Sell Your Restoration Business in Australia
If you operate a restoration business in Australia and you have searched “sell my restoration business in Australia”, the variables that drive your sale price are Australia-specific in ways the broader category data does not capture. The named PE platforms with active deal posture in Australia in 2026, the EBITDA-tier multiples bands stated in A$ AUD, the jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring (which is the single largest after-tax lever any owner has), the regulator transfer procedure under Australian Taxation Office (ATO) 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 Australia 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 Australia and the broader English-speaking market. The introductory conversation is confidential and NDA-protected. This page is the localised valuation framework for 🇦🇺 Australia restoration sellers, built from named-and-dated 2024-2026 transactional research rather than generic broker-listing rules of thumb.
The Australia 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 Australia restoration are set out below. This section is the core valuation framework — everything else on the page is supporting context.
8. RESTORATION / DISASTER RECOVERY (Australia)
Market context
- AU Disaster Restoration Services market: ~USD 898M (2024) → projected USD 1,328M by 2030 at 6.74% CAGR (MarkNtel). In AUD ~A$1.35-1.40B in 2025.
- AU property insurance DWP: A$27.4B (2026) → A$36.6B (2030) at 7.5% CAGR.
- State distribution: Concentrated in NSW + QLD (flood/cyclone Northern Rivers, SE QLD, Cairns/Townsville cyclone belt) + VIC (storms, hail, bushfire WUI).
- Customer base: Tier-1 insurer panels (Allianz, Suncorp/AAMI/GIO, IAG/ NRMA/CGU, QBE, Hollard, Auto & General), strata managers, government emergency contracts (DRFA), commercial property managers.
Named buyers 2024-2026
- Johns Lyng Group (ASX:JLG) — CONFIRMED: **Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) take-private COMPLETED 23 October 2025** via Sherwood BidCo at A$4.00/share = A$1.1B equity / A$1.3B EV (77% premium to 15 May 2025 close, 66% premium to 30-day VWAP). Pre-take-private acquisitions: Keystone Group (Sept 2024) — QLD insurance building/restoration, A$44.1M upfront + 3.6M JLG shares for 87.5%; SSKB Strata (2024); Reconstruction Experts of America (2024) A$390M.
- Steamatic Australia — CONFIRMED part of JLG (now PEP-owned). JLG acquired Steamatic Global Master Franchise in FY19 plus Australian master franchise in March 2019.
- Servpro Australia — UNCONFIRMED. Global Servpro is US-domiciled (Blackstone-owned in US).
- Network Pacific (strata) — UNCONFIRMED ownership status.
Multiples bands (AUD)
| Tier | Multiple |
|---|---|
| sub-A$2M SDE owner-operator | 2.5-4.0x SDE |
| A$2-5M EBITDA mid | 4.0-6.0x EBITDA |
| A$5-15M platform | 6.0-8.5x EBITDA |
| A$15-50M add-on | 8.0-10.0x EBITDA |
| A$50M+ strategic | 9.0-12.0x EBITDA (JLG take-private ~A$1.3B EV at ~9.5-10.0x trailing) |
Premium drivers: tier-1 insurer panel approvals (Allianz, Suncorp, IAG, QBE simultaneously = 1.0-2.0x lift); IICRC certifications across WRT/ASD/FSRT/AMRT; documented sub-4-hour after-hours response SLA; state builder licence held in house; Class A asbestos licence; CAT (catastrophe) deployment track record.
Regulator transfer
- Builder’s licence:
- NSW: NSW Fair Trading Builder Class 1/2; HBCF home warranty mandatory.
- VIC: VBA Domestic Builder; DBI compulsory.
- QLD: QBCC; Home Warranty Scheme mandatory.
- WA: Building Commission.
- SA: CBS.
- **AU builder licences are personal/entity-specific and DO NOT transfer on share sale automatically**.
- Electrical licence: Required state-by-state for fire/smoke restoration involving rewiring.
- IICRC certifications: WRT (Water Restoration), ASD (Applied Structural Drying), FSRT (Fire & Smoke Restoration), AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation). Major AU insurers require/strongly prefer IICRC-certified contractors on panels.
- Insurance panel re-accreditation: **MANDATORY re-accreditation on change of control** for tier-1 insurer panels — typical 60-120 day re- onboarding. Single biggest integration risk in restoration M&A.
- Asbestos removal: NSW Class A friable + Class B non-friable; exemption <10m² non-friable; licence 5-year validity. **Licence does NOT auto- transfer on share sale**.
Recent transactions
| Date | Buyer | Target | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 2025 | Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) | Johns Lyng Group (ASX:JLG) | A$1.3B EV / A$1.1B equity |
| Sept 2024 | Johns Lyng Group | Keystone Group (QLD) | A$44.1M cash + 3.6M JLG shares for 87.5% |
| 2024 | Johns Lyng Group | Reconstruction Experts of America (US) | A$390M |
| 2024 | Johns Lyng Group | SSKB Strata | Undisclosed |
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How CT Acquisitions runs Australia restoration sale mandates
CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border M&A deal flow into Australia. Our practice connects Australia owners to: (a) the named Australia 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 Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and the tax-arbitrage structuring that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.
Frequently asked questions: selling Australia restoration businesses in 2026
What multiple should I expect for my Australia 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-A$2M EBITDA businesses trade 3-5x SDE; mid-market A$2-5M EBITDA businesses trade 4-7x EBITDA; platform-candidate A$5-15M EBITDA businesses trade 6-9x; add-ons to a PE platform or public strategic trade 7-11x; and A$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 Australia restoration businesses in 2026?
The named-buyers section above lists the 3-5 most-active acquirers in Australia for restoration as of mid-2026, with ownership, HQ, recent acquisitions, and approximate revenue band documented per buyer. The Australia buyer pool typically includes (a) Australia-domiciled PE platforms; (b) cross-border US or UK strategics running international rollup theses; (c) listed-company strategics on Australian Securities Exchange (ASX); and (d) the global PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, etc.) running cross-border platforms.
How does the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) 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 Australia 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 Australia restoration sellers in 2026?
The tax-arbitrage structuring section above documents the Australia-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 Australia-domiciled adviser is the single highest-ROI pre-sale workstream after regulator-transfer planning.
What recent 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions in Australia restoration should I know about?
The recent-transactions section above lists the 1-3 most-relevant dated comparable transactions in Australia 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 Australia?
Yes — CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border deal flow into Australia. The introductory conversation maps your trailing-12-month revenue and EBITDA in A$ AUD to the band-specific buyer pool, identifies the 18-24 month pre-sale workstream priorities specific to Australia restoration, walks through the named buyers actively acquiring in Australia at your size band, and pre-positions the tax-arbitrage outcome that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.