Valuation Data

Valuation multiples by industry

What service businesses actually sell for in 2026, across 25 industries. Smaller, owner-operated companies are valued on SDE. Larger companies, generally above $1M in earnings, are valued on EBITDA. Every range below is calibrated to real, owner-operated sellers and backed by published sources.

Last updated June 2026

SDE multiple

For owner-operated businesses under about $1M in earnings. SDE adds the owner's salary and perks back into profit.

EBITDA multiple

For larger companies, generally above $1M in earnings, where a buyer pays a manager and the owner has stepped back.

Where you land

Recurring revenue, owner independence, clean books, and growth decide whether you hit the floor or the ceiling of your range.

Home & Trade Services

Industry	SDE multiple smaller operators	EBITDA multiple larger companies	Details
HVAC	2x–4.5x typ 2.85x	4x–9.5x typ 6x	PE platforms compete from roughly $750K to $1M+ EBITDA. Sources & detail
Plumbing	1.75x–4x typ 2.5x	3.5x–8x typ 5.5x	PE add-ons get active around $750K to $1M EBITDA; platform tension above $2M. Sources & detail
Electrical	1.75x–4x typ 2.85x	3.5x–8x typ 5.5x	Serious add-on interest from $500K+ EBITDA; full competition above $1M with commercial revenue. Sources & detail
Roofing	1.75x–4x typ 2.6x	3x–8x typ 4.75x	Add-ons from $500K+ EBITDA; platform competition above $2M with a commercial maintenance book. Sources & detail
Landscaping & Lawn Care	1.5x–4x typ 2.5x	3x–7.5x typ 4.5x	National consolidators active from $500K+ EBITDA; platform tension at $1.5M to $2M with 60%+ recurring commercial. Sources & detail
Pest Control	1.75x–5x typ 2.75x	4x–10x typ 6x	Institutional add-ons enter at $500K to $1M EBITDA with 60%+ recurring and sub-2% monthly attrition. Sources & detail
Restoration	2x–4.75x typ 2.9x	3.5x–8x typ 5.5x	PE add-ons (BluSky, ATI, BELFOR) get serious at $1M+ EBITDA; institutional-quality gate is widely cited at $2M. Sources & detail
Garage Doors	1.8x–4x typ 2.8x	3.5x–8x typ 5x	Sponsor-backed roll-ups (Guild Garage, OGD) run competitive processes from ~$1.5M to $3M EBITDA. Sources & detail
Pool Service & Repair	2x–5x typ 3x	3.5x–8.5x typ 5.5x	Sun Belt platforms compete from ~$1.5M to $3M EBITDA with 70%+ weekly recurring maintenance. Sources & detail
Painting	1.5x–3.5x typ 2.25x	3x–7x typ 4.5x	Consolidators and search funders compete from $750K to $1.5M in normalized earnings. Sources & detail
Septic & Drain	2x–4.5x typ 2.9x	3.5x–7.5x typ 5x	Environmental platforms (Wind River) compete from $2M to $5M EBITDA with permitted disposal access. Sources & detail
Tree Service	1.8x–4.5x typ 2.8x	3x–8x typ 4.75x	SavATree and Davey compete from ~$1M to $1.5M EBITDA with 3+ ISA arborists and 25%+ recurring plant health care. Sources & detail
Fire & Life Safety / Alarm	2.5x–5.5x typ 3.5x	4x–11x typ 6x	Consolidators (Pye-Barker, APi, Sciens) compete actively from $2M to $15M EBITDA. Sources & detail
Auto Repair	2x–4.5x typ 2.8x	3.5x–9x typ 5x	Buyer pool expands at 3-4 locations and $750K to $1M EBITDA (Mavis, Driven Brands, Sun Auto, Caliber). Sources & detail

Healthcare Services

Industry	SDE multiple smaller operators	EBITDA multiple larger companies	Details
Home Care / Home Health	2x–4.5x typ 2.9x	3.5x–8x typ 5x	PE platform premiums activate at $3M to $5M EBITDA for personal-care / private-duty agencies. Sources & detail
Dental	1.5x–3x typ 2.1x	4.5x–11x typ 6.5x	DSO platforms compete from ~$1M EBITDA (roughly $3M to $5M collections). Sources & detail
Veterinary	2x–3.5x typ 2.6x	4x–14x typ 8x	PE add-on bidding begins around $500K EBITDA and 3+ DVMs; platform pricing at $1M+ EBITDA. Sources & detail
Med Spa / Aesthetics	2x–4x typ 2.9x	3.5x–12x typ 5.5x	PE-backed platforms compete from ~$1M EBITDA (roughly $3M to $5M revenue). Sources & detail
Physical Therapy / Rehab	1.75x–4x typ 2.75x	3x–13x typ 5x	PE add-on interest from ~3-5 clinics and $750K to $1.5M EBITDA; platform pricing needs $5M+ EBITDA. Sources & detail
Behavioral Health / ABA	2.5x–5x typ 3.25x	4x–9x typ 5.5x	Active PE platforms (15-20 in 2026) buy ABA from as low as $300K EBITDA; platform-of-platform premiums above $7M. Sources & detail

Professional & B2B Services

Industry	SDE multiple smaller operators	EBITDA multiple larger companies	Details
IT / MSP & Cybersecurity	2.5x–6.5x typ 4x	4x–12x typ 6x	PE platform interest begins around $1.5M to $2M EBITDA; the jump past $1M EBITDA is the biggest step-up in MSP M&A. Sources & detail
Wealth Management / RIA	4x–7x typ 5x	5x–13x typ 7x	PE aggregators bid hardest above $500M AUM with 8%+ organic growth; the 11.6x median headline reflects ~$500M-AUM sellers. Sources & detail
Accounting / CPA	2x–3.75x typ 2.6x	3.5x–9x typ 5x	PE consolidators enter above $2M to $3M revenue; platform deals need $5M+ revenue and 15%+ EBITDA margin. Sources & detail
Insurance Agency / Brokerage	2.5x–6x typ 4x	5x–13x typ 7x	The sharpest cliff in any vertical: sub-$1M EBITDA agencies (5x to 7x) jump to 11.4x to 11.8x at $1M+ EBITDA. Sources & detail
Commercial Cleaning / Janitorial	1.5x–4.5x typ 2.5x	3x–8x typ 4.8x	Facility-services consolidators enter at $500K to $1M EBITDA with 70%+ contracted recurring and no client over 20%. Sources & detail

How we built these ranges

We started from current, published valuation data: M&A advisory market updates, broker transaction databases such as BizBuySell, sector-specific valuation guides, and private-market benchmarks. Where multiple credible sources existed for an industry, we anchored to the most recent and most transaction-grounded.

Then we calibrated down to reality. A lot of trade-press headlines quote multiples that only apply to large platform deals. A $600K-earnings plumbing business does not sell at the same multiple as a $5M-EBITDA regional platform. The SDE ranges here reflect what owner-operated companies actually trade for, while the EBITDA ranges show where the larger, PE-relevant deals sit. Each industry page shows the size bands explicitly.

These are benchmarks, not guarantees. The right number for any single business depends on its recurring revenue, owner dependency, financial quality, customer concentration, and growth, which is exactly what the free Exit Score measures.

Sources

Every multiple on this site traces back to published data. Below is the full list of sources used across all industries. Each industry page cites the specific sources behind its ranges.

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