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Sell My Plumbing Business in Florida: Find the Right Broker

By Remi Taffin · June 15, 2026 · Updated October 31, 2026

To sell your plumbing business in Florida, start with a broker who has closed plumbing deals here, knows how buyers price service work against new construction, and can get more than one buyer interested. A generalist broker can list your business. A broker who knows Florida plumbing can get buyers competing for it.

If you want the full picture first, including what happens to your license, start with our guide to selling a plumbing business in Florida.

Nationally, plumbing businesses sold on BizBuySell from 2021 to 2025 went for a median of 2.24 times owner earnings, with half selling between 1.66x and 3.15x (BizBuySell). Where your business lands in that range depends on its size, its work mix, and which buyers see it. Getting it in front of the right buyers is the broker’s job.

Key Takeaways

  • Nationally, plumbing businesses sold for a median of 2.24x owner earnings from 2021 to 2025, and the median sale price rose 46% from 2022 to 2025 (BizBuySell).
  • PE platforms are actively acquiring Florida plumbing businesses. P3 Services (Stellex Capital-backed) acquired two Jacksonville plumbing companies in 2024. Shore Capital partnered with Sarasota-based Ackerman Plumbing. Southeastern Home Services acquired Pro-Team Plumbing in Lakeland.
  • Service-and-repair revenue usually earns a higher multiple than new-construction revenue, because it repeats. Your work mix matters as much as your top-line revenue.
  • About 29,250 people work as plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Florida, and that number is projected to grow 14% by 2034 (O*NET). Good techs are hard to find, so your technician bench is a core asset buyers pay for.
  • A broker who has never sold a plumbing business will not know how to recast your financials for the right buyer or run a process that reaches the right buyers.

Table of Contents

Why selling a plumbing business in Florida is different

Florida is one of the most active plumbing markets in the country. Population growth, hurricane recovery work, and a strong residential construction pipeline have driven sustained demand. About 29,250 people work as plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Florida. That number is projected to grow 14% from 2024 to 2034, about double the 7% national projection (O*NET, Florida employment trends).

That growth creates a problem for buyers: finding and keeping licensed plumbers is hard. The licensed technician workforce in Florida is tight. In the Associated General Contractors of America 2026 outlook survey, nearly three in 10 construction firms said immigration enforcement had affected their workforce in the prior six months, with contractors in the South reporting the biggest impact (Roofing Contractor summary). That shortage makes your existing, licensed, tenured plumbing crew a genuine asset, not a line item.

The residential-versus-commercial split in your book also shapes your sale in ways that don’t apply to other businesses. Residential service-and-repair revenue is predictable. Commercial new-construction revenue is tied to housing starts and building permits. Buyers price those two revenue streams differently, and Florida’s fast-growing but cyclical new-construction market makes that distinction especially important here.

Private equity has noticed. P3 Services, backed by Stellex Capital, acquired six plumbing and septic companies in 2024, including Bob’s Backflow & Plumbing Services and Rolland Reash Plumbing in Jacksonville (PrivSource). Shore Capital Partners partnered with Ackerman Plumbing in Sarasota in January 2025 (Business Wire). Southeastern Home Services, backed by WhitneyWilder, acquired Pro-Team Plumbing in Lakeland. These are not distant, coastal deals. They are happening across the state.

For a broader picture of how Florida’s trades business sale market works, this overview of what plumbing, HVAC, and trades owners need to know about selling is a good starting point.

What a good plumbing broker actually does

A broker who knows plumbing does not just list your business and wait. They build a process that creates competition among the right buyers for your specific business.

That starts with recasting your financials correctly. Plumbing businesses often run significant owner benefits through the P&L: personal vehicles, cell phones, owner family salaries, and equipment purchases that a new owner would not replicate. A broker who knows the industry will identify every add-back that a buyer’s accountant will accept, and present your adjusted earnings in a way that holds up in due diligence. Sloppy add-back work is one of the most common reasons deals fall apart or reprice late.

The broker then identifies the right buyer pool. For a Florida plumbing business, that pool typically includes:

  • PE platforms actively rolling up home services in the Southeast, where your business becomes part of a larger regional operation and the price can be significantly higher than an individual sale
  • Individual buyers using SBA 7(a) financing, who usually pay around 2x to 3x owner earnings and are looking for a well-run operation they can step into and run
  • Strategic buyers, meaning other plumbing or home services businesses in Florida that want to expand their footprint or add your crew and customer base

Each of these buyer types requires a different pitch, different deal structure, and different set of representations. A broker who only knows the SBA individual buyer market will leave PE interest on the table. A broker who only speaks PE language may not know how to close with an individual buyer if PE doesn’t bite.

