Sell vs Close A Texas HVAC & Plumbing Business? Exit Timing Strategy For Owners
Key Takeaways Selling is not always the smarter exit — for declining or owner-dependent businesses, a strategic closure often preserves more value than a distressed sale. Texas HVAC and plumbing businesses are valued at 2.0-3.5x SDE for smaller operators and up to 10x EBITDA for multi-location companies, but owner dependence can slash those numbers by 20-50%. The single most important variable in your exit decision is whether your business can operate without you for at least 30 days — buyers pay a premium for that independence. Delay is not a neutral choice — every month spent drifting toward a decision costs real money and shrinks your available options. Core Growth Group works with Texas trades business owners to evaluate exactly these decisions, helping owners run the real numbers before committing to either path. Most Texas HVAC and plumbing owners assume that selling their business is the goal — the reward at the end of years of hard work. But the honest answer is messier than th...