Sell My Trade Business | John Burnett · PTS Group
⚙️ Sell-Side M&A · Commercial Trades
John Burnett

Trade Business Transition Advisor · PTS Group

John Burnett

Know What You’re Worth.
Make the Right Move.

I help commercial trade business owners — HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Roofing, and more — understand the full landscape of their exit options, so every decision is built on data, not pressure.

⚡ Get a Free Valuation 📊 Calculate EBITDA
John Burnett
John Burnett
Sell-Side M&A Advisor · PTS Group
🌡️HVAC
🔧Plumbing
⚡Electrical
🏠Roofing
🌿Landscaping
🏊Pools & Spas
🖌️Painting
🏗️Fencing
🪵Flooring
Request a Free Prospectus

Confidential · No obligation · Takes 5 minutes

$1.1B
Total Deal Value
600+
Businesses Closed
5,300+
Valuations Completed
14
Verticals Served
43
States Active
15+
Years Experience
Free Tool

What Is Your Trade Business Worth Right Now?

Answer a few questions and get an instant, data-driven valuation range — benchmarked against real closed transactions. No waiting, no obligation, no sales call required.

  • Trade-specific EBITDA multiples (HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical & more)
  • PE platform vs. strategic buyer comparison
  • P&L / EBITDA builder from your actual financials
  • PDF export for your records
  • Results delivered to your inbox
  • Takes less than 3 minutes to complete
Start Free Valuation →

Results are estimates based on industry benchmarks and are not a substitute for a formal appraisal. For a full CPA-backed analysis, request a free prospectus.

Choose a Tool
Business Valuation Calculator Primary
Enter business profile + get PE & strategic valuation range
→
Quick EBITDA Calculator
Fast estimate from revenue & net income — 60 seconds
→
P&L / EBITDA Builder
Enter every P&L line item and derive adjusted EBITDA
→
Verticals

Trades We Serve

From HVAC to flooring, we represent commercial trade business owners across the full spectrum of the specialty trades industry.

🌡️
HVAC
4x – 10.8x EBITDA
Hottest PE vertical in trades. Recurring maintenance contracts and commercial service mix drive top-of-range multiples.
🔧
Plumbing
3x – 7x EBITDA
Strong emergency-driven demand. Compliance and water hygiene work commands premium multiples.
⚡
Electrical
3x – 7.8x EBITDA
Data center and energy-transition tailwinds. Licensed master electricians in management boost value significantly.
🏠
Roofing
3x – 9x EBITDA
Most active new rollup vertical in 2026. Commercial roofing with maintenance contracts outperforms residential storm work.
🌿
Landscaping
3.5x – 7x EBITDA
Recurring maintenance contracts with 60%+ recurring revenue achieve top multiples. Route density is a key value driver.
🏊
Pools & Spas
4x – 7x EBITDA
Service contract businesses with recurring cleaning and maintenance routes are attracting strong PE interest in 2026.
🖌️
Painting
3x – 5x EBITDA
Commercial painting contractors with multi-year HOA and property management contracts command meaningful premiums over residential.
🏗️
Fencing
3.5x – 6x EBITDA
Active PE consolidation underway. Commercial and access control integration work adds significant strategic value.
🪵
Flooring
3x – 5x EBITDA
Commercial flooring with established property management relationships and recurring contracts achieves higher-end multiples.
Exit Landscape

Every Trade Owner Has More Options Than They Think

The decision to sell your trade business is one of the most significant financial decisions of your career. Here’s an honest look at what’s available.

Option 01

PE Platform or Strategic Add-On

Private equity-backed platforms are aggressively acquiring commercial trade businesses as add-ons to existing portfolios. This path often delivers the highest headline price, especially for businesses above $1M in EBITDA.

Things to know: PE buyers typically pay 5x–10x+ EBITDA depending on your trade and revenue quality. Most deals include an earnout or seller rollover equity. HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing are seeing the most platform activity.
Option 02

Strategic or Individual Buyer

Selling to a strategic competitor or individual owner-operator looking to scale. This is the most common path for businesses under $3M in revenue and often results in a cleaner, faster close.

