How Illinois Moving Companies Sell
Owner playbook for Illinois moving companies: licenses, how buyers recast the books, and a confidential planning range. No upfront listing fee.
Confidential • No upfront fees • Illinois statewide
Buyers price an Illinois moving company on adjusted seller’s discretionary earnings after they normalize the books — not on a rumor multiple. Interstate work needs USDOT/MC. Planning range: 2.5x–4x SDE.
How moving companies actually sell in this state
Collar-county apartment and suburban-house volume is a reviews-and-crews business. ICC household-goods authority is the Illinois-specific gate that general trucking businesses do not have. Winter is real downtime unless they have commercial or storage attach. Claims and workers-comp move the multiple more than truck count.
Illustration: a local household mover in Schaumburg with four box trucks, ICC authority, a thin interstate broker book, and a seller who still runs the Saturday crew. Not a closed sale.
Planning range on this site: 2.5x–4x SDE. Typical process when books, the lease, and licenses are ready: 4–9 months. Those are ranges from our industry notes, not a quote for your shop. Typical first calls: owner-operators, regional moving companies, pe platforms. SBA 7(a) is commonly available for qualified buyers, which expands the owner-operator pool. The current statutory maximum is $5 million. See the SBA 7(a) program page. Marketplace-wide, BizBuySell’s Q2 2026 Insight Report showed a 2.7× cash-flow multiple across all reported closed deals — context, not a moving company appraisal.
Recast a moving company the way a lender will
Moving recasts on crew utilization and review-driven local volume, not a single corporate-relocation year. Add back owner-foreman hours, then isolate interstate brokered jobs and summer-only spikes. Truck capex and workers-comp on lifting crews are the costs. A 2.5x–4x SDE band assumes vans, a Google book, and crews that show up without the seller on the walkboard.
Levers that move the multiple on this vertical: Local recurring commercial or storage-adjacent work; Valid ICC and, if needed, FMCSA authority; Crews and a dispatcher who stay; Clean damage and workers-comp file; Fleet that does not need immediate replacement. Flip those and you have the diligence fight.
USDOT / FMCSA and Illinois plates are the file
Trucking and moving files turn on authority, insurance, CSA or safety history, and fleet title — not a teaser multiple. Illinois plates and IFTA/IRP accounts reset on a new entity when they apply.
Driver retention and equipment age are the operations story. A clean safety file is an asset. A dirty one is a walk.
File Illinois Form CBS-1 at least ten business days before an asset transfer that meets the statute. Chicago and Cook County add 45-day local bulk-sale clocks when they apply.
Who writes a check for an Illinois moving company
Owner-operators, regional moving companies, PE platforms show up first. City pages on this site (Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, and the rest) explain how that mix changes by county. A platform and an owner-operator do not underwrite the same file.
Buyers pay for transferable cash flow and a business that is not only the seller. They will argue fleet condition, customer review profile, residential vs commercial mix, crew count. A public asking price on a recognizable storefront is a choice, not a default.
What a serious moving company buyer will open
Have these ready before anyone hears the name of the moving company:
- Local vs long-distance vs commercial mix
- ICC household-goods authority and any USDOT/MC if they cross state lines
- Fleet condition, liftgates, and warehouse or storage relationships
- Crew tenure, workers-comp, and claim/damage history
- Review profile and whether leads are the seller’s face
- Peak-season subcontracting that inflates the trailing twelve
Where moving companies lose a letter of intent
The usual walk items are owner dependency, a license that leaves, books that do not match the tax return, or a lease the landlord will not assign. On this vertical the specific fights are: local recurring commercial or storage-adjacent work; valid icc and, if needed, fmcsa authority; crews and a dispatcher who stay; clean damage and workers-comp file; fleet that does not need immediate replacement.
Start authority and insurance transfers at letter of intent. Illinois Form CBS-1 is due at least ten business days before an asset transfer that meets the statute.
What to gather before anyone hears the name
Three years of signed business tax returns and matching P&Ls. Year-to-date numbers and three months of bank statements that reconcile. The current lease, amendments, and remaining term. A license and permit list that names who holds each card. Top-customer concentration with names redacted until an NDA.
Then recast. Moving recasts on crew utilization and review-driven local volume, not a single corporate-relocation year. Add back owner-foreman hours, then isolate interstate brokered jobs and summer-only spikes. Truck capex and workers-comp on lifting crews are the costs. A 2.5x–4x SDE band assumes vans, a Google book, and crews that show up without the seller on the walkboard.
How buyers read the books on a moving company
Moving recasts on crew utilization and review-driven local volume, not a single corporate-relocation year. Add back owner-foreman hours, then isolate interstate brokered jobs and summer-only spikes. Truck capex and workers-comp on lifting crews are the costs. A 2.5x–4x SDE band assumes vans, a Google book, and crews that show up without the seller on the walkboard.
Illustration only — not a quote for any Illinois shop. A moving company whose tax return shows $161,000 of net profit is not worth $161,000 × a rumor multiple.
Add back the owner’s $65,000 W-2 and payroll tax, $17,000 of discretionary benefits, $10,500 of accepted one-time cost, and $11,500 of personal expenses that a buyer will not run. Then subtract $80,000 of replacement labor if the owner still diagnoses, sells, or closes the books.
Adjusted seller’s discretionary earnings are $185,000. At the planning range 2.5x–4.0x, enterprise value is $462,500 to $740,000. Mid-range 3.25x is $601,250 before debt, working capital, holdback, and tax. A Illinois buyer will argue the multiple after they ride with the staff and read the lease.
