Services

Sell an HVAC, Plumbing
or Trade Business

John and Justin Kelly represent owners of HVAC, plumbing, electrical and other trade companies in South Jersey, including the shop, warehouse or yard that goes with them.

Work With Us The Process
John Kelly and Justin Kelly, The JK Realty Group business brokers in New Jersey

Step by Step

How the sale
works

Pricing the Company

A trade company is priced from what it earns, the maintenance and service-agreement customers it keeps, its vehicles and equipment, and what similar companies have sold for.

Quiet Marketing

Qualified buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before they see the company name or its numbers. Technicians, customers and competitors are not told.

Licenses and Records

Buyer and seller go through contracts, service agreements, vehicle titles and licensing with their attorney and accountant. We raise licensing early, because trade licenses are often held by an individual.

Closing

The company sale and the building or lease close together, and we coordinate the handoff with your attorney.

20+Years of Experience
NJLic# 1866027
PALic# RB069294
NDABefore Details Are Shared

Business Sales

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or Justin

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Business Sales

A Trade Company Sale Includes
More Than the Trucks

Services

Selling an HVAC or Trade Business in NJ

Valuation Opinion

An opinion of what the company could sell for, based on earnings, recurring customers, equipment and sales of similar trade companies.

Confidential Marketing

Buyers who qualify and sign an NDA see the company. Your technicians and customers hear about the sale from you, when you decide.

Building or Lease Plan

We lay out both routes: sell the company and the building together, or sell the company and lease the building to the buyer.

Buyer Search

We also represent buyers looking for an established trade company, including contractors who want to add a service line or a second location.

Records and Paperwork

Your accountant and attorney go through the financials, service agreements, vehicle and equipment lists and leases. We coordinate it.

Transition Planning

If you are retiring, we help plan how long you stay on to introduce customers and the team to the new owner.

The Shop, the Yard and the Customers

Much of the value in a trade company sits in repeat customers, service agreements, the vehicles and equipment, and the people who run the jobs. The shop, warehouse or yard is the other piece, and some owners hold it personally or in a separate entity.

That is why the sale can be set up as the company alone with a lease, or as the company and the building together. We lay out both so you can weigh them with your accountant and attorney. If the yard is large, it may also draw interest as industrial outdoor storage (see our industrial outdoor storage page).

We work alongside your attorney and accountant. The brokerage is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Markets

Counties We
Work In

Gloucester CountyNew Jersey Camden CountyNew Jersey Burlington CountyNew Jersey Cumberland CountyNew Jersey Salem CountyNew Jersey Greater PhiladelphiaPennsylvania

Business Types

Other Business
Types We Sell

Business BrokerageAll business types Pool and SpaSell with the building Auto Repair and Car WashSell with the building Restaurant, Bar and Liquor StoreSell with the building Landscaping and Contractor YardsSell with the building Daycare and Medical PracticesSell with the building Industrial Outdoor StorageYards and land Commercial Real EstateBuildings and leases

Common Questions

Trade Company
FAQs

Can I sell my HVAC or plumbing company and keep the building?+
Yes. Owners often sell the company and lease the building to the buyer, and others sell both together. Which fits depends on your goals, taxes and the buyer's financing, so your accountant and attorney should weigh in.
What do buyers look at in a trade company?+
Earnings, how much of the revenue comes from repeat service and maintenance customers compared with one-time jobs, the age and condition of vehicles and equipment, and what happens to the business if the owner steps back.
Does my contractor license transfer to a buyer?+
Trade licenses in New Jersey are generally tied to a licensed individual and the board that issued them, not only to the company. A buyer's licensing is worth confirming early with your attorney and the licensing board.
Will my employees and customers know about the sale?+
Not before a buyer is qualified and signs an NDA. The company is described without being named until then, so the work and the team carry on as usual.
Do you also help people buying a trade company?+
Yes. We represent buyers looking for an established company, and we handle the building or lease that goes with it.
What is the Consumer Information Statement (CIS) and when will I receive it?+
It is the form that shows how an agent can work with you in New Jersey: representing the seller, representing the buyer, transaction brokerage or disclosed dual agency (one brokerage representing both sides, with written consent). You get it from us at the start, before we discuss your transaction and before you share confidential information. It is covered in N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.9.
Are real estate commissions negotiable?+
Yes. Real estate commissions in New Jersey are negotiable, and the amount is agreed between you and the brokerage. We talk about compensation at the start.

Next Step

Ready when
you are

Work with John & Justin

John Kelly, Broker(609) 790-6079 mobile  ·  (856) 681-4024 office
Justin Kelly, Broker-Associate(609) 444-9704 mobile  ·  (856) 681-4025 office

Reach out to our team. You're welcome to call, or send a note and we'll respond personally.

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