Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Contractors
| Low | 2× |
| Median | 2.8× |
| High | 3.5× |
| Low | 3× |
| Median | 4× |
| High | 5.5× |
A mid-size HVAC company with $400K SDE and $50K+ MRR in a suburban market typically sells for $1.12M (2.8× median). Businesses with >40% recurring revenue can command 3.5× SDE. At the high end, specialty medical gas or commercial-only firms with strong contracts have sold for 4.5× SDE.
The HVAC industry generates $85 billion annually (AHRI 2024), with 110,000+ contracting firms. Plumbing is a $115 billion market. Both are highly fragmented — the top 10 players hold <10% market share. The labor shortage has created a buyer's market for quality acquisitions. Technicians command premium wages, making owner-operated shops more valuable than large labor-heavy operations. Service-and-maintenance contract revenue (RMR — Recurring Monthly Revenue) dramatically increases multiples.
HVAC and plumbing businesses are strong SBA candidates. Approval rates average 72–78% for service businesses with 2+ years of positive cash flow. Typical deal sizes range from $200K–$2M. Lendio and SmartBiz are active lenders. Key metric: LTV (Lifetime Value) per customer — HVAC companies with strong maintenance contract books (>30% of revenue from annual contracts) get premium valuations. Equipment-heavy acquisitions may need additional collateral or SBA 504 for commercial real estate.
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Open Business Valuation Calculator →SDE multiples range from 2.0× (basic residential-only, transactional) to 4.5× (commercial, high-RMR, specialty). Median for established HVAC firms with maintenance contracts is 2.8× SDE. EBITDA multiples of 4.0–5.5× are common for profitable firms. Businesses with $50K+/month in recurring maintenance contracts command the highest premiums — some buyers pay 3–5× monthly RMR.
HVAC businesses generate recurring revenue from maintenance contracts (annual furnace checks, quarterly AC service) that lock in customers for 1–3 years. A customer paying $200/month for an annual contract has $2,400 in annual value and typically stays 5–7 years. Compare that to a restaurant, where customers switch weekly. Additionally, HVAC is highly fragmented — it's hard for customers to comparison shop, and switching costs (finding a trusted technician) are high.
Request a full list of active contracts with: contract type (annual/quarterly), monthly/annual value, billing frequency (prepaid vs monthly), start date, and cancellation rate over the past 3 years. Calculate churn rate — a healthy HVAC company has <15% annual contract cancellation. Flag any large commercial accounts — a $50K/year commercial contract worth losing is a risk. Also check: are contracts personally assigned to the owner (problematic) or to the business (clean)?
Fully-equipped HVAC company typically includes: 3–6 service vehicles (van or box truck with lift), refrigerant recovery equipment, combustion analyzers, nitrogen pressure testing kits, sheet metal fabrication tools, thermal imaging cameras, and a stock of common replacement parts. A well-maintained fleet is worth $150K–$400K in replacement cost. Check vehicle titles and whether equipment is owned free-and-clear or financed.
Yes — HVAC businesses can be run semi-absentee if they have: (1) a general manager or operations manager earning $80K–$120K/year who handles day-to-day dispatch and customer service, (2) service contracts that generate revenue without direct owner involvement, and (3) documented systems for scheduling, invoicing, and technician management (ServiceTitan or similar software). Semi-absentee HVAC businesses command 0.5–1.0× higher multiples than owner-operator-dependent businesses.
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