Big Business - Tight Returnssmart_display

Published: Apr 16, 2026

High cash flow… but surprisingly little left over.

Big Business - Tight Returns

This roofing company is listed at $5.5M, generating about $1.31M in cash flow on roughly $11M in revenue.

At first glance, that looks like a massive, high-performing business.

But once you run the numbers, the story changes.


Deal Snapshot

IndustryConstruction - Roofing
Revenue$11,000,000
Cash Flow Multiple4.20x
Asking Price$5,500,000
Cash Flow (SDE)$1,310,000
Profit Margin11.9%

Let’s run it through a standard SBA-style scenario.

Financing Overview

Total Acquisition Cost$5,660,789
Loan Amount$5,094,710
Post-Debt Cash Flow$502,076
Down Payment~$566,079 (10%)
Annual Debt Service$807,924
DSCR1.62

After debt, you’re left with about $500K per year.

That sounds like a lot — until you realize you paid $5.5M to get it.


Where It Breaks

This deal has two major problems.

  • Low margin: 11.9% vs ~22.8% industry average.
  • Overpriced: 4.2x vs ~2.2x typical multiple.

You’re paying a premium… for below-average performance.


The Scale Trap

This is where buyers get fooled.

They see $1.3M in cash flow and assume it’s a great deal.

But scale doesn’t equal efficiency.

  • More revenue doesn’t mean better margins.
  • Bigger teams increase complexity.
  • Higher overhead eats into profits.
  • Thin margins amplify risk at scale.

This business is big — but not efficient.


What You're Really Buying

A large operation with tight economics.

  • 22 employees
  • Complex operations
  • Thin margin buffer
  • High execution risk

At this size, small issues become big problems fast.


Industry Reality

Roofing isn’t a low-risk space either.

  • Default rate: ~4.8% vs ~3.6% average.
  • Project variability: Jobs fluctuate.
  • Cost pressure: Labor and materials shift quickly.

Thin margins make all of that worse.


What This Really Is

This is a big business priced like a top-tier operator… without top-tier performance.

  • Strong revenue
  • Weak efficiency
  • High valuation

That combination rarely works out well for buyers.


BizHub Verdict

This deal scores a 4.9 / 10.

Not because roofing is bad — but because you’re paying top dollar for below-average economics.

Big numbers… small margin for error.

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Want to see the original listing? View it here →