Business Broker – Sell Your Business with Confidence
Specializing in Outdoor, Fly Fishing & Lifestyle Business Sales
Trades Business Broker Atlanta | HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical & Landscaping
If you own an HVAC company, plumbing business, electrical contracting firm, or landscaping operation in metro Atlanta and are thinking about selling — you are making this decision at the right time, in the right market, but the window is real.
Travis Bryenton is an Atlanta-based business broker and KW Commercial agent who works with trade business owners in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cherokee counties who are ready to exit, plan their succession, or understand what their company is worth before deciding. As a member of the Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB) and the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), Travis provides a confidential, locally grounded process for trade business owners who want a broker who knows Atlanta — and knows what your facility, your trucks, and your lease are actually worth to a buyer.
The Silver Wave Is Here — And Atlanta Is at the Center of It
The average trade business owner in the United States is 58 years old. Most have no documented succession plan. In metro Atlanta — one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country — that demographic reality meets one of the most active private equity acquisition environments in home services anywhere in the nation.
Wrench Group, founded in Atlanta in 2016 with Coolray Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical as its flagship brand, is now a Leonard Green and Partners portfolio company and one of the largest home services platforms in the United States. Apex Service Partners — the largest residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical platform in the country with more than 75 brands across 46 states — entered the Atlanta market in late 2024 through its acquisition of Anchor Heating and Air Company. Casteel Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical, headquartered in Marietta, is actively acquiring north metro Atlanta tuck-in businesses. Eagle Merchant Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, backs Impact Home Services and Mr. Rooter Plumbing and is explicitly seeking Georgia plumbing acquisitions.
These buyers are not passive. They are actively calling Atlanta-area trade owners, making off-market offers, and running competitive acquisition processes. The question is not whether buyers exist. It is whether you have someone in your corner who understands what your business is actually worth.
What Your Atlanta Trades Business Is Worth in 2026
HVAC companies in metro Atlanta with $1 million or more in adjusted EBITDA are currently trading at 6.0x to 9.0x EBITDA in competitive processes involving PE-backed strategic buyers like Wrench Group, Apex, and Casteel. Sub-$1 million EBITDA HVAC businesses typically trade at 2.0x to 3.5x SDE, with recurring maintenance contract penetration pushing toward the upper end.
Plumbing businesses in Georgia with service-led revenue trade at 5.0x to 8.0x EBITDA for PE-quality companies, or 2.0x to 3.5x SDE for owner-operated businesses. Georgia plumbing contractors are licensed under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 — license transfer planning is a required part of deal structuring for any Georgia plumbing transaction.
Electrical contracting businesses typically trade at 2.5x to 4.0x SDE for residential-focused firms. Georgia electrical contractors are licensed by the State Construction Industry Licensing Board under O.C.G.A. Section 43-41-9 — the qualifying agent structure means license continuity planning must begin before the sale process.
Landscaping and lawn service businesses trade at 2.0x to 3.5x SDE, with recurring maintenance contracts — HOA accounts, commercial property management relationships — commanding the higher end of the range.
Common lease issues Travis identifies before listing:
- Remaining lease term under 3 years with no clear renewal option
- Assignment clauses requiring landlord consent without standard approval timelines
- Personal guarantees that don't include standard release provisions on sale
- Above-market rent reducing net income and SDE calculations
- CAM charges and triple-net structures that aren't normalized in the financial package
The Real Estate Angle Nobody Talks About
Trade businesses are physically dependent on real estate in ways that most business brokers do not fully appreciate until they are in the middle of a sale.
Your HVAC company's truck yard, your plumbing supply storage facility, your electrical contractor's warehouse — these are not incidental details. They are integral parts of what a buyer is acquiring, and how they are structured directly affects deal structure, buyer financing, and final price.
As a KW Commercial agent with a background in tenant representation and commercial lease analysis, Travis Bryenton integrates the real estate component into every trades transaction rather than treating it as a separate problem to hand off. This is a specific advantage over national trades brokers operating from out of state who must refer the real estate component to a local commercial agent — adding cost, coordination complexity, and timeline risk to your sale.
The Succession Problem No One Is Solving
Most trade business owners in Atlanta have spent decades building something real — a customer base, a technician team, a brand in their community. They have assumed one of three succession paths: sell to a family member, sell to a key employee, or sell to a competitor.
All three paths fail more often than they succeed without professional planning. Family succession requires separating business valuation from family relationships — one of the most difficult financial conversations any owner will have. Employee buyouts require SBA financing that most key employees do not know how to access. Competitor sales leak confidential information to someone whose interest may be as much in eliminating competition as in paying fair value.
A structured, confidential sale process — run by a local broker who understands both the business and the commercial real estate — produces better outcomes on all three dimensions: higher sale price, cleaner transition, and protected confidentiality until the deal is done.
Serving Atlanta Trades Business Owners Across the Metro
Travis works with HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping business owners across the full metro Atlanta market including Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Duluth, Lawrenceville, and Peachtree City. If your business is located in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, or Cherokee County, Travis is a local broker who knows your market, your lease landscape, and your buyer pool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my HVAC business worth in Atlanta?
Metro Atlanta HVAC businesses with $1 million or more in adjusted EBITDA are currently trading at 6.0x to 9.0x EBITDA in competitive processes, based on transaction data from named PE buyers active in Georgia, including Wrench Group, Coolray, Apex Service Partners, and Casteel. Sub-$1 million EBITDA HVAC businesses typically sell at 2.0x to 3.5x SDE, with recurring maintenance contract penetration as the primary driver toward the higher end.
How does the Georgia HVAC license affect my sale?
Georgia Conditioned Air Contractors are licensed by the State Construction Industry Licensing Board. The license is held by an individual qualifier — not the business entity. This means a buyer must have their own licensed qualifier in place on day one of closing, or retain yours under a consulting agreement. License transition planning must begin before the sale process, not during due diligence.
Are PE roll-up buyers right for my Atlanta trades business?
Well-prepared trades businesses in Atlanta typically receive qualified offers within 60 to 90 days of going to market. SBA or PE closing timelines add 60 to 120 days from accepted LOI to close, making a total timeline of 4 to 6 months realistic for most transactions.
What happens to my employees when I sell my trades business?
Employee retention is typically a key component of any trades business sale. Buyers understand that a plumbing company without its master plumber or an HVAC company without its lead technicians has significantly less value. Travis structures transition agreements that protect employee relationships and create clear employment continuity for key staff as part of the deal structure.
Travis also works with active lifestyle businesses, medical spas, and Chiropractors across metro Atlanta. See: Sell Your Active Lifestyle Business in Atlanta | Sell Your Baby Boomer Service Business in Atlanta