Strong Industry - Broken Dealsmart_display

Published: May 25, 2026
thumb_up_alt

Great business model. Completely wrong price.

Strong Industry - Broken Deal

This commercial HVAC business is listed at $4M, generating $3.6M in revenue and $650K in cash flow.

On the surface, it checks all the boxes - recurring service contracts, commercial clients, and steady demand.

But once you run the numbers, the deal falls apart.


Deal Snapshot

Asking Price$4,000,000
Cash Flow$650,000
Profit Margin18.1%
Revenue$3,600,000
Cash Flow Multiple6.15x

After Financing

Here is what you actually take home:

Annual Debt Service$520,000
DSCR1.14
Net Cash Flow$130,000

You are buying a $4M business… to make about $130K per year.

That is the entire issue.


Where It Breaks

This deal is priced far above what the performance justifies.

  • 6.15x cash flow multiple vs ~2.5x industry average
  • 18% margin vs ~25% industry average
  • Only $130K post-debt cash flow
  • DSCR at 1.14, below lender comfort levels

They are pricing this like a top-tier HVAC operator — but the numbers don’t support it.


Financing Reality

At a standard 10% down payment, this deal does not meet SBA requirements.

To make it work, you would need to increase your equity to over 20% — around $800K.

So now you're putting in nearly a million dollars… to earn $130K.

That is not leverage — that is dead capital.


What Looks Good

This is not a bad business.

  • Recurring commercial service contracts
  • Strong demand driven by climate and real estate
  • Established team and referral network
  • Seller financing available

HVAC is one of the most stable, recession-resistant service industries.

But even great businesses become bad deals at the wrong price.


What This Really Is

This is a solid HVAC company priced like an elite one.

  • Good industry
  • Decent business
  • Severely overpriced entry point

And price is what determines your return.


BizHub Verdict

This deal scores a 2.9 / 10.

Not because HVAC is weak — but because the valuation completely breaks the deal.

Great industry. Bad entry price.

Want to pressure test deals like this? Run your numbers →

Read more at the original source →