Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions in California: SBA loan data
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 64 7(a) loans to buy an existing business classified as Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in California, totaling $74.1M. The median loan was $636,050. That is 1.2% of the 5,184 acquisition loans in California.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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How Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in California compares
| Measure | Plumbing, Heating, and... | California, all industries | Plumbing, Heating, and..., nationwide | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $636,050 | $600,000 | $734,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $325,000 to $1,841,250 | $296,225 to $1,395,000 | $293,300 to $1,545,000 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.35% | 7.87% | 8.01% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 0.0% | 4.1% | 2.5% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 64 | 5,184 | 921 | 48,902 |
The median for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California is $636,050, slightly above the $600,000 median for all California acquisitions, slightly below the $734,000 median for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions nationwide and in line with the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $325,000 to $1,841,250, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 8.35%, above the 7.76% national average.
None of the seasoned loans were charged off, against 4.1% for all California acquisitions, 2.5% for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions nationwide and 3.5% for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Plumbing, Heating, and... | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 27% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 38% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 16% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 20% | 17% |
Most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California (64%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 38%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Banking Company made 39% of Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California, and the top three lenders together made 50%. 3 of the 29 lenders involved made three or more. Only 3 lenders have repeat experience here. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 16 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California were approved. That is 24% fewer than the 21 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $565,250, slightly below the $636,050 median across all years.
Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 4 | $2M | $597,300 | |
| FY2019 | 4 | $4.4M | $972,500 | |
| FY2020 | 6 | $6.5M | $712,400 | |
| FY2021 | 7 | $7.2M | $627,500 | |
| FY2022 | 6 | $16.2M | $2,786,750 | |
| FY2023 | 15 | $16.4M | $525,000 | |
| FY2024 | 6 | $2.6M | $377,750 | |
| FY2025 | 10 | $13M | $697,500 | |
| FY2026 | 6 | $6M | $221,600 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 21 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in California acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), none have been charged off by the SBA. 12 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in California has none charged off, against the 3.5% average across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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Top lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 25 | 39.1% | $29.2M | |
| 2 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 4 | 6.3% | $7.5M | |
| 3 | Plumas Bank | 3 | 4.7% | $1.1M | |
| 4 | Byline Bank | 2 | 3.1% | $3.8M | |
| 5 | Bank of America, National Association | 2 | 3.1% | $3M |
Top franchise brands
No franchise brands recorded in this combination.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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Questions buyers ask
How much do SBA loans for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions in California run?
The median SBA 7(a) loan was $636,050 across 64 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), with the middle half between $325,000 and $1,841,250. The loan excludes the buyer's equity and any seller note and may include working capital, so the price is usually higher than the loan.
Which banks finance Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions in California?
Live Oak Banking Company (25), First Internet Bank of Indiana (4), Plumas Bank (3), Byline Bank (2), Bank of America, National Association (2). Some lenders repeatedly finance this industry in this state; the counts above show which.
How often do Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans fail in California?
Of 21 seasoned loans (FY2018 to FY2021), none were charged off, against the 3.5% rate for all SBA acquisition loans. With a sample this size, treat the figure as a direction, not a precise rate.
Are franchised businesses part of Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisitions in California?
None of the 64 loans in this combination were recorded with a franchise brand.
How much do you need down for an SBA loan to buy a Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business in California?
The SBA requires the buyer to make an equity injection, commonly 10% of total project cost, and a lender may ask for more. The SBA file does not record injections, so the figures here are the financed portion: the median for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California was $636,050, and the middle half ran $325,000 to $1,841,250.
How long does an SBA acquisition loan take?
For a change-of-ownership 7(a) loan, 45 to 90 days from application to close is typical. It varies by lender and by how quickly third-party reports, such as the business valuation and appraisal, come back. The SBA file records approval dates, not application dates, so this site cannot measure it. Lenders approved 16 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California in FY2025 and FY2026.
Which banks make SBA loans for a Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business in California?
By loan count, FY2018 to FY2026: Live Oak Banking Company (25), First Internet Bank of Indiana (4), Plumas Bank (3), Byline Bank (2), Bank of America, National Association (2). Live Oak Banking Company made 39% of Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors acquisition loans in California. Counts show past approvals only and do not predict whether a lender will approve a particular deal.
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Related
- All California acquisitions
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Small samples move a lot: each loan in this combination is 2% of the count. Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded. See the methodology.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in California: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/state/ca/plumbing-heating-and-air-conditioning-contractors-238220 (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/state/ca/plumbing-heating-and-air-conditioning-contractors-238220.json.