Sell Your Restoration Business in Ireland

If you operate a restoration business in Ireland and you have searched “sell my restoration business in Ireland”, the variables that drive your sale price are Ireland-specific in ways the broader category data does not capture. The named PE platforms with active deal posture in Ireland in 2026, the EBITDA-tier multiples bands stated in € EUR, the jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring (which is the single largest after-tax lever any owner has), the regulator transfer procedure under Revenue Commissioners and the relevant industry licensing body, and the 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions all reshape the multiple a buyer will pay. This page walks through the Ireland valuation framework as restoration businesses are actually trading in mid-2026, the named buyers actively acquiring here, and the regulator transfer + tax structuring that determine net-of-tax proceeds.
CT Acquisitions runs sell-side M&A advisory mandates for owners of recurring-services businesses across Ireland and the broader English-speaking market. The introductory conversation is confidential and NDA-protected. This page is the localised valuation framework for 🇮🇪 Ireland restoration sellers, built from named-and-dated 2024-2026 transactional research rather than generic broker-listing rules of thumb.
The Ireland restoration M&A landscape in 2026
The detailed market sizing, named-buyer table, EBITDA-tier multiples bands, regulator transfer procedure, jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring, and 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions for Ireland restoration are set out below. This section is the core valuation framework — everything else on the page is supporting context.
6. RESTORATION (water / fire / mould remediation)
6.1 Ireland market context
Irish water/fire/mould restoration sector ~€60-90M revenue across ~80-120 operators, with demand driven by (a) insurance-claim escorts on residential and commercial water-ingress claims (AIG, Aviva, Zurich Ireland, AXA Ireland, FBD, Allianz Ireland panel-approval economics); (b) Storm Babet (Oct 2023) and Storm Éowyn (Jan 2025) backlog generated multi-month order books for emergency drying contractors; (c) commercial fire/smoke restoration for hospitality, retail, and pharma estates; (d) flood-prone Cork/Limerick/Galway corridor along Lee, Shannon, Corrib. Sub-vertical mix: ~50% water-damage (escape-of-water claims dominate at ~60% of all Irish home-insurance claims), ~25% fire/smoke restoration, ~15% mould remediation, ~10% specialist (biohazard/trauma, document recovery). This is the MOST RECENTLY consolidated Irish home-services vertical: Polygon Group’s three Irish bolt-ons in 2024-2025 created the island’s first full-coverage restoration platform.
6.2 Named active buyers in Ireland 2024-2026
- Polygon Group AB (EQT-owned since 2019; HQ Stockholm) — entered Ireland Q1 2024 via simultaneous acquisitions of React Ireland Ltd (Northern Ireland) and Tersus Ltd (Republic). Expanded April 2025 via acquisition of ATR Group / All Trades Response Group Ltd (Dublin), giving full island-wide coverage. Three Irish bolt-ons in 14 months. Polygon Group completed 8 acquisitions total in 2024 across Europe. [VERIFIED — polygongroup.com news releases + Mergerlinks 2024-03-01]
- Belfor Holdings (Wagner family + Affinity Partners minority since March 2024; HQ Birmingham, Michigan) — operates Belfor UK & Ireland; acquired Nordic SSG Group A/S December 2024 (Scandinavia expansion). Belfor Ireland presence is smaller than Polygon’s post-2024-2025 consolidation. [VERIFIED group activity — UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19 specific Irish bolt-ons]
- Aftermath Ireland / Aftermath Services Ltd — Irish independent restoration operator [UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19 ownership status]
- Rainbow International / Dwyer Group / Neighborly Co (KKR-owned majority since Aug 2021) — Rainbow International franchise model with Irish franchisees; consolidation pressure on franchise network as Polygon and Belfor scale direct-owned.
- Munters Group (Nordic Capital take-private completed Dec 2024 at ~SEK 215/share / ~€2.0B EV) — equipment-led desiccant-dehumidification major; supplies restoration equipment to Polygon, Belfor and independents. Strategic acquirer for equipment-led Irish restoration distributor only. [VERIFIED — Munters take-private; UNCONFIRMED specific Irish field-service bolt-ons]
- ServiceMaster Restore Ireland — franchise network; less acquisitive in IE.
