Close · Specialty Construction

Working Capital Adjustments Counsel for Specialty Construction Acquisitions

Negotiating Working Capital Adjustments on specialty construction deals, with the structure protection and capital connectivity an independent sponsor actually needs.

EV range $8M to $110M EV EBITDA $2M to $18M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

Working Capital Adjustments on specialty construction deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

The typical specialty construction platform sits at $8M to $110M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $18M range. The thesis runs on trade-specific buy-ups (roofing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection). Bonding capacity is the gate. Without it, the independent sponsor deal stalls at the first big project bid post-close.

The moves

How Working Capital Adjustments actually gets structured.

  1. Set the peg based on a trailing 12-month average, normalized for seasonality.

  2. Define each line item in the schedule, especially deferred revenue and accrued vacation.

  3. Cap the dispute resolution timeline at 30 days post-close.

  4. Build a true-up payment mechanism funded out of escrow.

  5. In specialty construction, layer in surety pre-qualification for the buyer entity as part of the Working Capital Adjustments workstream.

The common mistake

Using an unadjusted average that ignores seasonality. You pay twice for the same cash.

Jason's take
"Working capital is where deals are won or re-traded after LOI. Read every line of the schedule."
Jason Powell · Working Capital Adjustments
Capital after close

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

Most independent sponsors solve the closing capital and then run into the post-close capital problem alone. The capital markets relationships that matter at month 18 are part of this practice.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
ENGAGE THE PRACTICE

Working Capital Adjustments for Specialty Construction, on independent sponsor terms.

Independent sponsor counsel that already speaks fluent deal-by-deal economics, structures clean LPAs, and travels with capital markets relationships for what comes after close.