Sell a business · Auto repair
Sell your auto repair shop, on your terms.
Independent auto repair shops sell on car count, customer retention, and bay capacity. An aging vehicle fleet on American roads keeps demand steady, and buyers range from technicians stepping up to ownership to regional multi-shop operators. What they all underwrite is the same thing: will the cars keep coming when the sign changes?
The answer lives in your customer data. Repeat-customer share, average repair order, and reviews tied to the shop (not the owner personally) are what make earnings transferable. Shops where the owner is also the master tech and service writer carry the heaviest discounts - every role you fill personally is revenue the buyer has to replace.
What buyers pay for
What moves your auto repair shop toward the top of the band.
Car count and repeat customers
Weekly car count, repeat-customer percentage, and average repair order are the operating metrics every shop buyer asks for first.
Technician bench strength
ASE-certified techs who stay through a transition are scarce and valuable. Buyers will want tenure, certifications, and pay structure for each bay.
The property situation
Whether you own the real estate, hold a long lease, or rent month-to-month changes the deal structure entirely. Lifts and environmental compliance ride along with it.
Prepare before you list
Diligence starts long before the buyer shows up.
Pull your shop-management system reports
Car count, ARO, and customer return rates straight from your SMS are the most credible evidence of a durable book. Export three years before you list.
Get ahead of environmental items
Waste oil handling, old tanks, and floor drains are standard diligence in auto deals. Records of compliant disposal and any tank closures prevent the issue that most often stalls these sales.
Decide the real estate question first
If you own the building, decide whether you are selling it, leasing it to the buyer, or open to either. The answer changes your buyer pool and your tax picture.
Free valuation calculator
What is your auto repair shop actually worth?
Two minutes, no signup. We start from the typical auto repair band of 2.0x to 2.8x owner profit, then adjust for your growth and track record. The math runs entirely in your browser - we never store what you type.
Estimate my business valueThe Slyced Exchange
Sell without telling the world.
When you are ready to ask the market, the Exchange is a private way to do it. Your listing is anonymous by default: built from ranges and categories, screened word by word for anything that could identify you, and reviewed by a person before it goes live.
Buyers verify their identity before they can request access, you approve every request, and a real NDA is signed before your name is revealed. Listing is a flat subscription - never a percentage of your sale.
The Exchange opens soon. Join the owners preparing to list.
Talk to us about sellingAnonymous by default
The public profile is built from ranges and categories. Your name and exact numbers have no field to live in.
Verified buyers only
Anyone can browse, but requesting access requires identity verification first. No anonymous tire-kickers.
NDA before any reveal
You see who a buyer is before they learn who you are, and a real NDA is signed before the reveal.
0% commission, ever
A flat software subscription. We never take a percentage of your sale - not at listing, not at closing.
Plain answers
Questions auto repair owners ask.
- What is an auto repair shop worth?
- Typical small-business transactions put independent repair shops at roughly 2.0x to 2.8x SDE. High repeat-customer share, certified techs who stay, and a secure location support the top of the band. As with any rule of thumb, it is a starting range - your books and your lease set the real number.
- I own the building. How does that work in a sale?
- You have options: sell the real estate with the business, or keep it and become the buyer's landlord with a market-rate lease. Many owners keep the property for income. Decide before listing, because buyers need to know what they are pricing.
- Will environmental issues block my sale?
- Usually only when they surface late. Lenders typically require environmental screening for shops, so gather your compliance records (waste oil, coolant, any tank history) early. Documented compliance turns a deal-killer into a checklist item.