Skip to the page
Central Ohio sellers only Columbus Business Brokers Desk (614) 555-0148

You are here: Home / Who We Help / Cabinet and countertop shops

Selling a Cabinet or Countertop Shop in Columbus

New homes keep going up around Columbus, and every one needs cabinets and counters. Buyers know that, and they also know how much depends on a few builders.

Columbus Business Brokers Desk covers what they check first in a shop with $1M or more in yearly sales.

Rather talk it through? (614) 555-0148

Cabinet shop worker measuring a maple cabinet door on a workbench in a well lit Central Ohio millwork shop

What a buyer checks first

  1. Split between builders, remodelers and homeowners
  2. Share of sales from the top three builders
  3. Signed backlog and how it is priced
  4. Shop equipment: CNC, edgebanders, saws and fabrication tools
  5. Installers on payroll versus subcontractors
  6. Margin by job and how estimates compare with actuals

Builder Work Versus Remodel Work

Many Central Ohio shops do production work for home builders, remodel work for contractors and custom jobs for homeowners. Buyers value each one differently.

Builder work brings volume but tight margins and a few powerful customers. Remodel and custom work brings better margins but less predictable demand. Show sales and margin for each.

How Much Does One Builder Account Hurt My Price?

It depends on how much of your work it is. If one builder is a third of your sales, a buyer sees a company that could shrink fast if that builder changes suppliers or slows down.

A long history with the builder helps. So do relationships with several people there, not just the owner you've known for twenty years.

A full backlog is good news. A full backlog from one builder is a question.

Backlog and Estimating

Buyers want to see signed work, when it will be built and how it was priced. If materials went up after you quoted, they'll ask how the margin held.

Shops that track estimated against actual cost on every job can prove their pricing works. That record is worth putting together before you sell.

The Shop Floor and the Crews

CNC routers, edgebanders and stone fabrication equipment are a big part of what a buyer gets. List what you own, what you lease and when each piece was last serviced.

Installers matter just as much. If they're employees, your workers' comp history goes with the business in many Ohio sales. See the BWC account transfer guide. If they're subcontractors, buyers will ask whether they're set up correctly.

Who Buys Cabinet and Countertop Companies?

Competitors buy for capacity and builder accounts. Building product distributors sometimes buy to add fabrication. Individual buyers with construction or manufacturing backgrounds buy steady shops with SBA loans.

Our page on what your company is worth covers the general math, and how to sell a business in Columbus covers the steps.

For a private estimate, use the value form or call (614) 555-0148.

Call the desk: (614) 555-0148