in active markets can move faster. Your advisor will give you a realistic timeline early in the process and manage to it. As one seller reported, “our close actually happened sooner than the given timeline.”
What does “success-based compensation” mean?
It means you pay nothing upfront and nothing during the process. Brentwood Growth’s fee is collected only when the deal closes. The pricing follows the industry-standard Double Lehman Scale. This structure exists because Brentwood Growth believes its fee should be earned, not charged. and it aligns their incentive with yours: getting you the best possible outcome. Because their compensation is entirely performance-based, they are selective about the engagements they accept. Unless they are confident they can generate strong market interest at a price and terms you will accept, they will not take on the engagement.
How do you find buyers for my business?
Brentwood Growth maintains a network of over 2,000 private equity firms, consolidators, and strategic buyers who are actively seeking trades businesses. Your business is presented confidentially to the buyers most likely to be a strong fit. The goal is to create competitive interest, because having multiple buyers at the table is the single most effective way to drive up your price and improve your terms. The Sell or Scale podcast, hosted by John Bartlett, features regular interviews with active buyers across every trades vertical, which gives Brentwood Growth direct, ongoing relationships with the people who are writing checks right now.
What is the first step?
Fill out the short questionnaire on this page or call for a free, confidential consultation. There is no cost, no commitment, and no obligation. You will speak with an advisor who understands your industry and can give you an honest assessment of where your business stands in the current market. Most owners are surprised by how straightforward the conversation is, and how much clarity it gives them, whether they decide to sell now or in three years.
You built a real business. You built it with early mornings and hard calls and years of showing up when it would have been easier not to. It deserves a real answer on what it is worth, not a guess, not a formula, not a pitch from someone who has never been on your side of the table.
Brentwood Growth has been involved in more than $700 million in transaction value. Named one of Axial’s Top 25 Lower Middle Market Investment Banks. Trusted by trades owners from coast to coast. Compensation is 100% success-based.
Talk to Brentwood Growth today. Free, confidential, no obligation.