Things to know: Strategic buyers typically pay 3x–6x EBITDA. Financing is usually SBA-backed for smaller transactions. Transition timelines average 60–120 days after going to market.
Option 03

Sell & Stay On as Operator

Selling while staying on as a general manager or key employee removes day-to-day ownership burden, provides an immediate liquidity event, and lets you focus on what you do best — running the business.

Things to know: Common with PE platforms that want operational continuity. Employment terms — comp, duration, equity — should be negotiated as part of the original deal.
Option 04

Key Employee or Management Buyout

Transitioning ownership to your management team or a trusted key employee. Allows for a gradual, structured exit over a longer timeline while protecting business continuity and your income during the transition.

Things to know: Requires 1–3 years of planning and the right people already in place. Seller notes or SBA financing often fund the deal. Works best when the buyer already knows the business deeply.
Option 05

Grow Before You Go

Understanding what you have today, then making targeted improvements to maximize value before going to market. Even 12–18 months of strategic preparation can significantly change the outcome. A prospectus review often identifies 3–5 areas where focused effort can move your multiple — recurring revenue mix, customer concentration, management depth, and EBITDA margin are the most common levers in the trades.

Things to know: This is always the right first step, regardless of your timeline. The information is free, the analysis costs nothing, and you keep all the options you had before — plus better ones.

Not sure which option fits your situation? That’s exactly what the free prospectus process is designed to help you figure out. Start here →

The Process

A Process Built on Information, Not Pressure

Most trade business owners go into sale conversations without a full picture of what they have or what it’s worth. I fix that first.

1
Step 1 · Diagnosis

Understanding Where You Are

We review your financial statements, service mix, customer concentration, and operational structure — building a complete picture of what the business looks like to a buyer before any recommendations are made.

2
Step 2 · Specialist Review

Multiple Expert Opinions

Our in-house CPA, equipment, real estate, and market comp teams all review your business independently — so every element of value is captured and documented before we go to market.

3
Step 3 · Full Presentation

Every Option, Clearly Laid Out

We walk through every finding together — PE platform vs. strategic buyer vs. individual buyer scenarios, valuation ranges for each path — with no pressure toward any particular direction.

4
Step 4 · Your Decision

Your Timeline, Your Call

Whether you decide to go to market now, improve the business first, or simply keep the information on file — that’s entirely your choice. There is never any obligation or pressure to act.

5
Step 5 · If You’re Ready

Maximum Leverage at the Table

We run a structured process — building a competitive environment across PE platforms, strategic acquirers, and individual buyers simultaneously — giving you real options, real offers, and real negotiating power.

The Platform

Why I Partner with PTS Group

PTS Group gives me the infrastructure, data, and in-house specialists needed to give every client the most accurate analysis possible — with no upfront cost to you.

30

Day Listing Agreement

We offer 30-day listing agreements — compared to the industry-standard 1-year contract — because we want you to sell when the time is right for you, not us.

$0

Upfront Fees or Retainers

No retainer fees. No upfront costs. No cancellation penalties. One broker fee, collected only after a transaction successfully closes.

4

In-House Specialty Teams

CPA, real estate, equipment valuation, and market comp — all in-house. No outsourced guesswork, no referral fees, no delays.

♥

We Give Back in Your Name

PTS is a social impact company. A portion of every broker fee is donated to a nonprofit of your choice — in your name, after your transaction closes.

No Obligation · No Strings

Get Your Free Trade Business Prospectus

A CPA-backed valuation benchmarked against real closed transactions — completely free, with no obligation. Whether you’re ready to move or simply want to understand where you stand, this is the right first step.

What’s Included

  • Full market valuation (real closed comps)
  • Underwritten by a specialty trades CPA
  • PE platform vs. strategic buyer comparison
  • Opportunities to improve value before market

My Commitment to You

  • Completely free, always
  • No cancellation penalties — ever
  • All conversations are confidential
  • You decide if and when to act

“You can never start too early or have too much information. The sooner you understand your position, the more options you have.”

Every Conversation Starts Here
Fill out the form and I’ll reach out personally. Every conversation is completely confidential.

Confidential · No obligation · Takes less than 5 minutes

✉️

Thank you for reaching out.

I’ll be in touch personally within one business day. Every conversation is completely confidential.