Which licenses stay with the owner
Interstate work needs USDOT/MC. Intrastate household-goods moving in Illinois is an Illinois Commerce Commission household-goods authority issue — not the same as a general trucking MC. Those authorities do not automatically follow a new LLC. CDLs and medical cards sit with drivers. A buyer who only buys trucks without ICC or FMCSA authority cannot legally haul the book.
A worked moving company recast — not a quote
This table is a planning illustration for an Illinois moving company. It is not a closed sale and not an appraisal of any shop.
SDE line items
- Reported net profit (tax return, not the marketing P&L)
- + Interest expense
- + Income taxes (not payroll, sales, or property tax)
- + Depreciation and amortization
- + Owner W-2, bonuses, and payroll taxes on the owner
- + Discretionary owner benefits that a buyer will not keep (auto, personal travel, family on payroll with no role)
- + Accepted one-time or non-recurring expenses
- − Market-rate replacement labor for owner work that will not transfer
- = Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE)
| Net profit | $161,000 |
|---|---|
| Owner W-2 | $65,000 |
| Benefits | $17,000 |
| One-time | $10,500 |
| Personal | $11,500 |
| Replacement labor (subtract) | −$80,000 |
| Recast SDE | $185,000 |
| Planning EV at 3.25x | $601,250 |
What moves the multiple
- Local recurring commercial or storage-adjacent work
- Valid ICC and, if needed, FMCSA authority
- Crews and a dispatcher who stay
- Clean damage and workers-comp file
- Fleet that does not need immediate replacement
Have these ready before anyone hears the name
- Local vs long-distance vs commercial mix
- ICC household-goods authority and any USDOT/MC if they cross state lines
- Fleet condition, liftgates, and warehouse or storage relationships
- Crew tenure, workers-comp, and claim/damage history
- Review profile and whether leads are the seller’s face
- Peak-season subcontracting that inflates the trailing twelve
Recast Seller’s Discretionary Earnings, then apply a planning multiple for moving companies. Replacement labor is subtracted. This is a planning tool, not an appraisal.
Before debt, working-capital peg, holdback, and tax. Educational only.
Enter your annual Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) — your net profit plus owner's salary and any personal expenses run through the business — to estimate a range.
This is an estimate for planning purposes only. Actual value depends on lease terms, asset quality, customer concentration, and current market conditions. Request a professional valuation for a precise number.
How to prepare an Illinois moving company for sale
- Recast the tax return. Start with signed returns. Add owner pay and one-time costs. Subtract replacement labor if the seller still does the work a buyer must hire for on this moving company.
- Name the license holder. List every credential that lets the company operate and whether that person stays. Personal licenses do not transfer with the assets.
- Open the lease and the labor file. Remaining term, assignment rules, and whether the crew can run Monday without the seller.
- Calendar Illinois notices. File CBS-1 at least ten business days before a qualifying asset transfer. Add Chicago or Cook 45-day clocks when they apply.
- Talk before you list the name. Confidential outreach first. Employees and landlords recognize storefronts. A success-fee consult is how we start — no upfront listing retainer.
Moving Companies pages on this site
Moving Companies by Illinois market
Each city page is the moving company file for that place — local closing clocks and a unique recast illustration — not a copy of this hub.
What a researcher can open
- BizBuySell Insight Report Q2 2026 — Closed-deal medians and averages. Market-wide, not an Illinois quote.
- BizBuySell Insight Report Q4 2025 — Seller-priority survey: speed versus top dollar versus continuity.
- EPI Generational State of Owner Readiness — Formal-valuation and exit-team readiness among Boomer owners.
- IDOR Form CBS-1 bulk-sale instructions — Illinois bulk-sale notice: file at least ten business days before transfer.
- IRS: Selling a business — Federal starting point for sale filings. Not a substitute for a CPA.
Questions owners ask about moving companies in Illinois
Our planning range is 2.5x–4x SDE. BizBuySell’s Q2 2026 Insight Report showed a 2.7× cash-flow multiple across reported closed deals in all industries — useful context, not a moving company appraisal. The multiple moves on fleet condition, customer review profile, residential vs commercial mix, crew count.
Plan on 4–9 months when books, the lease, and licenses are ready. License transfers and landlord consent are what push files past that range.
Interstate work needs USDOT/MC. Intrastate household-goods moving in Illinois is an Illinois Commerce Commission household-goods authority issue — not the same as a general trucking MC. Those authorities do not automatically follow a new LLC. CDLs and medical cards sit with drivers. A buyer who only buys trucks without ICC or FMCSA authority cannot legally haul the book.
Owner-operators, regional moving companies, PE platforms. City pages on this site explain how that mix changes by county.
Illinois moving companies typically sell for 2.5x–4x SDE. Fleet condition, customer reviews, and the mix of residential versus commercial moves are the primary value drivers.
Extremely important. Moving is a reputation-driven business. A strong Google rating with hundreds of reviews is a tangible asset that accelerates buyer interest. Buyers factor review profile quality into their valuation.
Buyers will review your FMCSA Safety Rating, DOT number, and carrier authority. A satisfactory safety rating and clean compliance record are prerequisites for most buyers and their lenders.
Yes, but agent agreements typically require van line approval of the new owner. We work with your van line's agent transfer process as part of managing the sale.
Yes. Moving companies are SBA-eligible businesses. SBA 7(a) loans are the standard financing structure for acquisitions in this space.
Talk through your Illinois moving company
Confidential consult. The 2.5x–4x SDE range on this page is planning math, not a promise. Success fee only if we take you to market and close.
No upfront fees • Completely confidential • Free valuation