6.3 EBITDA-tier multiples bands (EUR)
| Revenue / EBITDA tier | Multiple band | Premium drivers | Discount drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-€500K rev | 1.0-2.5x SDE | 24/7 emergency callout, AIG/Aviva/Allianz panel approval | Owner-operator with single dry-out crew, no panel approvals |
| €500K-€2M rev | 3.0-4.5x SDE | Multi-insurer panels, IICRC-certified technicians (US standard, Irish adoption) | Insurer-concentration risk, no commercial book |
| €2M-€5M rev (€300K-€700K EBITDA) | 5.5-7.5x EBITDA | Mixed water/fire/mould capability, ISO 9001 + 14001 + 45001, second-tier ops | Single-region operator (e.g., Dublin only), no Munster coverage |
| €5M-€15M rev (€700K-€2M EBITDA) | 7.0-9.5x EBITDA | All-Ireland coverage, Polygon/Belfor bolt-on profile, IICRC + Restoration Industry Association (RIA) certs | Aged equipment fleet needing capex refresh, no document-recovery capability |
| €15M+ rev | 8.5-11.0x EBITDA | Platform-quality — Polygon Ireland post-ATR is the only candidate; commercial/insurance/specialist split | N/A — only one operator at this scale in IE post-consolidation |
Restoration sits 2nd-highest in the BATCH 2 multiple ladder (behind pest control) because of the active Polygon Group / Belfor / Neighborly rollup dynamic and recurring insurance-claim revenue stream.
6.4 Regulator transfer procedure
- NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland): Certification for fire/smoke restoration under IS EN ISO 9001 with specific sectoral codes; transfers with corporate ownership but external audit on change-of-control typical.
- IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification): US-derived but de-facto Irish industry standard; certifications attach to individual technicians. Buyer must confirm continuing employment.
- HSA + EPA hazardous materials: Mould-remediation work involving Category 3/4 contamination requires asbestos awareness (where pre-2000 buildings) and EPA waste-disposal certification. Successor liability transfers; pre-deal compliance audit critical.
- PSDP/PSCS appointments (SI 291/2013) — re-appointment per project after change-of-control.
- Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) panel approval: For insurance-loss assessor relationships; relationships transfer informally but key-person risk on founder-broker relationships.
- Insurance panel approvals (AIG, Aviva, Zurich, AXA, FBD, Allianz): Entity-level; require novation consent or rebid on change-of-control. Often the single biggest deal-value lever.
6.5 Tax arbitrage structuring
- Revised Entrepreneur Relief (€1M / €1.5M from 1 Jan 2026, 10% CGT) for sub-€2M EBITDA restoration founders.
- Section 626B SSE for Holdco-Tradeco structures at €2M+ EBITDA — particularly relevant given Polygon’s appetite for trading-co share acquisitions (which the SSE makes corporate-tax efficient at IE Holdco level).
- Stamp duty arbitrage: Share sale at 1% vs asset sale at up to 7.5% on goodwill — material at €5M+ deal values. Polygon’s three 2024-2025 Irish acquisitions were structured as share acquisitions [INFERRED from corporate-acquirer norm; UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19 specific structuring].
6.6 Recent 2024-2026 dated Ireland transactions
- Polygon International acquires React Ireland Ltd — 01 March 2024 (Northern Ireland presence). [VERIFIED — Mergerlinks 2024-03-01; Polygon press release]
- Polygon Group acquires Tersus Ltd — parallel Q1 2024 acquisition (Republic of Ireland). [VERIFIED — Polygon press release: “enters Ireland via strategic acquisitions”]
- Polygon Group acquires ATR Group (All Trades Response Group Ltd) — April 2025 Dublin acquisition; established island-wide coverage. [VERIFIED — Polygon press release: “expands in Dublin, strengthening its leadership in Ireland”]
- BELFOR Franchise Group acquires JUNKCO+ — May 2024 (US deal; relevant cross-reference for Belfor’s broader 2024 M&A cadence, not IE-specific).
