Close · Home Services

Independent Sponsor Seller Financing in Home Services

Independent sponsor counsel for home services, focused on Seller Financing and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $8M to $80M EV EBITDA $2M to $15M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

Home Services deals in the lower middle market run a specific playbook. Seller Financing is where the structure either holds or starts to leak.

The typical home services platform sits at $8M to $80M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $15M range. The thesis runs on regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators. The cleanest home services deals close in 60 days from LOI. The mess is almost always in the licenses, not the financials.

The moves

How Seller Financing actually gets structured.

  1. Anchor seller notes at 5 to 15 percent of EV, with a 4 to 6 year term.

  2. Subordinate explicitly to senior and mezzanine debt with a clear standstill on default.

  3. Price interest at 6 to 8 percent, with cash pay or PIK depending on the senior package.

  4. Build prepayment optionality so refinancing flexibility is preserved.

  5. In home services, layer in working capital peg that survives a slow February as part of the Seller Financing workstream.

The common mistake

Treating the seller note as a hand-shake. Sellers sue on notes more often than on equity disputes.

Jason's take
"A seller note is debt. Document it like debt. Service it like debt."
Jason Powell · Seller Financing
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
TALK TO JASON

An LOI on the desk, a home services target, and a Seller Financing question worth a real conversation.

Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney whose first move is to read the deal, not the engagement letter.