Guides to valuing a trade business
Written for owners, accountants and lawyers. Each guide answers its question in the first paragraph, then explains the reasoning, with worked examples where they help.
Industry guides
How Much Is a Plumbing Business Worth in Australia?A plumbing business is worth what its maintainable earnings support after a market wage for the owner. See a worked example and how the work mix changes value.How Much Is an Electrical Business Worth?What an electrical business is worth depends on service versus project revenue, builder concentration, licences and solar exposure. See two businesses compared.How Much Is a Landscaping Business Worth?A landscaping business is worth what its maintainable earnings support. See how maintenance contracts, seasonality, crew utilisation and plant change the value.How Recurring Maintenance Contracts Affect Business ValueRecurring maintenance work lowers risk only if a buyer can keep it. How a valuer weighs contracted, habitual and regulated revenue in a trade business.How Much Is a Building Business Worth?A building business is often worth close to its net assets plus a modest amount for signed work. See a worked example with work in progress and the order book.How Much Is a Civil Contracting Business Worth?A civil contracting business is worth its maintainable earnings across several years of contracts, weighed against its order book. See a worked example.How Much Is a Cleaning Business Worth?A cleaning business is worth what its contracts keep earning once labour is costed correctly. See how notice periods and award compliance change the value.How Much Is a Concreting Business Worth?A concreting business is worth what its maintainable earnings support, checked against plant and defect history. See a worked example and what moves the value.How Much Is a Facilities Maintenance Business Worth?A facilities maintenance business is worth the margin it keeps on managed work, not revenue passed to subcontractors. See a worked example with goodwill.How Much Is a Fencing Business Worth?A fencing business is worth what its earnings support, and a hire fleet is valued on what it earns. See a worked example for install and hire businesses.How Much Is a Fire Services Business Worth?A fire services business is worth the recurring servicing it can show and keep. See how a register of buildings becomes earnings, with a worked example.How Much Is a Lawn Mowing Business Worth?A lawn mowing business is worth what the round earns after a market wage for the owner’s mowing. See a worked example and how density and churn change value.How Much Is a Painting Business Worth?A painting business has little plant, so its value rests on repeat work and who holds the customers. See a worked example and what moves the value.How Much Is a Pest Control Business Worth?A pest control business is worth what its earnings support, tested against its plan base and retention. See a worked example and what moves the value.How Much Is a Pool Business Worth?A pool business is worth its maintainable earnings, with service rounds and construction valued separately. See a worked example and what churn does to value.How Much Is a Roofing Business Worth?A roofing business is worth what its repeatable earnings support after an owner wage. See a worked example covering storm, insurer and builder work.How Much Is a Security Business Worth?A security business is worth its maintainable earnings, and recurring monitoring revenue matters most. See how attrition changes value in a worked example.How Much Is a Solar Business Worth?A solar business is worth the earnings it could keep making in ordinary conditions, not its best year. See a worked example using illustrative figures.How Much Is an Arborist Business Worth?An arborist business is worth what its earnings support after plant renewal and an owner wage. See a worked example and how storm work changes value.How Much Is an Earthmoving Business Worth?An earthmoving business is worth its maintainable earnings, tested against what its plant would realise net of finance. See a worked example.How Much Is an HVAC Business Worth?An HVAC or refrigeration business is worth what its maintainable earnings support. See a worked example and how service agreements and weather change value.
Valuation methods
How Are Trade Businesses Valued?Trade businesses are usually valued on maintainable earnings, with assets as a floor. Learn the methods, enterprise versus equity value and why purpose matters.EBITDA Multiples for Trade BusinessesAn EBITDA multiple puts risk and growth in one number. Learn what it means, why the earnings base matters and why quoted multiples rarely fit trade businesses.How to Value a Business With Heavy Owner DependencyA business that depends on its owner is worth less than one that does not. See how a valuer prices the owner’s role, reflects the risk and what reduces it.Does Equipment Add to the Value of a Business?Equipment sits inside an earnings-based value, not on top of it. See how surplus assets, finance, market value and fleet upkeep are treated, with examples.How Customer Concentration Affects Business ValueCustomer concentration changes the risk behind a profit, not just the profit. How valuers measure it for builder and panel work and reflect it in the price.Business Valuation vs Business AppraisalA broker appraisal estimates the likely sale price. An independent valuation is prepared for a purpose and date. How they differ and when to use each.What Is Goodwill in a Trade Business?Goodwill is the value of a trade business above its net tangible assets. How personal and business goodwill differ, how valuers split them and when it is nil.Tradie Business Valuation: A Plain-English Guide for OwnersWhat a tradie business valuation is, when you need one, how earnings and the owner’s wage set the value, what moves it up or down, and what it costs.Valuing a Business That Uses SubcontractorsHow subcontractors affect the value of a trade business: margin, control, continuity after a sale, questions for your advisers and comparing labour costs.
Preparing for a valuation
How to Prepare a Trade Business for ValuationA practical checklist for owners: separate personal expenses, document your role, split revenue by stream and gather contracts, licences and asset records.What Documents Are Needed for a Business Valuation?The financial, operational and ownership documents a business valuation needs, why each matters and what to do if one is missing. Upload securely after intake.How Much Does a Business Valuation Cost in Australia?Green Standard’s published fees: $1,995 + GST, $1,495 + GST for adviser referrals, complex from $2,995 + GST. What drives the cost and what is included.
Valuation purposes
Valuing a Business Before Selling ItWhy an independent valuation 12 to 24 months before a sale helps: realistic price expectations, the earnings buyers will test, issues to fix and deal structure.Business Valuations for CGTWhen market value matters for capital gains tax on a business: related-party transfers, restructures, small business CGT tests and the 2027 changes.Buying a Trade Business: What to Check Before You PayBuying a trade business? Check normalised earnings, the owner’s role, licences, customers, contracts, fleet, work in progress and staff entitlements first.How to Sell a Trade Business in AustraliaPlan a trade business sale 12 to 24 months out: reduce owner dependency, sort licences, staff and contracts, know your buyers and weigh value against price.
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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.