Business Valuation Multiples by Industry

What a business is actually worth depends heavily on what industry it's in. A landscaping company and a SaaS business with identical earnings trade at very different multiples. This directory covers typical SDE and EBITDA multiples for 18 industries — with the deal math and the specific factors that push valuations up or down in each sector.

Use these ranges to benchmark any asking price. Then plug your numbers into the SDE & EBITDA calculator to compute your own valuation estimate, or the deal stack calculator to model how to fund the acquisition.

Service Businesses

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
HVAC2.5x – 4.5xSDE
Landscaping2.0x – 3.5xSDE
Cleaning service2.0x – 3.5xSDE
Plumbing2.5x – 4.0xSDE
Auto repair2.0x – 3.5xSDE

Food & Hospitality

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
Restaurant1.5x – 3.0xSDE

Retail & Consumer

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
Retail (brick-and-mortar)1.5x – 2.5xSDE
E-commerce2.5x – 4.5xSDE
Car wash5x – 9xEBITDA
Laundromat3.0x – 5.5xSDE
Gym / fitness studio2.0x – 4.0xSDE

Industrial & B2B

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
Manufacturing4x – 7xEBITDA
Distribution / wholesale3x – 6xEBITDA
Construction / contracting2.5x – 4.5xSDE

Professional & Healthcare

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
Accounting / tax practice0.9x – 1.3xRevenue
Healthcare services6x – 10xEBITDA
Professional services (B2B)2.5x – 4.5xSDE

Technology

IndustryTypical multipleMetric
SaaS / software3x – 6xARR

Multiple ranges reflect typical small-to-lower-middle-market transactions. Individual deals vary based on business quality, growth trajectory, customer concentration, and market conditions. Sources: BizBuySell Insight Report, IBBA Market Pulse.