Buying a plumbing and HVAC company in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida has 17 established plumbing and HVAC companies by our count: companies in business at least 15 years that still file with the state every year and aren't part of a larger group. Of those, 59% have been in business 20 years or more, and at least 12% hold a state license. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

established companies

59%

built over 20+ years

$127k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

12%

hold a state license

What it takes to own one

Plumbing and HVAC companies in Southwest Florida come in every size. Here's what owning one could look like at three levels, from a solid company to one of the leaders, with a small business loan covering most of the price.

A solid company

Earns about: $64,000 a year
Price about: $187,000
Your cash: $26,000
Could pay you: up to $30,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $127,000 a year
Price about: $375,000
Your cash: $53,000
Could pay you: up to $60,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Southwest Florida

Earns about: $266,000 a year
Price about: $784,000
Your cash: $110,000
Could pay you: up to $124,000 a year

Earnings are owner earnings: profit plus what the owner pays themselves, before loan payments and taxes. They and the prices are our estimates from public records, not the owners' figures, and we value companies like these at about 3.0 times a year's owner earnings. Your cash covers the down payment and closing costs, and what the business could pay you is what's left after the loan payments and the cushion lenders require. The more cash you bring, the further up you can go.

Age, size and location

Revenue is our estimate from public records, grouped into wide ranges.

In business	Companies
Under 20 years	7
20 to 29 years	9
30 to 39 years	1
40 years or more	0

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	6
$1M to $2M	2

County	Companies
Lee	7
Manatee	5
Other counties	5

What the best plumbing and HVAC companies have in common

Real cross-selling: a meaningful share of customers who have used both trades, not two businesses that happen to share an office.
Technicians trained to spot work for the other trade, such as an HVAC technician who notices a failing water heater in the same garage.
Membership or maintenance plans that cover both trades and that customers renew.
A capable lead for each trade, since few people are experts in both.
Licensed qualifiers for both trades (the license holders the company works under), ideally not the departing owner, or a clear plan to replace them.
Dispatch, pricing and job costing in one software system, so you can see margins by trade.
Revenue mostly from service and replacement, not from one or two builders.
One brand customers recognize for both trades, rather than two names they don't connect.

What to check before you buy

Which licenses the company actually holds. Look up each qualifier on the DBPR's license search at myfloridalicense.com. A shop that advertises both trades may hold one license and subcontract the other.
Revenue and gross margin by trade. Combined shops often have one strong side carrying a weaker one.
The seasons: how well plumbing work fills the cooler months after the summer air conditioning rush.
Membership plan terms, what's promised in each trade, and whether the promised visits actually happen.
Warranty obligations on system replacements and repipes.
Pay, turnover and key people in each trade, and whether any could leave with customers.
Truck inventory, tools and the age of the fleet on both sides.

Questions to ask the owner

Who qualifies each trade, and what are their plans after a sale?
How much of your revenue is plumbing and how much is HVAC, and how has that mix changed?
How many customers have used both trades in the last two years?
Do your maintenance plans cover both trades, and how many renewed last year?
Who runs each side day to day?
Do you subcontract any work in either trade?
What are your busiest and slowest months, and how do you keep both crews busy?

To learn what these companies do, which licenses they need and how ownership works, read our full guide to buying a plumbing and HVAC company in Florida.

Owning a company in Southwest Florida

The local economy

This region covers Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties on the Gulf coast and Hendry, Glades and DeSoto inland: Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton, LaBelle, Clewiston, Moore Haven and Arcadia. The coastal economy runs on people who choose to live or spend the winter here: retirees, seasonal residents, and the construction, real estate, health care, financial and home services that follow them. Tourism, golf and boating add to it.

Inland, the economy is agricultural: sugarcane around Clewiston, citrus, cattle and vegetables, with Immokalee in Collier County a center for farm work. The building trades, pool, landscaping and pest control companies, property managers, medical and dental practices, and marine businesses tend to do well along the coast.

What's different about owning a company here

This is one of Florida's most seasonal markets. From roughly January through April, restaurants, shops and service companies run at full speed. Summers are slower, so look at monthly revenue, not only the yearly total. The coast has taken two major hurricanes in recent years: Ian came ashore at Cayo Costa in Lee County in September 2022, and Milton at Siesta Key in Sarasota County in October 2024. Rebuilding brought a wave of work for contractors that won't last forever, so ask how much recent revenue came from storm repairs. Insurance costs and flood zones weigh on every property.

Housing costs near the coast make hiring hard, especially around Naples. New communities east of Interstate 75 in Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Manatee keep service companies busy.