The business broker built for the trades.
HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, manufacturing. AI-native M&A for $1-20M trade businesses across DFW, Austin, Houston, and the United States. Built by a three-time exit founder who's done the work himself.
Why a trade-specialist broker matters
A trade business doesn't sell like a SaaS company or a restaurant. The value drivers are specific: maintenance contracts, technician certifications, route density, callback rates, fleet age, seasonal cash flow, SBA-friendly clean books. Most generalist brokers see a building and a phone number. We see the system that drives the multiple.
Recurring revenue mix
Maintenance plans, monitoring contracts, scheduled service routes. Every 10 points of recurring revenue typically adds 0.3-0.5x to the multiple.
Technician certifications
NATE, EPA, master plumber, master electrician, OSHA. Buyers pay premiums for crews that don't disappear day-one post-close.
Owner dependency
If the owner runs every dispatch, every quote, every relationship, the buyer discounts hard. A trade-specialist broker tells you what to fix before the listing goes live.
Fleet + equipment age
A buyer doing real diligence asks for fleet age, hours, and recent capex. We surface this proactively so the buyer doesn't use it to negotiate down.
Seasonal cash flow
HVAC summer/winter peaks, roofing storm season, landscaping spring spike. We normalize the trailing twelve so the buyer underwrites the right number.
SBA-friendly books
Most $1-3M trade deals close via SBA 7(a). Cash add-backs, family-on-payroll, owner perks — every one of these has to survive the SBA underwriter. We pre-stress test the deal.
The trade industries we cover
Click into any industry to see the specific valuation drivers, recent comp data, and the buyer pool for your business.
HVAC
Residential service, light commercial, mechanical contracting. Recurring maintenance contracts drive premium multiples. Sweet spot $2M-$8M revenue.
Plumbing
Residential repair, commercial new-construction, drain cleaning, water heater service. Recurring service routes and master plumber certs unlock buyer premiums.
Roofing
Residential re-roof, commercial flat roof, storm response, insurance claim management. Buyer pool varies widely between insurance-driven and direct-pay businesses.
Electrical
Residential service, commercial buildout, industrial maintenance, low-voltage data. Master electrician depth is the single biggest value driver buyers want.
Manufacturing
Custom fabrication, contract manufacturing, equipment producers. Multiple varies more widely than most trades — customer concentration is the swing factor.
Landscaping + Pool
Commercial landscape maintenance, residential design-build, pool service routes. Route density and contract-vs-project mix drive valuation.
Q1 2026 multiples · trade businesses by tier
Where deals are actually closing right now. NAICS-keyed, normalized for recurring revenue mix, sourced from real KB transaction data and Q1 2026 broker comp reports.
| Industry · Revenue Tier | Multiple Range | What Moves Up the Band |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC · $5M+ | 4.8x – 5.8x | 40%+ maintenance contract revenue |
| HVAC · $2M-$5M | 4.1x – 5.1x | NATE certs, low owner dependency |
| HVAC · Sub-$2M | 3.6x – 4.2x | SBA-clean books, residential focus |
| Plumbing · $5M+ | 4.5x – 5.5x | Commercial recurring routes |
| Plumbing · $2M-$5M | 4.0x – 4.8x | Master plumber depth on crew |
| Roofing · $5M+ | 3.8x – 4.5x | Commercial flat roof recurring |
| Roofing · Sub-$5M | 3.0x – 4.0x | Diversified beyond insurance work |
| Electrical · $2M+ | 4.0x – 5.5x | Industrial maintenance contracts |
| Manufacturing · $5M+ | 4.5x – 7.0x | Customer diversification + IP |
Want your specific business priced against this data? Run the free valuation. About 60 seconds. NAICS-keyed across 25 industries.
Who buys trade businesses?
Three primary buyer pools, each with different motivations and price ceilings. We score every deal against all three and run targeted outreach to the right segment.
PE-backed strategic rollups
Meriton, Apex Service Partners, Vertex, Cobalt. Aggressive buyers paying premium multiples for businesses that fit their thesis. Want clean books and operator continuity.
Family offices
Direct platform deals for long-hold cash flow. More patient, less aggressive on price, but the highest-quality long-term capital. Want recurring revenue + low owner dependency.
Self-funded searchers + SBA buyers
The $1-3M end of our range. Searchers running 18-month funds, individual operators with SBA 7(a) financing. Need SBA-clean books, often want seller note.
Common questions
What makes a business broker good for trades businesses specifically?
Trade businesses have specific value drivers most generalist brokers miss: recurring maintenance contracts, technician certifications, seasonal cash flow patterns, fleet age, route density, callback rates, and SBA-friendly clean books. A trade-specialist broker understands which of these matter for your specific multiple, prices them accurately, and surfaces them to the right buyer pool. Generalists list the business, hope, and discount when offers come in low.
What size trade businesses does Kingdom Broker work with?
Sweet spot is $1M-$20M revenue. Most clients fall in the $2M-$8M range. Below $1M we typically refer out to small-business brokers; above $20M we work with strategic acquirers and PE platforms directly through our coalition network.
Which trade industries does Kingdom Broker cover?
HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, mechanical contracting, manufacturing, landscaping, pool service, and adjacent service trades. The NAICS-keyed valuation engine covers 25 industries total.
What multiples do trade businesses typically sell for in 2026?
HVAC, plumbing, and electrical trade in the 3.5x-5.5x normalized EBITDA range. Roofing trends slightly lower at 3.0x-4.5x. Manufacturing varies more widely (3.5x-7x) depending on customer concentration. Recurring maintenance contracts move every multiple up one full band.
Who's behind Kingdom Broker?
Eric Skeldon, three-time exit founder (freight brokerage, PE fund stake, B2B sticker company). Read his full bio at /about-eric/. Plano, TX.
30 years building. 90 days to close.
Don't trust three decades of work to the broker with the cheapest listing fee. Run the free valuation, see the real number, then decide.
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