Selling a plumbing company in Ohio

The Midwest is where plumbing deals are happening, and Ohio is part of it. Salt Creek counts at least 9 of 36 plumbing deals it tracked that included a Midwest company, and names three recent Ohio buyers: Kingsway in Cleveland, Five Star Home Services near Dayton and Sila Services in northeast Ohio. EPA says hard water is most common in the Southwest and Midwest, and Ohio has 2,982 plumbing and HVAC firms combined in the $1M to $10M band.

How many plumbing companies are in Ohio

The 2022 Economic Census counts 2,982 plumbing and HVAC firms combined in Ohio with $1M to $10M in revenue (Census does not split the two). That is the smallest pool on our plumbing launch list, and we included Ohio because of the deal activity, not the count. Fewer targets and active buyers means a good Ohio shop can get attention.

License and qualifier rules when you sell

Commercial trade licenses in Ohio come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB). An Ohio Legislative Service Commission analysis of a 2025 roofing bill describes OCILB specialty trade licenses as assigned to the contracting company that employs the license holder. We have not checked the plumbing rule itself, including how long a company has to replace a departing license holder, and residential plumbing is often licensed by cities. Ask the OCILB and your local building department before you plan around it.

What it means in a sale: if the license assigned to your company is yours, the buyer needs a new license holder before you leave. A licensed employee who will stay is the easiest fix. Our master license page shows the other plans and how buyers price them.

What moves value in Ohio

Hard water and old pipe. EPA WaterSense says hard water is most common in the Southwest and Midwest, which in our view shortens water heater life and supports softener and water treatment revenue. EPA also requires water systems to replace all lead service lines within 10 years or less; in our view those lines are common in older Midwest cities like Cleveland and Dayton. Drain and sewer work is clearly on buyers' lists here: two of the three Ohio deals Salt Creek names are drain or sewer companies.

Buyers active in Ohio

Salt Creek's tracker (checked November 2026) names Kingsway Skilled Trades, which bought Advanced Plumbing and Drain in Cleveland in August 2025; Five Star Home Services, which bought Mike's Sewer and Drain in the Dayton area in October 2025; and Sila Services, which bought a northeast Ohio group of five companies including Coblentz Plumbing Solutions in January 2026. Compare these and other buyer types on our plumbing buyers page. We are not paid by Kingsway, Five Star, Sila or any other buyer.

Business broker rules in Ohio

Ohio is not on BizBuySell's list of states that require business brokers to hold a real estate license. Confirm with an Ohio attorney before you sign with anyone. This is general information, not legal advice.