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Washington County

Selling a Business in Washington County

Washington County has 220 employer businesses, and 89% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here. The largest industries here are repair, personal care and other services and retail.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Washington County by the numbers

220

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

89%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

1,085

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

5,038

EMPLOYMENT

$493 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

90

BUSINESSES WITH 5 TO 49 EMPLOYEES

U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024. Counts are employer establishments, meaning business locations with paid employees.

How Washington County compares

Washington County ranks 55th of 67 Alabama counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 8.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing makes up 11% of employer businesses in Washington County, compared with 1% in Alabama.
90 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Washington County ranks 55th of 67 Alabama counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 8.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing makes up 11% of employer businesses in Washington County, compared with 1% in Alabama.
90 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 35 employer businesses
Retail: 34 employer businesses
Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 24 employer businesses
Construction: 20 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 18 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 35 employer businesses
Retail: 34 employer businesses
Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 24 employer businesses
Construction: 20 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 18 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Washington County

Repair, personal care and other services, retail, agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Auto Parts

Automotive & Boat

Auto Repair

Automotive & Boat

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Every kind of business we sell in Washington County

These are the industries in Washington County and the number of employer businesses in each. Counts are employer businesses in the closest Census industry codes. Industries without a clean Census match are listed without a count, and a few industries share one Census category, so their counts match. A sale multiple is the price a business typically sells for as a multiple of its earnings. SDE means seller's discretionary earnings, which is the owner's pay plus the profit of the business. EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Construction & Engineering

12 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Plumbing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

12 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Logistics & Transportation

11 related employer businesses in Washington County.

General Freight Trucking: 11 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Gas Stations: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Manufacturing

6 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Medical & Chemical Manufacturing: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

5 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Primary & Family Care: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

12 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Plumbing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

12 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Logistics & Transportation

11 related employer businesses in Washington County.

General Freight Trucking: 11 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Gas Stations: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Manufacturing

6 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Medical & Chemical Manufacturing: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

5 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Primary & Family Care: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Washington County.

Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Working with owners in Washington County

Business Advisors of America works with owners who are selling a business in Washington County. Contact us to talk about a sale.

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Washington County ask

How long does it take to sell a business in Washington County?

The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers.

How is a business valued in Washington County?

Valuation starts with the earnings the business produces for an owner, then adjusts for assets, size, industry and the terms a buyer is likely to accept. The result is a range, and the asking price is set inside it.

Is the sale confidential?

Buyers are asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they see the name of the business or its financial statements.

FROM OUR BLOG

Guides for owners in Washington County

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article