PREPARE FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.
Buyers are coming to the table prepared. You should be too.
75%
of business sellers experience regret after the sale… most often because they never clearly defined what they wanted from life afterward, not because the deal terms were wrong.
Source: Exit Planning Institute
Private equity platforms and regional operators are actively acquiring HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses. TriStar makes sure you’re ready — and not outgunned.
WHY IT MATTERS WHO REPRESENTS YOU
A generalist broker can sell your business. A specialist can sell it right.
Home services businesses are not generic assets. The valuation drivers — maintenance contracts, technician tenure, recurring revenue, owner independence — are specific to this industry. A broker who doesn’t know them won’t know what your business is actually worth, which buyers will honor your employees, or how to structure a deal that protects your financial life.
TriStar focuses on home services because depth of knowledge changes outcomes. We know the buyers active in this market, what they’re looking for, and what they’ll do after the keys change hands. That knowledge doesn’t just affect your price. It affects everything your price is supposed to protect.
THE INDUSTRIES WE KNOW
Deep expertise in the businesses that keep homes running.
TriStar works with owners of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses and understands the buyers, the deal structures, and the valuation factors specific to each.
Heating and Cooling
HVAC is one of the most actively acquired home services categories in the country right now. Private equity platforms and regional operators are competing for well-run businesses. We know who the buyers are, what drives premium multiples, and how to structure a deal that protects what you’ve built.
Learn more about selling your HVAC business
Plumbing
Plumbing businesses with strong recurring service relationships and licensed technician teams are in genuine demand. The right buyer will pay for that stability. We know what makes a plumbing operation valuable to a sophisticated acquirer and how to find a buyer who will take care of what you’ve built.
Learn more about selling your plumbing business
Electrical
Electrical contractors are among the fastest-growing acquisition targets in home services. Demand is especially strong for businesses with commercial relationships, licensed crews, or certifications that create real barriers to entry. We know what buyers value in this trade and how to position your business to attract the right ones.
Learn more about selling your electrical businessTHE BUYER LANDSCAPE
The market for businesses like yours has never been more active. Or more complicated.
Nearly 800 HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses changed hands between 2022 and 2024. Private equity participation in HVAC deals jumped from 8% to 23% in a single year. Regional platforms backed by institutional capital are actively building portfolios across the Midwest and East Coast. They are organized, well-funded, and experienced. They do this every day.
But PE is not the only buyer. Regional owner-operators, multi-trade platforms, and industry veterans making their first acquisition are all competing for businesses in the $5M–$20M range. The diversity of the buyer pool is an advantage if you have someone who knows how to navigate it.
Private Equity Platforms
Institutional buyers building regional portfolios. Experienced, fast-moving, and skilled at structuring offers that look better on the surface than they are. TriStar knows which platforms are active in your market and what they value most.
Regional Operators
Owner-operators expanding into adjacent markets. Often the best fit for sellers who want their culture preserved. TriStar maintains direct relationships with buyers in this category across the Midwest and East Coast.
Strategic Acquirers
Multi-trade platforms and national brands seeking specific capabilities, geographic coverage, or customer bases. TriStar knows how to evaluate fit and negotiate terms that protect your interests regardless of how the offer is framed.
WHAT MATTERS TO BUYERS
The number on the offer isn’t the only thing that determines what you walk away with.
Sophisticated buyers evaluate home services businesses on factors most owners don’t fully understand until they’re already in the process. By then, it’s too late to change them. TriStar works with clients before the sale to close that gap.
Maintenance contracts and service agreements are among the strongest value drivers in this industry. They signal customer loyalty and predictable cash flow — the kind of stability sophisticated buyers are willing to pay a premium for.
A business that depends entirely on its owner carries risk in any buyer’s eyes. Building management depth before a sale protects both your price and the employees who depend on a smooth transition.
Long-tenured, licensed technicians are real assets. They reduce training costs, signal operational stability, and represent value that shows up in the multiple. Buyers notice turnover and they notice its absence.
Businesses with clear, consistent books move through due diligence faster and with fewer surprises. Surprises in due diligence compress price. TriStar helps clients prepare their financials before the process begins.
Cash at closing, seller notes, earnouts, equity rollover: each structure carries different implications for your retirement, your tax exposure, and your financial security. Most brokers explain what a structure means. TriStar helps you understand what it means for your life.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
A successful sale is the result of careful preparation.
Most HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business owners who contact us aren’t ready to sell tomorrow. They’re thinking carefully about what comes next and want to talk to someone who understands this market. Download our free guide, “Are You Ready to Sell Your Business?”. Get the 10 questions every home services owner should answer before going to market. No obligation. No sales pitch. What you learn is yours to keep.
Confidential. You set the pace. No pressure, no obligation.
