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The ContractorExit blog
Plain, practical advice on buying and selling trade businesses in the United States - valuation, the sale process, the legal steps and everything in between.
What Is SDE? Seller's Discretionary Earnings Explained
Seller's discretionary earnings is the number every trade business valuation is built on. Here is the formula, every add-back, and a worked example.
ContractorExit Editorial Team 路 10 Aug 2026 路 10 min read
How Much Is a Pest Control Business Worth in 2026?
How much is a pest control business worth? Quarterly route businesses reach 3x-5x SDE, the highest multiple in home services, on recurring route revenue.
3 Aug 2026 路 12 min read
How Much Is a Cleaning Business Worth in 2026?
How much is a cleaning business worth? Most sell at 2x-3.5x SDE - but the contract is the asset, and commercial agreements push good ones past 4x.
27 Jul 2026 路 12 min read
How Much Is a Roofing Company Worth in 2026?
How much is a roofing company worth? BizBuySell data shows a 2.99x SDE median - storm-chaser shops land near 2x, service-oriented roofers reach 3.5x or above.
20 Jul 2026 路 11 min read
How Much Is a Landscaping Business Worth in 2026?
How much is a landscaping business worth? Most sell for 2x to 3.5x SDE - and the maintenance vs design-build split is the biggest factor moving that number.
13 Jul 2026 路 10 min read
How Much Is an Electrical Business Worth in 2026?
How much is an electrical business worth? Most sell for 2x to 3.5x SDE - and the master electrician license structure is the biggest factor moving that number.
6 Jul 2026 路 11 min read
How Much Is a Plumbing Business Worth in 2026?
How much is a plumbing business worth? Service plumbing with maintenance contracts sells at 2.5x-3.5x SDE, new-construction at 1.5x-2.5x SDE.
29 Jun 2026 路 11 min read
How Much Is an HVAC Business Worth in 2026?
How much is an HVAC business worth? Small shops sell at 2x-3.5x SDE, established firms at 5x-7x EBITDA - the maintenance agreement base drives the gap.
22 Jun 2026 路 11 min read
Blue Collar Business Valuation: How Trades Are Priced
Blue collar business valuation explained: SDE vs EBITDA, typical multiple ranges by trade, and the seven factors that move your final price.
15 Jun 2026 路 17 min read
How to Buy a Blue Collar Business: The Complete Guide
How to buy a blue collar business: where to find deals, value them, fund the acquisition, run due diligence, and survive the first 90 days.
10 Jun 2026 路 19 min read
How to Sell a Blue Collar Business: The Complete Guide
How to sell a blue collar business: what it's worth, how to prepare, where buyers come from, how deals are structured, and how to close cleanly.
10 Jun 2026 路 12 min read
How to value a trade business (without overthinking it)
Profit multiples, what moves the number up or down, and why recurring revenue is worth more than you think.
2 Jun 2026 路 6 min read
Selling your business: what actually happens, step by step
From first valuation to completion - the real timeline, who does what, and where deals usually slow down.
28 May 2026 路 8 min read
Why blind listings protect you (and your staff)
Selling quietly matters. Here's how a blind listing keeps your customers, crew and competitors out of it.
19 May 2026 路 4 min read
Buying your first trade business: a buyer's checklist
What to look for in the numbers, the questions to ask, and the red flags that should give you pause.
12 May 2026 路 7 min read
Do I really need a broker and a lawyer to sell?
Short answer: yes, and here's the long answer on what each one does and why it pays for itself.
5 May 2026 路 5 min read
Getting your books sale-ready before you list
Clean numbers sell businesses faster and for more. The simple tidy-up that makes buyers comfortable.
28 Apr 2026 路 6 min read
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