How the sale works, step by step

Most plumbing sales follow the same six steps:

  1. Valuation. The broker recasts your books and gives you a price range.
  2. Prep. You gather your records and settle who holds the license after you.
  3. Quiet marketing. The broker sends buyers a short profile that leaves out your name.
  4. Offers. Buyers who sign a confidentiality agreement see your numbers and send a letter of intent.
  5. Due diligence. The buyer checks your books, crew, trucks, and customers.
  6. Closing and handoff. You get paid and help the new owner for an agreed time.

What happens at each stage, and what to look for in the listing agreement, is covered in how to work with a business broker.

How the sale stays confidential

Your crew, customers, and competitors don’t need to know until you’re ready. A good broker never puts your name on the listing, and buyers sign a confidentiality agreement before they learn who you are. Read what that agreement should cover and what happens to your employees when you sell.

What to have ready before you call a broker

You don’t need everything on day one. But the first meeting goes much better with these in hand:

  • Three years of tax returns and P&Ls, with service, new construction, and commercial work split out
  • A list of your plumbers with tenure, pay, and license level
  • A name for the license. Who qualifies the business after you
  • A truck and equipment list with age and what’s still financed
  • Your top customers and what share of sales each one is

Our guide to selling a plumbing business in Florida explains why buyers ask for each one.

What separates a plumbing specialist from a generalist broker

A generalist broker knows how to run a sale process. A broker with plumbing experience knows what breaks plumbing deals and how to prevent it.

The most common deal-breakers in plumbing sales are:

  • Licensing transfer issues. Florida requires a licensed qualifier to be attached to a plumbing contractor’s license. If you are the only licensed qualifier in your business, a buyer cannot operate without solving that first. A broker who knows this will raise it early and help structure a solution, whether that is an employment agreement with you post-close, a partner in the business who can qualify, or a buyer who brings their own qualifier.
  • Owner dependency. If you are the primary relationship for your commercial accounts, those accounts may not transfer. A broker with plumbing experience will help you begin transitioning commercial relationships before going to market, because buyers will discount or escrow around this risk.
  • Revenue quality presentation. Buyers who want predictability pay more for residential service-and-repair revenue than for new-construction revenue, which rises and falls with housing starts. A broker who does not understand this distinction will let a buyer lump your revenue together and price it at the lower multiple.

A generalist may close the deal. A plumbing-experienced broker will close a better deal.

Questions to ask before you hire any broker

Before you sign a listing agreement, you should be able to get straight answers to these questions. If a broker gets vague on any of them, that is a signal worth taking seriously.

About their track record:

  • How many plumbing businesses have you closed in Florida in the last three years?
  • Who were the buyers: PE platforms, individual buyers, or strategic acquirers?
  • What was the revenue range of those businesses?

About your specific situation:

  • How does my residential-versus-commercial mix affect how you’ll price and present this business?
  • Who is the licensed qualifier on my plumbing contractor’s license, and how will we handle that in a sale?
  • Which PE platforms are actively buying Florida plumbing businesses right now?

About the process:

  • How many buyers will you approach, and how will you find them?
  • How do you handle a situation where one buyer tries to retrade the price after due diligence?
  • What does your fee structure look like, and when does your engagement end?

A broker who has sold plumbing businesses before will answer all of these specifically. A broker who hasn’t will be general and reassuring without giving you a real answer.

For a broader list of questions worth asking any broker before you hire them, this guide on what to ask a business broker covers the fundamentals.

Plumbing businesses we work with across Florida

Florida is not one plumbing market. The buyer pool, revenue mix, and deal dynamics vary significantly by region. Here is where we see the most activity.

Tampa Bay (Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg)

Tampa Bay is one of Florida’s largest plumbing markets. Residential service-and-repair work in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties is strong year-round. New construction plumbing in Pasco County and East Hillsborough adds a significant installation component for many businesses. PE-backed buyers are active nearby, including Southeastern Home Services’ purchase of Pro-Team Plumbing in Lakeland.

