Side by Side
The selected industries compared metric by metric| Metric | HVAC | Landscaping | Car Wash |
|---|
| Typical multipleThe band a business of this type usually sells for. | 2–3.3x SDE | 1.7–3x SDE | 3.2–6.7x SDE |
| SBA charge-off rateHow often SBA change-of-ownership loans on this trade are charged off. | 5.11% | 4.51% | 0.86% |
| Buyable businessesEstablishments in the 5-to-99-employee band a searcher can actually buy. | 44,680 of 111,207 | 33,941 of 117,969 | 9,387 of 19,807 |
| SBA purchase loans, latest yearChange-of-ownership approvals from the federal loan file, the latest complete year against the one before. Blank where no federal row is joined to the trade or the two years hold too few loans to read. | 152 in FY2025, +6% on FY2024 | 131 in FY2025, +11% on FY2024 | 44 in FY2025, +22% on FY2024 |
| Coverage after a managerAt a $500k SDE business priced at the band's middle and financed the SBA way, what is left after the trade's own manager wage, or a general manager's where it has none, over the debt service. | 2.24x after $93,320 | 2.75x after $58,430 | 1.16x after $105,770, under the SBA's 1.25 |
| Changes hands a yearBuyable-band businesses sold a year with SBA financing, nationally, so a floor on all sales. The pool a national search competes for. | ~91 | ~75 | ~27 |
Ranked by Coverage After a Manager
Every trade quoted on SDE, at a $500k SDE business priced at the middle of its band, a 10% injection and a typical 9% rate over 10 years, after the trade's own manager wage, or a general manager's where it has none. The SBA's floor for a purchase is 1.25. A low multiple ranks high here, which is the point: it is what leaves room to pay somebody to run it.
Trades ranked by debt coverage after a market manager wage| Trade | Mid multiple | Manager wage | Coverage |
|---|
| Barbershop | 1.8x | $48,590 | 3.68x |
| Hair Salon | 1.8x | $48,590 | 3.68x |
| ATM Route | 1.6x | $105,770 | 3.67x |
| Courier and Delivery | 1.6x | $107,230 | 3.66x |
| Flower Shop | 1.9x | $48,520 | 3.43x |
| Dog Grooming | 2x | $48,590 | 3.38x |
| Restaurant | 1.9x | $69,390 | 3.25x |
| Convenience Store or Gas Station | 2x | $48,520 | 3.23x |
| Dry Cleaner | 2x | $74,450 | 3.13x |
| Carpet Cleaning | 2.1x | $49,100 | 3.12x |
| Commercial Cleaning | 2.1x | $49,100 | 3.12x |
| Pressure Washing | 2.1x | $49,100 | 3.12x |
| Coffee Shop | 2x | $69,390 | 3.11x |
| Window Cleaning | 2.1x | $58,430 | 3.05x |
| Swim School | 2.3x | $48,590 | 2.93x |
| Locksmith | 2.1x | $79,860 | 2.90x |
| Vending Machine | 2.2x | $62,890 | 2.89x |
| Bakery | 2.2x | $69,390 | 2.83x |
| Gym or Fitness Studio | 2.4x | $48,590 | 2.80x |
| Landscaping | 2.4x | $58,430 | 2.75x |
| Martial Arts Studio | 2.5x | $48,590 | 2.64x |
| Concrete | 2.4x | $79,920 | 2.61x |
| Franchise Resale | 2.6x | $48,520 | 2.59x |
| Painting | 2.5x | $63,780 | 2.58x |
| Driving School | 2.3x | $105,770 | 2.56x |
| Music School | 2.3x | $105,770 | 2.56x |
| Tutoring Center | 2.3x | $105,770 | 2.56x |
| Appliance Repair | 2.4x | $79,860 | 2.52x |
| Handyman | 2.4x | $79,860 | 2.52x |
| Sign | 2.4x | $79,920 | 2.51x |
| Limousine Service | 2.3x | $107,230 | 2.50x |
| Medical Transport | 2.3x | $107,230 | 2.50x |
| Physical Therapy Practice | 2.2x | $123,860 | 2.50x |
| School Bus Contractor | 2.3x | $107,230 | 2.50x |
| Urgent Care Center | 2.2x | $123,860 | 2.50x |
| Drywall | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Fencing | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Finish Carpentry | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Flooring | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Garage Door | 2.5x | $79,860 | 2.49x |
| Glass and Glazing | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Restoration | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.49x |
| Auto Body Shop | 2.5x | $79,860 | 2.48x |
| Auto Glass | 2.5x | $79,860 | 2.48x |
| Auto Repair Shop | 2.5x | $79,860 | 2.48x |
| Security Guard | 2.6x | $55,940 | 2.48x |
| Tire Shop | 2.5x | $79,860 | 2.48x |
| Plumbing | 2.4x | $93,320 | 2.47x |
| Pest Control | 2.3x | $105,770 | 2.46x |
| Excavation | 2.5x | $79,920 | 2.41x |
| Moving | 2.5x | $107,230 | 2.34x |
| Electrical Contracting | 2.6x | $93,500 | 2.33x |
| Pet Boarding & Daycare | 2.9x | $48,590 | 2.29x |
| Paving | 2.5x | $114,990 | 2.28x |
| Roofing | 2.5x | $114,990 | 2.28x |
| Hardware Store | 2.9x | $48,520 | 2.24x |
| HVAC | 2.7x | $93,320 | 2.24x |
| Optometry Practice | 2.5x | $123,860 | 2.20x |
| Staffing Agency | 2.6x | $105,770 | 2.19x |
| Childcare Center | 3x | $59,300 | 2.18x |
| Fire Protection | 2.6x | $114,990 | 2.15x |
| Tree Service | 3x | $58,430 | 2.15x |
| Liquor Store | 3.1x | $48,520 | 2.13x |
| Junk Removal | 3x | $62,890 | 2.12x |
| Septic Service | 3x | $62,890 | 2.12x |
| Electrical Supply House | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Food Distribution | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Foodservice Equipment Dealer | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Industrial Supply Distributor | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Janitorial Supply Distributor | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Plumbing Supply House | 2.7x | $107,230 | 2.11x |
| Veterinary Practice | 2.6x | $123,860 | 2.11x |
| Adult Day Care | 2.9x | $80,390 | 2.10x |
| Dump Truck | 2.9x | $107,230 | 1.96x |
| Trucking | 2.9x | $107,230 | 1.96x |
| Brewery | 3.2x | $74,450 | 1.95x |
| Towing | 3x | $107,230 | 1.94x |
| Pharmacy | 2.7x | $140,910 | 1.93x |
| Machine Shop | 3.3x | $74,450 | 1.90x |
| Home Care Agency | 2.9x | $123,860 | 1.88x |
| Marina | 3.5x | $69,990 | 1.80x |
| E-Commerce | 3.3x | $105,770 | 1.74x |
| Laundromat | 3.6x | $105,770 | 1.60x |
| MSP | 3x | $175,140 | 1.56x |
| Funeral Home | 4.1x | $78,790 | 1.52x |
| SaaS | 3.2x | $175,140 | 1.49x |
| Car Wash | 5x | $105,770 | 1.16x (under the floor) |