What are your
options as an owner?
You spent years building the business. Deciding how to step back — or cash out — is the biggest financial decision you'll make. Here's every path, from your side of the table.
Every way out
Each path trades off price, control, speed, and legacy differently. There's no single best answer — only the one that fits your goals.
Sell to Private Equity
Sell to a PE-backed roll-up platform — the option drawing the most capital into the trades, and the one with the most misunderstood deal terms.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Sell to your employees through a tax-advantaged trust — under-marketed to the trades despite construction being a top-three ESOP sector.
Family Succession
Transfer the business to the next generation — the classic plan that fails more often from missing structure than from missing willingness.
Management Buyout (MBO)
Sell to your general manager or key employees — continuity for the team, but the buyers rarely have the cash, so structure is everything.
Third-Party / Strategic Sale
Sell to a strategic buyer or competitor, usually through a broker — the broadest market for sub-$1M-EBITDA shops.
Recapitalize or Hold
Take some chips off the table without fully exiting — sell a minority stake, refinance, or simply keep operating with a plan.
Wind Down the Business
Close the business yourself — the right call when a sale doesn't pencil, and far better than a forced close if you plan it.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what matters most and we'll point you to the paths that fit.
Start with the number
Before you can weigh any path, you need a realistic sense of what your business is worth. Get a directional, trade-specific estimate in under a minute.