Paths that let you hand over the keys and step back, ranked by how much certainty vs. price each one gives you.
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.
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.