This page is part of our home services guide, which covers HVAC, plumbing, pest control, roofing, electrical and landscaping side by side.
Plumbing business value at a glance
Estimate your plumbing business's value
Applies the cited SDE multiple band for your trade, then positions you inside it using recurring revenue, customer concentration, owner dependence, years operating and trend. Educational estimate, not an appraisal.
Educational estimate, not an appraisal or an offer. Ranges come from published closed-sale data and broker/adviser reports cited on each trade page; the adjustment weights are our own documented heuristic (see Editorial policy). Real estate, inventory and working capital are excluded.
Get the full valuation brief (printable)
Your inputs and range, the cited multiples behind it, the buyer type active at your size, three changes that move the multiple, and next steps - on this page, ready to print or save as a PDF.
Published plumbing business multiples by deal size
| Deal size / buyer | Multiple | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street sales, 2021-2025 (sold) | 1.66x-3.15x SDE (median 2.24x); revenue 0.42x-0.85x | |
| Latest published figures | BizBuySell FY2025 closed plumbing sales: 2.62x average SDE, 0.72x average revenue (61 sales, median price $837,500). | |
| Revenue $500K-$1.5M | 3.0-4.5x EBITDA | Sofer Advisors - How much is a plumbing business worth (2026-06) |
| Revenue $1.5M-$5M | 4.0-5.5x EBITDA | Sofer Advisors - How much is a plumbing business worth (2026-06) |
| Revenue $5M+ (PE interest) | 5.0-7.0x EBITDA | Sofer Advisors - How much is a plumbing business worth (2026-06) |
| All industries, Q2 2026 (context) | Under $500K deals: 2.0x SDE; $2M-$5M: 4.0x EBITDA; $5M-$50M: 5.8x EBITDA | IBBA / M&A Source / Pepperdine Market Pulse, Q2 2026 highlights |
What moves the multiple for a plumbing business
Key metric buyers ask for: Service and repair share vs new construction; drain/sewer and water-heater replacement mix; service agreements; technician count.
Pushes you toward the top of the range
- Recurring maintenance or service-plan revenue
- A dispatcher or service manager who schedules crews without the owner
- Documented systems and field-service software
- Residential service and repair work rather than builder contracts
Pushes you toward the bottom
- The owner writes every estimate and holds every customer relationship
- One customer above ~20% of revenue
- Aging trucks and equipment, inconsistent records, or lapsed licenses
How buyers value a plumbing business
Small shops sell on SDE to individual buyers and competitors. Plumbing is usually bought by the same PE-backed home-services platforms that buy HVAC, and they price on EBITDA, paying the most for residential service revenue and a bench of licensed plumbers.
Rule of thumb on revenue: 0.4-0.85x revenue (BizBuySell sold middle half 0.42-0.85x). Use it only as a sanity check; buyers pay for cash flow they can finance.
Worked example: Clearwater Plumbing & Drain (fictional)
Fictional business for illustration. Revenue $1,600,000, SDE $330,000. 75% residential service/repair, two licensed journeymen, owner still runs estimates.
| Position in the cited range | Implied value | Multiple of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| At the low end (1.7x) | $561,000 | 0.35x |
| Midpoint (2.24x) | $739,000 | 0.46x |
| At the high end (3.2x) | $1,056,000 | 0.66x |
Who buys a plumbing business at each size
Individual buyers with SBA financing; competitors; PE-backed home-services platforms adding plumbing to HVAC. See who is buying plumbing businesses for named acquirers and their sponsors.
| SDE / EBITDA size | Most likely buyer | How they usually pay |
|---|---|---|
| Under ~$300K SDE | Individual buyer (SBA-financed) | SBA or bank loan plus buyer cash; sometimes a seller note |
| ~$300K-$1M SDE | Individual buyer or competitor | SBA loan, seller note, or cash from a larger buyer |
| $1M+ EBITDA | PE-backed home-services platform | Mostly cash at close; rollover equity and earn-outs are common |
Thinking about selling your plumbing business?
See the step-by-step sale process, license transfer rules and documents buyers will ask for.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a plumbing business worth?
Plumbing businesses sold on BizBuySell from 2021-2025 went for a median 2.24x SDE (middle half 1.66-3.15x) and about 0.59x revenue. Sofer Advisors puts EBITDA multiples at 3.0-5.5x for $500K-$5M revenue companies and 5-7x above $5M.
Do PE firms buy plumbing companies?
Yes, mostly as part of HVAC/plumbing/electrical home-services platforms. See who is buying plumbing businesses.
What if I am the master plumber on the license?
Then the license usually leaves with you. Buyers will want a licensed master or qualifier in place, or a transition period while they get one. Plan that before you market the business.
Is this an appraisal?
No. It is an educational estimate built from published data. Lenders, courts and the IRS may require a credentialed appraisal; see appraisal vs estimate.
Sources
- BizBuySell Valuation Benchmarks - Plumbing (accessed 2026-09-23)
- BizBuySell - Business valuation multiples by industry (sold Q3 2021-Q2 2026) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- BizBuySell Insight Report data tables (FY2025 closed transactions by industry) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Sofer Advisors - How much is a plumbing business worth (2026-06) (accessed 2026-09-23)