Selling a Business in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County has 42,571 employer businesses, and 85% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here.
LOCAL SNAPSHOT
San Bernardino County by the numbers
42,571
EMPLOYER BUSINESSES
85%
SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE
186,837
BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES
718,612
EMPLOYMENT
$39.2 billion
ANNUAL PAYROLL
17,262
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 San Bernardino County compares
San Bernardino County ranks 6th of 58 California counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 17.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 9% of employer businesses in San Bernardino County, compared with 4% in California.
17,262 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.
Industry mix
The largest industries by number of employer businesses:
Health care and social assistance: 5,414 employer businesses
Retail: 5,362 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 4,276 employer businesses
Construction: 4,006 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 3,787 employer businesses
INDUSTRIES
What sells in San Bernardino County
Health care and social assistance, retail, accommodation and food service, construction
Every kind of business we sell in San Bernardino County
We sell businesses in every one of these industries in San Bernardino 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.
Restaurants & Food
4,344 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 1,879 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Full-Service Restaurants: 1,245 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 577 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 333 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Liquor, Wine & Beer Stores: 260 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Bakeries: 50 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Construction & Engineering
3,984 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
General Contracting: 1,097 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Interior Finishing: 646 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 563 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 563 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 499 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Landscaping: 324 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 305 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Civil Engineering: 245 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 7.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Roofing & Siding: 172 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Masonry: 60 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Equipment.
Carpentry & Framing: 54 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Remediation & Restoration: 19 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Logistics & Transportation
3,590 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
General Freight Trucking: 2,532 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Warehousing & Fulfillment: 526 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Freight Brokerage & 3PL: 236 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Last-Mile & Courier: 115 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.76x - 3.32x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 81 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Commercial Moving: 58 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 3.0x SDE.
NEMT & Passenger Transport: 42 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.1x - 3.1x SDE.
Medical Practices
3,542 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Primary & Family Care: 1,202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE.
Dental Practices: 963 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Home Health & Hospice: 354 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Mental & Behavioral Health: 316 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Physical Therapy & Rehab: 192 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Veterinary Medicine: 146 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.
Vision & Eye Care: 136 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Medical Labs & Imaging: 106 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Medicine: 71 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Urgent Care Clinics: 56 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Financial & Professional Services
2,227 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Real Estate Brokerages: 765 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 624 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Insurance Agencies: 552 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Wealth Management: 114 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.7x - 4.0x Recurring Revenue.
Private Lending: 104 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Mortgage Brokerages: 68 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Retail Stores
1,965 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry: 663 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Health, Beauty & Pharmacy: 468 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.8x - 4.2x EBITDA.
Hardware, Garden & Building: 272 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.
Home Decor & Furniture: 200 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Electronics & Repair: 142 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Hobby, Toys & Gift Shops: 137 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE + Inventory.
Sporting Goods & Firearms: 83 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.4x SDE.
Automotive & Boat
1,933 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Auto Repair: 783 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Auto Parts: 466 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Collision Repair: 225 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Car Dealerships: 199 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.
Car Washes: 161 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Towing & Repo: 89 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Marinas: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: Cap Rate or 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Boat Dealerships: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Manufacturing
1,375 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Metal Fabrication: 408 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.
Printing & Plastics: 232 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.9x - 4.9x SDE.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 192 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.
Wood & Furniture Manufacturing: 186 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Medical & Chemical Manufacturing: 139 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Electronics & Tech Manufacturing: 99 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.5x EBITDA.
Construction Materials Manufacturing: 82 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Textile & Apparel Manufacturing: 37 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE.
Wholesale & Distribution
1,371 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Industrial & Construction Supply: 552 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Food & Beverage Distribution: 244 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Electronics, IT & Office Equipment Distribution: 206 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Consumer Goods & Apparel Distribution: 132 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Medical, Dental & Pharmaceutical Distribution: 89 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Packaging, Paper & JanSan Distribution: 75 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Chemicals, Plastics & Raw Materials Distribution: 73 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Beauty & Personal Care
835 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Nail Salons: 373 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.4x - 1.88x SDE.
Hair Salons: 273 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.25x - 2.34x SDE.
Day Spas: 158 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 2.8x SDE.
Tattoo Shops: 158 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Massage Parlors: 158 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Barber Shops: 31 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.25x SDE.
Home Services
795 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Property Management: 373 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Residential Cleaning: 283 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.6x SDE.
Commercial Cleaning: 283 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.47x - 4.11x EBITDA.
Pest Control: 102 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.34x - 2.90x SDE.
Security Systems: 37 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.9x EBITDA.
Gas Stations & Convenience
692 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Gas Stations: 529 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Convenience Stores: 163 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Pharmacies & Medical Supply
685 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Home Infusion: 354 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Compounding Pharmacies: 220 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Pharmacies: 220 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME): 74 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Medical Supply Retail: 37 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE + Inventory.
Hospitality & Travel
426 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Hotels: 259 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 259 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.
Transportation Services: 119 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.1x SDE.
Campgrounds & RV Parks: 26 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Travel Agencies: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.3x - 3.2x SDE.
Bed & Breakfasts / Inns: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Technology & Media
374 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Creative Agencies: 112 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.8x - 3.0x SDE.
Digital Marketing Agencies: 97 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Media, Film & Studio Production: 79 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.5x SDE.
Real Estate Media: 57 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.8x SDE.
Software Companies (SaaS): 29 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x SDE.
Education & Childcare
331 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Daycare Centers: 258 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.
Tutoring Centers: 73 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Health & Fitness
314 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Gyms & Health Clubs: 202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 2.93x SDE.
Yoga Studios: 202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.07x - 2.50x SDE.
Pilates Studios: 202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.10x - 3.00x SDE.
Personal Training Studios: 202 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.00x - 2.80x SDE.
Wellness & Recovery Centers: 112 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.5x - 9.7x EBITDA.
Senior Care & Living
303 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Non-Medical Home Care: 143 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Assisted Living Facilities: 142 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Senior Living Communities: 18 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Real Estate.
Energy & Utilities
254 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Water & Wastewater Services: 106 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Waste Management & Recycling: 82 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Assets.
Propane & Fuel Distribution: 38 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA + Assets.
Oil & Gas Services: 15 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x EBITDA + Equipment.
Solar & Renewable Energy: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Entertainment & Recreation
242 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Bars & Pubs: 96 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Clubs & Lounges: 96 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Outdoor Recreation: 91 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Arcades & FECs: 22 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.1x - 3.6x SDE.
Golf Courses: 18 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Bowling Alleys: 15 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Pet Services
144 related employer businesses in San Bernardino County.
Pet Grooming & Spas: 93 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Boarding, Daycare & Training: 93 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.
Pet Retail & Specialty Supplies: 51 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE + Inventory.
Where this county sits
Working with owners in San Bernardino County
Business Advisors of America represents owners selling a business in San Bernardino County. Matan Michael is the advisor of record on every engagement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions owners in San Bernardino County ask
How long does it take to sell a business in San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino 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