Practice area
Fire protection and life safety contractors
We track the independent fire and life safety contractors operating in Texas, and which of them have already been acquired without changing their name. Most owners in this trade are competing against a national platform without knowing it.
What a buyer is paying for
Not revenue. In this trade specifically, price is driven by the share of work that recurs without being sold again.
The recurring inspection base
Contracted, scheduled and documented inspection work is the most valuable asset most of these firms hold, and the one most often undervalued because it is never separated on the income statement.
Licenses and the technicians who hold them
Which trades the firm holds, and whether the individuals licensed to perform them remain after closing.
Customer concentration
If three accounts represent half of revenue, a buyer will price that risk. Knowing the figure before it is asked for materially improves the seller's position.
The market, measured
This market is smaller than it appears. A firm licensed for sprinkler, alarm and extinguisher work is counted three times in most published figures, and the national platforms and institutional operators are counted alongside genuine independents. On our own count there are 1,819 genuinely independent firms in Texas, and that is the figure worth planning against.
Consolidation is already underway and is not apparent from the outside. Acquired firms retain their names, their branding and frequently their websites. We have identified six Texas firms still trading under their original names that are already owned by a national platform. If your competitors appear independent, some of them are not.
Measured July 2026
Figures drift as the market changes. We re-measure quarterly rather than quoting a figure once and repeating it.
Who this practice serves
- Independently owned: not a branch, and not already part of a national platform.
- Licensed in Texas across one or more trades, with a genuine recurring inspection base.
- An owner who wants a direct answer on value, whether or not a transaction follows this year.
If you have already received an approach, bring the offer to us before signing anything. A letter of intent usually carries an exclusivity clause, and once it is executed the seller’s leverage is largely gone.