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Answer a few questions and we will provide a realistic indicative valuation range, tailored to current market conditions for fire safety businesses.
Direct conversation with a Fire Safety Senior Specialist, not a sales team. Your indicative valuation range will be with you instantly on screen, with a downloadable PDF report. Everything you have shared is treated in the strictest confidence.
Every fire safety business is different. These are the key areas buyers and valuers focus on when assessing what your company is worth.
Why these multiples? The research behind the range.
Median EV/EBITDA multiples across the UK fire and security sector reached circa 9x in 2025, according to Grant Thornton's annual M&A review, reflecting sustained private equity consolidation and strong buyer demand. Smaller owner-managed businesses, typically those below £1m EBITDA, are valued at a discount to the sector median, with general UK SME reference ranges suggesting 2.5x to 4.5x at the smaller end. Businesses with recurring service contract income above 40% of revenue consistently achieve 4x to 6x, rising further where BAFE accreditation, FIA membership, or public sector framework agreements are in place.
Our indicative range for fire safety businesses with recurring contracts and accreditations is 4 to 8x EBITDA. Businesses at the lower end are typically project-heavy with limited accreditation; those at the upper end carry strong BAFE and FIA credentials with a majority of income from planned maintenance contracts.
Sources: Grant Thornton, UK Fire and Security Sector M&A Review 2025; ICAEW SME Business Valuation / Consult EFC, April 2026 (sub-scale proxy). North American MRR multiples: Breakwater M&A, Fire Alarm and Life Safety Company Valuation Multiples 2026 (directionally consistent; not UK-verified).
Recurring revenue from planned maintenance contracts is the single most valuable asset in a fire safety business. Buyers pay a premium for predictable, repeating income with high retention rates. Contract books above 70 percent of revenue typically command 5 to 7 times EBITDA.
BAFE SP203 certification for fire detection and alarm systems is the most valuable accreditation in the sector. Holding a BAFE scheme typically adds around 0.5 to the valuation multiplier, and combined with FIA membership our calculator counts accreditation as up to 1.0 in total. Buyers treat it as essential rather than optional.
SP101 for portable extinguishers and SP207 for risk assessments broaden your service offer and protect the contract book during transfer. Buyers pay more for businesses with multiple BAFE schemes in place.
Fire Industry Association membership signals credibility and commercial maturity. LPCB or UL third-party certification typically adds around 0.2 to the multiplier and is a strong differentiator for commercial work.
Concentrated customer bases reduce travel time and increase engineer productivity. Route density is a hidden multiplier that acquirers, particularly PE-backed platforms, actively look for.
Well-maintained, branded vehicles and a tidy workshop reduce the buyer's post-acquisition capital expenditure. A modern setup signals a well-run operation and supports a higher valuation.
Businesses that can operate without the owner command significantly higher multiples. If you are the primary risk assessor, sole client contact, and chief decision-maker, buyers will discount accordingly.
Commercial compliance contracts tend to be larger, longer-term, and more predictable. A strong commercial client base often supports a higher multiple than purely domestic work.
"An indicative range is the start of the conversation. What your business is genuinely worth is revealed by real buyer competition, and that is what we create."Simon Read, Managing Director
