Similar businesses sell at 1.5x to 5.1x SDE. Compare live listings and connect with sellers.
National transaction benchmarks for automotive and boat business businesses.
Under $500K
$500K to $2M
Over $2M
A variety of factors can cause businesses to trade outside this range, including earnings quality, operational transferability, key-person risk, growth trajectory, and geography, so a listing priced above or below the typical multiple usually reflects real differences in the underlying business.
Cofounder & CEO
Key diligence, valuation, financing, and transition considerations for buyers evaluating automotive and boat business acquisitions.
Gas stations, repair shops, and car washes handle fuel, solvents, and wastewater, and remediation can run six or seven figures. A Phase I, tank records, and permit history tell you whether you're buying a business or a cleanup.
Lifts, wash tunnels, fuel systems, and lined tanks have finite lives and expensive replacements. Ask age, maintenance history, and what's been deferred.
Much of an automotive business is its corner — traffic, access, and a transferable lease. A great shop on a short or non-assignable lease is a problem you inherit.
A repair shop with a loyal service base is worth more than a lot living on deal volume. Get the repeat-customer rate, not just the top line.
Dealer licenses, certified techs, and manufacturer or fuel-brand agreements may not transfer automatically. Confirm what passes and what you must re-earn.
In smaller shops the owner is the master tech and the relationships. Identify who holds the skill and the customers and what retention looks like after close.
Answers to common buyer questions for this market.
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