Selling a Business in Marin County
Marin County has 10,049 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.
LOCAL SNAPSHOT
Marin County by the numbers
10,049
EMPLOYER BUSINESSES
89%
SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE
35,051
BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES
106,249
EMPLOYMENT
$9.2 billion
ANNUAL PAYROLL
3,492
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 Marin County compares
Marin County ranks 19th of 58 California counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 0.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Professional and technical services makes up 18% of employer businesses in Marin County, compared with 14% in California.
3,492 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.
Industry mix
The largest industries by number of employer businesses:
Professional and technical services: 1,826 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 1,314 employer businesses
Construction: 1,081 employer businesses
Retail: 923 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 806 employer businesses
INDUSTRIES
What sells in Marin County
Professional and technical services, health care and social assistance, construction, retail
Every kind of business we sell in Marin County
We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Marin County. 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
1,254 related employer businesses in Marin County.
General Contracting: 541 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Interior Finishing: 205 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Landscaping: 149 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Electrical: 101 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Plumbing: 100 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 100 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Civil Engineering: 85 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 7.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Foundation & Site Prep: 34 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Roofing & Siding: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Masonry: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Equipment.
Carpentry & Framing: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Remediation & Restoration: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Financial & Professional Services
798 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Real Estate Brokerages: 239 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Wealth Management: 180 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.7x - 4.0x Recurring Revenue.
Insurance Agencies: 122 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Private Lending: 30 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Mortgage Brokerages: 25 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Medical Practices
752 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Primary & Family Care: 255 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE.
Dental Practices: 177 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Mental & Behavioral Health: 125 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Physical Therapy & Rehab: 50 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Veterinary Medicine: 39 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.
Specialty Medicine: 27 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Vision & Eye Care: 24 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Home Health & Hospice: 24 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Medical Labs & Imaging: 23 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Urgent Care Clinics: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Restaurants & Food
679 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Full-Service Restaurants: 280 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 195 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 95 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 79 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Liquor, Wine & Beer Stores: 21 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Bakeries: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Retail Stores
452 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry: 134 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Hardware, Garden & Building: 78 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.
Home Decor & Furniture: 67 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Health, Beauty & Pharmacy: 63 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.8x - 4.2x EBITDA.
Sporting Goods & Firearms: 44 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.4x SDE.
Hobby, Toys & Gift Shops: 38 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE + Inventory.
Electronics & Repair: 28 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Technology & Media
420 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Creative Agencies: 146 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 3.0x SDE.
Digital Marketing Agencies: 86 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Media, Film & Studio Production: 84 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.5x SDE.
Software Companies (SaaS): 70 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x SDE.
Real Estate Media: 34 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.8x SDE.
Home Services
261 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Property Management: 170 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Residential Cleaning: 76 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.6x SDE.
Commercial Cleaning: 76 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.47x - 4.11x EBITDA.
Pest Control: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.34x - 2.90x SDE.
Security Systems: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.9x EBITDA.
Automotive & Boat
234 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Auto Repair: 103 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 42 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Car Dealerships: 36 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.
Auto Parts: 14 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Car Washes: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Boat Dealerships: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Marinas: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: Cap Rate or 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Towing & Repo: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Beauty & Personal Care
175 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Hair Salons: 81 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.25x - 2.34x SDE.
Nail Salons: 55 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.4x - 1.88x SDE.
Day Spas: 35 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE.
Tattoo Shops: 35 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Massage Parlors: 35 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Barber Shops: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.25x SDE.
Wholesale & Distribution
156 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Food & Beverage Distribution: 63 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Industrial & Construction Supply: 38 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Electronics, IT & Office Equipment Distribution: 25 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Consumer Goods & Apparel Distribution: 14 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Medical, Dental & Pharmaceutical Distribution: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Packaging, Paper & JanSan Distribution: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Education & Childcare
153 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Daycare Centers: 130 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.
Tutoring Centers: 23 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Manufacturing
151 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.
Medical & Chemical Manufacturing: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Wood & Furniture Manufacturing: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Printing & Plastics: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.9x - 4.9x SDE.
Electronics & Tech Manufacturing: 15 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.5x EBITDA.
Metal Fabrication: 14 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.
Textile & Apparel Manufacturing: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Construction Materials Manufacturing: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Health & Fitness
133 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Gyms & Health Clubs: 86 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 2.93x SDE.
Yoga Studios: 86 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.07x - 2.50x SDE.
Pilates Studios: 86 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.10x - 3.00x SDE.
Personal Training Studios: 86 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.00x - 2.80x SDE.
Wellness & Recovery Centers: 47 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.5x - 9.7x EBITDA.
Senior Care & Living
94 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Non-Medical Home Care: 52 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Assisted Living Facilities: 36 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Senior Living Communities: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Hospitality & Travel
88 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Hotels: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.
Travel Agencies: 20 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.2x SDE.
Transportation Services: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.1x SDE.
Bed & Breakfasts / Inns: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Campgrounds & RV Parks: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Entertainment & Recreation
74 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Outdoor Recreation: 38 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Bars & Pubs: 30 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Clubs & Lounges: 30 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Golf Courses: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Gas Stations & Convenience
70 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Gas Stations: 46 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Convenience Stores: 24 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Logistics & Transportation
68 related employer businesses in Marin County.
General Freight Trucking: 27 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Last-Mile & Courier: 15 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.76x - 3.32x SDE.
Commercial Moving: 12 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 3.0x SDE.
Freight Brokerage & 3PL: 11 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Warehousing & Fulfillment: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Pharmacies & Medical Supply
61 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Compounding Pharmacies: 29 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Pharmacies: 29 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Home Infusion: 24 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME): 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Pet Services
57 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Pet Grooming & Spas: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Boarding, Daycare & Training: 41 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Pet Retail & Specialty Supplies: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE + Inventory.
Energy & Utilities
12 related employer businesses in Marin County.
Waste Management & Recycling: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Assets.
Water & Wastewater Services: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Where this county sits
Working with owners in Marin County
Business Advisors of America represents owners selling a business in Marin County. Matan Michael is the advisor of record on every engagement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions owners in Marin County ask
How long does it take to sell a business in Marin County?
Our working target is about six months from engagement to closing. The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers.
How is a business valued in Marin County?
We start with the earnings the business produces for an owner, then adjust 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?
Yes. Buyers sign a non-disclosure agreement before they see the name of the business or its financial statements.
FROM OUR BLOG
Guides for owners in Marin 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
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