For HVAC owners & contractors · US & Canada
Free HVAC valuation in 60 seconds. Then our AI and a senior deal team run a confidential sale where platforms, strategics and consolidators compete — and you’re paid only when you close.
In short
Small owner-operated HVAC businesses typically sell for about 2–3.5x seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE). Larger, professionally managed HVAC companies with $1M+ of EBITDA trade around 5–8x EBITDA, and platform-scale roll-ups more, with recurring service-agreement revenue the biggest single lever. These are market ranges, not a quote or a guarantee. A free, confidential read of your actual numbers narrows it — not an appraisal.
What HVAC companies sell for
Market ranges from reported sales — not a quote or a guarantee. The biggest single lever is recurring service-agreement revenue. Get your own range →
The number buyers ask for first
The difference between the bottom and top of the HVAC range is rarely revenue; it is how predictable that revenue is. A book of maintenance contracts converts a project business into a predictable one — and buyers reprice it accordingly.
How much of your revenue is under service agreements?
A real maintenance base with project work on top usually lands mid-range; the agreement share is what buyers dig into first.
Illustrative direction within the published range for $1M+ EBITDA HVAC companies — not a quote or a guarantee. Your free valuation uses your own numbers.
What moves the number
The first number buyers ask for. A book of maintenance contracts converts a project business into a predictable one — and it is repriced accordingly.
Replacement and service work is valued far above new-construction volume, which is cyclical and margin-thin.
Buyers are acquiring capacity. Licensed staff who provably intend to stay are a genuine asset; churn is a discount.
Commercial contracts bring stickier revenue but concentration risk; buyers underwrite each side differently.
Timing note that costs owners real money: buyers normalize earnings across seasons and want two to three years of clean, consistent financials. Cleaning up the books the year you decide to sell is too late — start before the numbers you’ll sell on are created.
The buyers
Private equity has been rolling up home services for years, and HVAC is at the center of it. Each buyer prices the same company differently — competition among them is what moves your number.
Which of those is at your table changes your number far more than anything on your equipment list.
Got a letter from a consolidator?
Most owners in this sector are approached directly, unsolicited, by a consolidator. That letter is flattering — and it is the single most expensive letter you can accept, because a buyer negotiating against nobody has no reason to move on price or terms. An unsolicited offer is priced for the buyer’s best case.
The result is a better number and better terms — your team, your stay-on period, the earn-out structure, and any real estate. Most HVAC engagements run six to twelve months; companies with clean financials and a strong service-agreement book move fastest.
How selling with Sentinel works
60 seconds, anonymous, no email. Your range from reported sales of comparable businesses.
Get my free valuation →One email. Ask Vera, our AI, anything; see what moves your number with your Exit Profile; get a free read on any offer.
Create my free account →Next quarter or in five years. The AI works your sale 24/7, a senior principal leads, and you approve every step. Most sales take six to twelve months.
See how the engine works →Real people, accountable
Prefer a person?
Tell us the basics — trucks, techs, roughly how much is under service agreements. A principal, not a call center, reviews it personally and replies within one business day with an honest range. No listing. No pressure.
Or call (888) 560-5852
The engine, pointed at HVAC
Before market
Buyer matching
Researched and scored against your business — approached under NDA, only with your written go-ahead.
Buyer Simulation
Found and fixed before you go to market — not in diligence, where it costs you money.
Offer analysis
Free Exit Profile: your range, your value drivers scored and each fix priced in dollars — eleven questions, about three minutes, no email needed to see it. Open my HVAC Exit Profile →
Straight answers
More in our seller guides — or ask Vera in your free account.
Small owner-operated HVAC businesses typically sell for about 2–3.5x seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE). Larger, professionally managed HVAC companies with $1M+ of EBITDA trade around 5–8x EBITDA, and platform-scale roll-ups more, with recurring service-agreement revenue the biggest single lever. These are market ranges, not a quote or a guarantee. A free, confidential read of your actual numbers narrows it — not an appraisal.
PE-backed home-services platforms, regional strategics, and individual buyers — each pricing the same company differently. Competition among them is what moves your number.
Yes. Buyers sign NDAs before they learn your company's name, and nothing is listed publicly. Your team hears the news from you, when you choose.
More than anything else. Contracted maintenance revenue is predictable, and buyers pay a premium for predictability — it can move a company from the bottom of the range to the top.
Nothing. It's free, confidential, and carries zero obligation. Our economics are success-based — we're paid when your deal closes.
Not before you know your number. An unsolicited offer is priced for the buyer's best case; a confidential read tells you what a competitive process would likely change.
Already holding an offer? Get a free read before you sign →