What is your trade business really worth?
Green Standard provides independent business valuations for trades, contractors and field-service businesses across Australia.
From plumbing and electrical businesses to landscaping, construction and civil contracting, we understand the operational factors that drive value beyond the financial statements.
Independent. Evidence-based. Australia-wide.
- 20Trades and field-service industries covered
- $1,995+ GSTFixed fee, agreed in writing before work starts
- 3 to 7Business days, typically, once your information is in
- 8States and territories, served Australia-wide
- Draft firstYou review the report before anything is final
A plumbing business isn’t valued like a software company
Trade and service businesses have their own valuation issues.
A business may show strong profits but depend heavily on the owner. Another may generate modest reported earnings while holding highly valuable recurring maintenance contracts, skilled employees, licences, plant and transferable customer relationships.
Green Standard considers what actually drives the economic value of the business.
Recurring revenue
Maintenance agreements, service schedules and repeat customers.
Owner dependency
How much revenue, technical expertise and customer goodwill depends personally on the owner.
Workforce
Employees, subcontractors, qualifications, licences and operational capacity.
Customer concentration
Reliance on builders, commercial clients, government work or individual contracts.
Plant & equipment
Vehicles, machinery, specialist equipment and other operating assets.
Transferable goodwill
Whether customer relationships, systems, workforce and reputation can continue under new ownership.
Built for businesses that work in the real world
Each industry page sets out the factors we examine for that kind of business: the revenue streams, licences, labour model, customers and equipment that decide whether its profits would continue under another owner.
PlumbingMaintenance and service revenue, licence dependency, builder concentration, fleet.
ElectricalService and maintenance mix, licence structure, builder concentration, solar exposure.
ConstructionLicence and nominee, work in progress, order book, fixed-price risk, insurance eligibility.
LandscapingMaintenance versus project work, strata and commercial contracts, crew utilisation, plant, seasonality.
EarthmovingPlant and utilisation, wet and dry hire, operators, earnings reconciled to asset value.
Civil ContractingPrequalification and panels, order book, contract margin volatility, work in progress.
We value the business behind the numbers.
We examine the earnings, assets, workforce, customers and operating risks that determine whether the business’s profits are transferable. Then we apply the methodology that suits the business and the purpose of the valuation, and cross-check the result.
- 1Reported earningsThe profit in the financial statements, as prepared for tax and compliance.
- 2Normalised earningsAdjusted for the owner’s market wage, related-party costs and one-off items.
- 3Maintainable earningsWhat a new owner could reasonably expect to keep, tested against the operating risks.
- 4ValueAn appropriate methodology applied, cross-checked, and concluded as a range and a figure.
Published fees. Fixed before work begins
Most established trade businesses are valued for the standard fee. If your matter has more moving parts, we tell you before you commit, and confirm the fee in writing.
Independent Business Valuation
$1,995+ GST
For established trade and field-service businesses requiring an independent valuation.
- Review of financial information
- Normalisation of earnings
- Valuation methodology selected for the business and purpose
- Industry and business risk assessment
- Consideration of plant, vehicles and equipment
- Owner dependency assessment
- Goodwill analysis
- Valuation range and conclusion
- Professionally prepared valuation report
- Draft provided before finalisation
Accountant and Adviser Partner
$1,495+ GST
For accountants and professional advisers who refer valuation matters regularly.
- Streamlined client onboarding
- Adviser kept informed with client authority
- Independent report addressed to the client
- Secure document portal for the client
- Repeat-client workflow
- Partner pricing on every referred matter
Complex Valuations
From$2,995+ GST
For matters with more moving parts. Quoted as a fixed fee in writing before work begins.
- Multiple entities or divisions
- Significant plant and equipment
- Unusual ownership structures
- Partnership and shareholder disputes
- Complex normalisations
- Significant customer concentration
- Historical valuation dates
Fees are fixed and confirmed in writing before work begins.
A clearer way to value your business
Typical turnaround is 3 to 7 business days once all required information has been received. Matters with several entities or historical dates can take longer, and we tell you when we confirm the scope.
- 01
Tell us about the business
Complete a short valuation intake.