- Belfor acquires Nordic SSG Group A/S — December 2024 Scandinavia expansion (group strategy signal).
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How CT Acquisitions runs Ireland restoration sale mandates
CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border M&A deal flow into Ireland. Our practice connects Ireland owners to: (a) the named Ireland PE platforms documented above with active deal posture in your size band and sub-vertical; (b) cross-border US strategic acquirers running an international rollup thesis in your vertical; (c) UK / European PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, Hg, Inflexion, CVC, Permira, BC Partners, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, KKR, etc.) running cross-border platforms. The introductory conversation is confidential, NDA-protected, and walks through the band-specific buyer pool, the regulator-transfer timeline at Revenue Commissioners, and the tax-arbitrage structuring that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.
Frequently asked questions: selling Ireland restoration businesses in 2026
What multiple should I expect for my Ireland restoration business in 2026?
Multiples band, premium drivers, and discount drivers are set out in the named-buyer + multiples sections above. The headline answer: most owner-operator sub-€2M EBITDA businesses trade 3-5x SDE; mid-market €2-5M EBITDA businesses trade 4-7x EBITDA; platform-candidate €5-15M EBITDA businesses trade 6-9x; add-ons to a PE platform or public strategic trade 7-11x; and €50M+ EBITDA strategic transactions reach 9-14x depending on sub-vertical and recurring-revenue mix. The actual band for your business depends on the premium/discount drivers documented in the multiples section above.
Which PE platforms and strategic acquirers are actively acquiring Ireland restoration businesses in 2026?
The named-buyers section above lists the 3-5 most-active acquirers in Ireland for restoration as of mid-2026, with ownership, HQ, recent acquisitions, and approximate revenue band documented per buyer. The Ireland buyer pool typically includes (a) Ireland-domiciled PE platforms; (b) cross-border US or UK strategics running international rollup theses; (c) listed-company strategics on Euronext Dublin (ISE); and (d) the global PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, etc.) running cross-border platforms.
How does the Revenue Commissioners regulator-transfer procedure affect my sale timeline?
The regulator-transfer procedure section above documents the specific consents, novations, or new-entity applications required for a Ireland restoration sale. Typical timeline is 60-180 days for most industry licences; some specialised regulators (financial-services AFSL transfers, healthcare CQC/HIQA/HSE notifications, environmental EPA permits) can run 6-12 months. Pre-sale engagement with the regulator 12-18 months before LOI removes most timing risk and is the highest-ROI pre-sale workstream.
What tax-arbitrage structuring is available to Ireland restoration sellers in 2026?
The tax-arbitrage structuring section above documents the Ireland-specific levers available. For most owner-operators with 15+ year holds, the jurisdiction-specific tax relief framework can reduce effective CGT on a multi-million sale to a small fraction of headline gain. The specific arbitrage depends on: (a) ownership tenure (15+ year holds unlock the most powerful exemptions); (b) seller age (some reliefs are age-gated at 55+); (c) entity structure (share sale vs asset sale, individual vs corporate seller, holdco vs trading-company structure); (d) post-completion plans (rollover into replacement asset; super contribution; retirement). Pre-sale tax-structuring engagement with a Ireland-domiciled adviser is the single highest-ROI pre-sale workstream after regulator-transfer planning.
What recent 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions in Ireland restoration should I know about?
The recent-transactions section above lists the 1-3 most-relevant dated comparable transactions in Ireland restoration from 2024-2026 with named buyer, named target, approximate consideration where disclosed, and source citations. These transactions anchor the multiples band that buyers will reference when underwriting your sale and are the single most-cited piece of evidence in any sell-side IM.
Does CT Acquisitions advise on cross-border M&A from Ireland?
Yes — CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border deal flow into Ireland. The introductory conversation maps your trailing-12-month revenue and EBITDA in € EUR to the band-specific buyer pool, identifies the 18-24 month pre-sale workstream priorities specific to Ireland restoration, walks through the named buyers actively acquiring in Ireland at your size band, and pre-positions the tax-arbitrage outcome that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.