Sell your auto repair shop, anywhere in North America.

Who this is for

Owners of independent general repair shops, multi-bay service centers, transmission shops, collision and body shops, specialty and quick-lube operations, and franchise locations looking for a resale, whether you're under the hood every day or have a manager and technicians in place, and whether you plan to sell this year or a few years out. Typical deals range from $250K to $10M in enterprise value.

What buyers look at in an auto repair business

• Earnings: SDE or EBITDA, with clean add-backs. Buyers and lenders price the business on what it reliably earns. Aneil builds a seller's discretionary earnings (SDE) or EBITDA view from your books and tax returns, separating legitimate add-backs (owner salary and benefits, one-time expenses, personal vehicles run through the shop) from ones a buyer or lender won't accept.
• Customer and revenue mix. Retail customers, fleet and commercial accounts, insurance work for collision shops, and the mix of maintenance, repair and larger jobs. Buyers will ask how concentrated revenue is in a few accounts and how much of it comes back year after year.
• Technicians and the service writer. Headcount, tenure, certifications, pay structure, and whether your lead technicians and service advisors are likely to stay through a change of ownership. A stable, trained team is much of what a buyer is paying for.
• Owner dependence. If you write every estimate, diagnose the hard jobs and hold every fleet relationship, buyers see risk. The more the shop runs without you, the wider the buyer pool and the stronger the terms.
• The premises and the lease. Most shops lease their building. Buyers focus on the remaining term, renewal options, rent and whether the lease can be assigned, and on bay count, lifts and parking. If you own the real estate, the valuation should treat the property and the business separately.
• Equipment and systems. Lifts, diagnostic tools, frame and paint equipment for body shops, what's owned or financed, and the shop management software that holds your customer and repair history. Good records in your systems support the price.
• Franchise resales. For franchise locations, the franchise agreement, its remaining term, transfer approval and any fees the franchisor requires. Buyers will need to be approved by the franchisor, so it's worth reviewing the transfer terms early.
• Environmental and compliance items. How used oil, fluids, parts and paint materials are handled and documented, and any permits your location needs. Buyers and lenders will ask; plan for it with your attorney. This is not legal advice.

A confidential sale, start to finish

Technicians, customers and nearby competitors should not hear about a sale before you're ready. The process runs in clear steps:

1. Free confidential valuation. Aneil reviews your financials and operations and gives you a realistic range on SDE or EBITDA before you decide anything. See the guide to valuing a small business for how this works.
2. Blind marketing and NDA first. Your shop goes to market under a blind profile without its name. Financials and identifying details are released only after a buyer signs an NDA.
3. Qualified buyers only. Buyers are screened for financial capacity and fit before they ever meet you, your staff or your customers.
4. Letter of intent. Aneil negotiates price, terms, your transition role and contingencies at the LOI stage, before diligence starts.
5. Diligence and closing. He works with your attorney and CPA through diligence and closing. For buyers who need financing, he can introduce SBA 7(a) and conventional acquisition lenders.

Who buys auto repair shops

Buyers include operators and competitors adding bays, locations or fleet accounts, technicians and managers who want to own a shop, individuals who want an established service business, and international buyers, including E-2 treaty investors who need an operating business to qualify. A broker's job is to reach those buyers without exposing the sale, and to tell the serious ones from the curious.

Looking to buy instead? See current listings.

Where we work

Trinmakk represents owners and buyers anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, including Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, the Midwest, Long Island and South Florida. See how a sale runs, read how to value a small business, see current listings, or go back to the Trinmakk Business Brokers home page.

Frequently asked questions

How is an auto repair shop valued?

Most auto repair and service businesses are valued on their earnings, using seller's discretionary earnings (SDE) for smaller owner-operated shops or EBITDA for larger ones, after documented add-backs. Customer and fleet mix, the technician team, owner dependence, the lease, equipment and the quality of your records all move the price up or down. Aneil gives you a free, confidential valuation before you decide anything.

Can I sell my shop if I lease the building?

Yes. Most shops are leased. Buyers will focus on the remaining term, renewal options, rent and whether the lease can be assigned, so Aneil reviews the lease early so it doesn't become a surprise in diligence.

Do you handle franchise resales?

Yes. Trinmakk works with franchise locations as well as independent shops. A franchise resale usually needs the franchisor to approve the buyer and the transfer, so the franchise agreement and its transfer terms are reviewed at the start.

Will my technicians or customers find out I'm selling?

Not from us. The shop is marketed under a blind profile without its name, and identifying details and financials are shared only with buyers who have signed an NDA and shown they can finance the deal. You decide when and how employees and customers are told.

What if the shop depends heavily on me?

That's common in auto repair, and it doesn't stop a sale. Buyers will want to understand your role, and a longer transition period or steps to hand off estimating, diagnostics and key accounts can make the business more transferable. Aneil can help you see where buyers will focus.

Do you work with auto repair shops in Canada?

Yes. Trinmakk represents sellers and buyers anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Wherever the shop is based, the process is the same: confidential valuation, NDA-gated marketing, qualified buyers and negotiation through closing.