How long does the M&A process take from start to close?+
Most home services M&A engagements run 6–8 months end to end. Discovery, valuation, and exit strategy typically wrap in 2–3 weeks. Business preparation runs 1–3 months, the go-to-market process 2–4 months, and diligence and closing another 1–3 months. Owners who begin the optional Exit Readiness Program 6–24 months ahead of launch typically achieve materially higher multiples than owners who go to market cold.
What EBITDA multiple can a home services business expect?+
Realized multiples in the home services sector generally range from about 3x EBITDA for smaller, owner-dependent operators to 8–11x for larger, professionally managed platforms with strong recurring revenue and clean financials. A well-prepared business almost always trades 1–3 turns of EBITDA higher than an unprepared one of the same size. Multiples vary based on size, service mix, geography, growth rate, customer concentration, and management depth.
Is the Discovery Call really free?+
Yes. The Discovery Call and the follow-on Business Valuation & Exit Readiness Assessment are complimentary. You will leave with a valuation estimate, an exit readiness score, and a recommended timeline — whether or not you decide to engage. There is no obligation and no pressure to move forward.
How is Main Street Wealth compensated?+
We win when you win. The bulk of our compensation is a success fee at closing, tiered by enterprise value: 8–10% under $5M, 6–8% for $5M–$10M, 4–6% for $10M–$25M, 2.5–4% for $25M–$100M, and custom pricing above $100M. Business Preparation carries a fixed engagement fee ($5,000–$25,000) that is typically credited toward the success fee at close. The optional Exit Readiness Program runs $2,500–$7,500 per month and is often creditable toward the success fee.
What is the difference between a business broker and an M&A advisor?+
A business broker typically lists smaller businesses (usually under $2M EBITDA) on marketplaces, works with one or two local buyers, and charges 10–12% success fees. An M&A advisor runs a structured, national process with dozens of vetted private equity, strategic, and family-office buyers, prepares a full Confidential Information Memorandum and financial model, and negotiates deal structure — usually resulting in higher multiples, better terms, and cleaner closings. For lower middle-market home services businesses ($1M+ EBITDA), the M&A advisor path almost always delivers materially higher after-tax proceeds.
What industries do you specialize in?+
We focus on lower middle-market home services and essential service businesses across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, landscaping, pool services, pest control, garage doors, restoration, cleaning, facility services, industrial services, and adjacent trades. Our buyer network is calibrated specifically for these categories — including active roll-up sponsors and strategic acquirers.
What if I am 12–24 months away from selling?+
Our optional Exit Readiness Program is built for you. Over monthly strategy sessions we run a comprehensive valuation, build an enterprise value improvement roadmap, benchmark KPIs, normalize financials, and lock in buyer readiness — so you launch from a position of strength. Program investment is $2,500–$7,500 per month, often creditable toward the success fee at close.
How do you keep the sale confidential?+
Confidentiality is engineered into every step. Initial buyer outreach uses a blind teaser with no identifying details. Buyers sign multi-stage NDAs before receiving the CIM, and again before any customer- or employee-level information is shared. Management meetings happen off-site or under carefully controlled conditions. Most of our sellers close the deal without their team knowing until announcement day.
Who are the typical buyers?+
Our buyer network includes private equity firms (both platform investors building new home services roll-ups and add-on acquirers to existing platforms), strategic buyers (larger operators in adjacent geographies or verticals), family offices (long-hold capital seeking cash-flow businesses), independent sponsors, and public companies. For any given engagement we typically approach 40–120 pre-qualified buyers matched to the business's profile.
What documents will I need for due diligence?+
A well-prepared data room includes 3 years of financials with monthly detail, tax returns, customer/revenue analytics, employee schedules with compensation, fleet and equipment lists, service area maps, contracts (customer, vendor, lease, employment), licenses and insurance, safety records, and a growth story deck. Our Phase 4 Business Preparation builds this data room end-to-end — see our free Sell-Side Data Room Checklist for the full 12-category inventory.
Can I keep some ownership after the sale?+
Yes. Many home services deals — especially with private equity buyers — include a 10–30% rollover, where the seller keeps equity in the larger post-close entity. This "second bite of the apple" often ends up being worth more than the original sale proceeds when the buyer exits their platform 3–7 years later. We routinely engineer rollover structures during Phase 3 (Exit Strategy) and Phase 5 (Offer Optimization).
What if the process fails or a deal falls through?+
Our success fee is only earned at a successful close, so our incentives are aligned. If a deal breaks in diligence (which happens in about 10–15% of processes industry-wide), we typically re-engage the next-best bidder from the process, negotiate on the remaining offers, or reset timing based on why the first deal fell through. The competitive-bidding structure exists precisely so no single buyer can hold the process hostage.