Orlando and Central Florida

Orlando’s plumbing market is driven by sustained residential construction across Orange, Lake, and Osceola counties, alongside a large hotel and commercial service market. Businesses with a mix of residential service and commercial maintenance contracts are particularly attractive to buyers because the revenue is less tied to any single construction cycle.

South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach)

South Florida’s plumbing market is more commercial-heavy than Tampa or Orlando. High-rise residential renovation, hotel maintenance, and commercial property management contracts are the core revenue drivers. Deals here often involve more complex client concentrations, which require careful financial presentation to buyers and experienced broker representation.

Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

Jacksonville is a growing plumbing market with expanding residential development west into Clay and Nassau counties. Lower cost-of-doing-business than South Florida and a younger housing stock drive consistent residential service demand. PE buyers are here too: P3 Services bought two Jacksonville plumbing companies in 2024.

Southwest Florida (Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples)

Shore Capital Partners acquired Sarasota-based Ackerman Plumbing, and Southeastern Home Services acquired Pro-Team Plumbing in Lakeland, both deals reflecting active PE buyer interest in Southwest and Central Florida. The high-income residential base in Sarasota and Naples supports premium service contract rates and strong recurring revenue profiles that attract buyers.

How The Owner’s Shortlist matches plumbing owners with brokers

The Owner’s Shortlist does not represent brokers. It matches Florida plumbing owners with brokers who have actually sold plumbing businesses.

When you reach out, we ask about your business: revenue size, residential versus commercial mix, whether you have a licensed master plumber on staff, and what timeline you’re working with. From there, we match you with brokers who have relevant deal experience and are actively working with buyers in your segment. You don’t have to interview six people to find one who knows the territory.

Find the best broker to sell your plumbing business in Florida.

Who wrote this: The Owner's Shortlist is not a broker and doesn't sell businesses. We get paid the same no matter which specialist we introduce you to. More about how we work.

Common questions owners ask

Who are the best brokers for selling a plumbing business in Florida?
There is no single best broker. The right broker has closed plumbing deals in Florida before, understands the difference between residential service revenue and new-construction work, and knows which buyers are active right now. That can include larger groups, individual buyers using SBA loans, and local competitors. The Owner's Shortlist matches Florida plumbing owners with brokers who meet those specific criteria. You can describe your business at theownersshortlist.com/find-a-business-broker/ and we'll identify a fit.
What is a plumbing business worth in Florida?
There is no public Florida-only data, but national numbers give a good starting point. Plumbing businesses sold on BizBuySell from 2021 to 2025 went for a median of 2.24 times owner earnings, and half sold between 1.66x and 3.15x. Larger businesses, above about $2 million in revenue, can sell for more than 3x. Service-and-repair work with maintenance agreements usually earns a higher multiple than new construction work, because it repeats. Your specific mix of residential service, commercial service, and new construction work drives that number more than almost anything else.
Do I need a broker who specializes in plumbing businesses?
Not necessarily a plumbing-only specialist, but you need a broker who has actually sold plumbing businesses. Ask how many plumbing or home services deals they have closed in Florida in the last three years. Ask who the buyers were. A broker who knows which buyers are active in Florida right now will reach a very different buyer pool than a generalist who posts a listing and waits.
How long does it take to sell a plumbing business in Florida?
Most Florida plumbing sales take 6 to 12 months from going to market to closing. The timeline depends on how quickly your financials can be organized, how complex the licensing transfer is, and whether a PE buyer or an individual buyer makes the most sense. Deals with clean books and a stable technician base tend to close faster. Deals where the owner is the only licensed master plumber take longer because buyers need to solve that problem before they can close.
Can I keep running my plumbing business while it's for sale?
Yes. Almost every owner does, and you should. If sales slip while the business is on the market, buyers notice and the price can drop. The broker handles buyer calls, questions, and paperwork so you can keep running jobs.
Will my plumbers or customers find out I'm selling?
Not unless you choose to tell them. The listing doesn't name your business, and buyers sign a confidentiality agreement before they learn who you are or see your numbers. Many owners tell a key person or two shortly before closing and the rest of the crew at closing.
Can I sell my plumbing business if the license is in my name?
Yes. In Florida the contractor license belongs to you, not the company, so it doesn't go to the buyer. After you leave, the business has 60 days to name a new licensed qualifier. Most deals solve it with the buyer's own license holder, one of your licensed plumbers, or you staying on for a set time.

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