Orchardshore Advances matches plumbing and HVAC business loan requests from Cleburne, Texas contractors with funding partners. This page covers buying a plumbing or HVAC company, working capital for equipment carried before installs are paid, parts stock, service vans and plumbing equipment, and the county's trade counts.
At a glance
- Plumbing, heating and AC contractors, Johnson County, TX
88, with 702 employees (NAICS 238220, CBP 2023)
- Annual payroll
$40.5 million (CBP 2023)
- Plumbing and HVAC businesses without paid employees
251 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024)
How to Buy a Plumbing Business: Trucks, Service Agreements and the Seller's Books
A plumbing company for sale brings trucks, tools, a phone number customers know, service agreements and technicians. Partners look at the seller's tax returns, revenue split between service, new construction and remodel work, the age of the fleet, and whether the license holder stays. Licensing requirements belong to the state; confirm with the licensing board how ownership changes affect the license.
County Business Patterns counted 88 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors with paid employees in Johnson County, TX in 2023, the most numerous six-digit industry in the county after limited-service restaurants and religious organizations. They employed 702 people with $40.5 million in payroll; exactly half had fewer than five employees.
What Buying an HVAC Business Costs Beyond the Asking Price
- Working capital to carry payroll and parts in the first months under new ownership.
- Replacing aging vans or diagnostic equipment the seller ran to the end of its life.
- Software for dispatch and maintenance agreements, if the seller's system does not transfer.
- Retention pay or bonuses to keep key technicians.
- Legal and accounting fees for the purchase.
A request that budgets these alongside the price shows a partner the buyer has thought past closing day.
Working Capital for an HVAC Company Carrying Equipment Before Install Payments
A system replacement means buying the condenser, coil and furnace or air handler, then installing and collecting. On new construction, payment follows the builder's draw schedule. A line of credit drawn for equipment purchases and repaid as jobs are paid fits that cycle. Partners look at the job list and how many days customers and builders take to pay.
Working Capital Across the HVAC Industry: Parts Stock and Callback Labor
Service trucks carry parts, and the warehouse holds more. Callbacks on recent installs take technician hours that are not billed. Both draw on cash between jobs. A modest line of credit covers parts restocking; tracking callback time shows a partner where margins go.
Business Loans for a Plumbing Business Adding Vans
A new technician needs a stocked van. The van is titled and finances against itself; the shelving, tools and opening parts stock can be included or financed separately. Illustration only, invented figures: a $58,000 upfitted service van with $5,800 down, financed over 60 months at an annual rate of 10.25%, comes to about $1,116 a month (our arithmetic, fees excluded).
Plumbing Equipment Financing: Jetters, Cameras and Service Trucks
Trailer-mounted jetters, sewer cameras and locators, pipe bursting equipment and trenchers are high-value tools with long service lives, financed as equipment. Equipment financing covers loans and leases, and the materials article follows a plumber's job from rough-in to payment.
Maintenance Agreements as a Funding Asset
Recurring maintenance agreements, where customers pay a yearly or monthly fee for tune-ups and priority service, give an HVAC or plumbing company predictable revenue. Partners reading a purchase or a line request look at how many agreements are active, the renewal rate and what they bring in. A buyer should confirm the agreements transfer with the business.
For an owner growing the company, a rising count of agreements is evidence a partner can see in the deposits, and it supports adding a technician and a van before the extra demand fully arrives.
Records a Plumbing or HVAC Request Brings
- Three to six months of business bank statements and the latest tax return.
- A job list with contract amounts and expected payment dates.
- Van and equipment quotes with VINs or serial numbers.
- Maintenance agreement counts and revenue.
- Existing vehicle loans, equipment leases and lines of credit.
Electricians and Roofers Alongside Plumbing and HVAC in the County
The county's other large specialty trades in 2023 were 70 electrical contractors with 599 employees and 47 roofing contractors with 141 employees (CBP). Nonemployer Statistics counted 251 plumbing and HVAC businesses without paid employees in 2024 (NAICS 23822), plus 219 electrical businesses. Their funding questions are close cousins: vans, tools, materials before payment. An electrician adding a bucket truck or a roofer adding a dump trailer follows the same equipment path, and the same line-of-credit logic applies to wire, panels and shingles.
By Orchardshore Advances · Updated