- 02
Upload your information
Financial statements and supporting information are securely uploaded through the client portal.
- 03
We analyse the business
We review earnings, operating structure, industry characteristics, risks, assets and transferable goodwill.
- 04
Valuation prepared
Appropriate valuation methodologies are applied and the evidence is documented.
- 05
Draft and final report
You receive a draft before the report is finalised.
A report you can follow from the numbers to the conclusion
Every valuation is set out in a written report: the engagement and purpose, the business and its industry, the financial analysis and normalisation, the operating risks, the methodology and calculations, the cross-checks and the conclusion, with the assumptions and limitations stated.
You see a draft first. The reasoning is written for the people who will rely on it: you, your accountant, a co-owner or a lawyer.
Illustrative layout
Owners, their advisers, and the people on the other side of the table
Business owners
For a sale, a restructure, succession, CGT, a shareholder or partner change, estate planning or simply to know where you stand.
Accountants
Independent valuation evidence for your clients, with you kept informed throughout and partner pricing on referred matters.
Lawyers
Valuations for shareholder and partnership disputes, family law property matters and commercial transactions, scoped to the instructions.
Buyers and sellers
An independent view of value before you list, negotiate or sign, with the normalised earnings a buyer will test set out plainly.
Straight answers
What does a business valuation cost?
An Independent Business Valuation costs $1,995 + GST for an established trade or field-service business. Accountants and advisers who refer matters regularly pay $1,495 + GST per valuation. Matters with multiple entities, disputes, significant plant or historical dates are quoted from $2,995 + GST. Every fee is fixed and confirmed in writing before work begins. See pricing.
How long does a valuation take?
Typical turnaround is 3 to 7 business days once we have received all the information we need. You receive a draft before the report is finalised. Complex matters, such as several entities or a historical valuation date, can take longer, and we tell you the expected timing when we confirm the scope.
Can you value a business anywhere in Australia?
Yes. Green Standard values businesses in every state and territory. The work is done remotely: you complete an online intake, upload documents through a secure client portal, and we speak by phone or video. The fee is the same wherever the business operates. See business valuations across Australia.
What financial information do you need?
Usually profit and loss statements and balance sheets for the last three years and the current year to date, tax returns where relevant, payroll information, and schedules of vehicles, plant and equipment. For trade businesses we also ask for revenue by service line, major customers and recurring contracts. We send a specific list after the intake. Our guide to documents needed for a valuation explains why each item matters.
Do you value businesses that depend heavily on the owner?
Yes, and most trade businesses depend on their owner to some degree. We deduct a market cost for the work the owner does, then assess how much of the customer relationships, licences and know-how would transfer to someone else. Owner dependency usually reduces value; it rarely makes a business impossible to value. See valuing a business with owner dependency.
Can you value a business for CGT purposes?
Yes. We prepare valuations used for capital gains tax matters, including transfers between related parties, restructures and the small business concessions. We do not give tax advice: whether you need a valuation, at which date and for which assets is a question for your accountant or tax adviser, and we work to their brief. See valuations for CGT.
Can my accountant deal directly with you?
Yes. With your authority, your accountant or adviser can provide information, receive updates and discuss the draft with us. The report remains independent and is addressed to you or as the engagement requires. Accountants who refer matters regularly can join the adviser partner program.
Do vehicles and equipment form part of the valuation?
Yes, but usually not as an extra amount on top. Where a business is valued on its earnings, the vehicles and equipment needed to produce those earnings are part of that value. Surplus assets are added separately, finance owing is deducted, and in asset-heavy businesses the market value of plant can set a floor under the value. See does equipment add to business value.
What if my business operates through multiple entities?
We can value businesses that operate through several entities, such as a trading company, a family trust that owns the equipment and a related entity that owns the premises. The engagement sets out which interests are being valued and how the entities fit together. These are usually quoted as a Complex Valuation, from $2,995 + GST.
Start with a short intake. We confirm the fee and scope in writing.
An Independent Business Valuation is $1,995 + GST, with a draft before the report is finalised. Typical turnaround is 3 to 7 business days once all required information has been received.