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Most waste companies this size sell to a bigger hauler or to a private equity fund adding routes. Buyers price your EBITDA, then check your permits, your trucks and where your waste goes. Find your size below: $10,000,000 to $300,000,000 in sales, each with its own answer.
Figures: IRS tax year 2023Census 2022NYU Stern January 2026Market Pulse through Q2 2026Read November 12, 2026
The short answer: in tax year 2023, waste management and remediation S corporations of every size reported 6.5%[1] of sales as business profit, by our math on the IRS figures. Before interest, depreciation and amortization it was about 12.4%. Depreciation, the cost of trucks and containers wearing out, is most of that gap.
The 6.5% is profit as the IRS saw it: what these companies reported, before their owners' income tax, divided by all they took in. It sums 14,415 returns of every size, money-losing ones too.
Put interest, depreciation and amortization back and it's 12.4%, by our math. That's near EBITDA, yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which a larger buyer pays for. The IRS doesn't break out this row's gains and losses on selling equipment, so the 12.4% holds them.
Depreciation alone took 4.6% of receipts, more than three times the 1.3% for all S corporations with $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales. That's why a waste company's EBITDA looks strong beside its tax profit. A buyer then asks how much of it goes into new trucks and containers every year.
The row holds haulers, transfer stations, landfills, recyclers and cleanup companies together. Its returns took in about $3,680,915 each, on average, by our math, so a company with $10,000,000 in sales is well above its average.
| Industry or size | Business profit on tax returns | Before interest, depreciation and amortization |
|---|---|---|
| Waste management and remediation services all sizes | 6.5% | 12.4%* |
| $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 | 7.3% | 9.1% |
| $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 | 6.1% | 8.0% |
| $250,000,000 or more | 5.9% | 8.2% |
| All S corporations | 7.5% | 9.7% |
* Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.
Sorted by business receipts, which this page calls sales. Before interest, depreciation and amortization = (business profit + interest + depreciation + amortization − net gains on selling equipment) ÷ total receipts, by our math on IRS figures.[1][3]
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[3]. The waste row covers every size of company and every kind of waste work. Size rows are all industries.
Census doesn't split waste out at this size either. It counted 11,794[2] administrative, support and waste services firms with $10,000,000 to $99,999,999 in sales in 2022, staffing and building services among them. The IRS size rows above go by business receipts, which this page calls sales.
A made-up waste company at the IRS rate of 12.4% earns $1,240,000 on $10,000,000 of sales, and $37,200,000 on $300,000,000. Our sold-deal data ends at companies that sold for $50,000,000, and this rate reaches that at about $70,000,000 of sales. From $100,000,000 up we give no figure of ours.
| Sales | IRS size row | EBITDA at 12.4% | Our sold-deal range |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000,000 | 9.1% | $1,240,000 | $4,025,358 to $5,996,839 |
| $20,000,000 | 9.1% | $2,480,000 | $9,920,000 to $14,384,000 |
| $30,000,000 | 9.1% | $3,720,000 | $14,880,000 to $21,576,000 |
| $50,000,000 | 8.0% | $6,200,000 | $24,800,000 to $35,960,000 |
| $100,000,000 | 8.0% | $12,400,000 | Past our data |
| $200,000,000 | 8.0% | $24,800,000 | Past our data |
| $300,000,000 | 8.2% | $37,200,000 | Past our data |
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[3]; IBBA and M&A Source, Second quarter of 2026[4]. Made-up examples. The rate is waste management and remediation S corporations of every size, gains included. Ranges are the sold-deal data behind our calculator, all industries together, checked November 2, 2026.
The waste rate sits above the size row at every size here, because it adds back heavy depreciation on trucks and containers. On business profit alone, the waste row sits under the row for $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales.
Often to a regional hauler that runs routes near yours, or to one buyer using a bank loan. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $1,240,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $4,025,358 to $5,996,839, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.[1][4]
IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.
Our hauling calculator asks two things after your sales and profit: whether you personally do the service work, and how old most of your trucks are. Less than 5 years, 5 to 10, or more than 10.
Between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 of owner's earnings, our calculator mixes two measures: owner's earnings, called SDE (profit plus the owner's own pay), and EBITDA. A buyer borrowing through the SBA 7(a) program, which the U.S. Small Business Administration backs, can get up to $5,000,000[5] in one loan. That cap falls inside this range, so a buyer near the top of it needs money beyond one SBA loan.
Our view: at this size the owner often still prices the big commercial accounts and talks to the city. A buyer asks who does that the week after you leave.
Across every industry: what a company with $10,000,000 in sales is worth.
Often to a larger hauler or a fund building routes in your region, buying you to join a company it owns. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $2,480,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $9,920,000 to $14,384,000, priced on EBITDA.[1][4]
IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.
Owner's earnings here pass $2,000,000, so our calculator prices on EBITDA alone: the profit left once a hired manager is paid.
Most private equity buys are add-ons, companies bought to join one a fund already owns. PitchBook counted about three of every four U.S. buyouts as add-ons in the second quarter of 2026[6]. Our view: in waste, an add-on buyer pays for stops it can fit into its own routes.
Reps and warranties insurance pays the buyer if a promise in the sale contract turns out wrong. Lockton says policies are often available from $10,000,000[7] of company value, and this range runs across that line.
Across every industry: what a company with $20,000,000 in sales is worth.
To bigger waste companies and funds, sometimes with part of the price paid later if your volumes hold. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $3,720,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $14,880,000 to $21,576,000, priced on EBITDA.[1][4]
IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.
Some buyers here pay part of the price later, if the business hits targets. That's an earnout. In SRS Acquiom's 2025 count, 35% of deals paying $25,000,000 or less at closing had one[8], and this range falls in that group.
Where an earnout paid anything, it paid a median 43 cents on the dollar in deals of $50,000,000 or less, SRS Acquiom found[9]. Count an earnout at less than its face value when you compare offers.
Our view: buyers this size ask for a list of every permit, who holds it, and whether it moves to a new owner on its own. Some need the state's or the city's approval first.
Across every industry: what a company with $30,000,000 in sales is worth.
By running a sale where buyers' accountants test your profit and their consultants check your sites and permits. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $6,200,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $24,800,000 to $35,960,000.[1][4]
IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.
Buyers here usually order a quality of earnings report, an outside accountant's check on whether your profit holds up. PKF O'Connor Davies says these have long been standard at company values of $10,000,000 to $1,000,000,000[10]. In waste, expect it to tie your tonnage and disposal fees to your books.
Working capital moves the price at this size too. Here's what that means.
In a waste company, working capital is mostly what commercial customers and cities owe you. Against it sit fuel, repair and disposal bills. Inventory is mostly parts.
Homes billed ahead change the count. A made-up example: 20,000 homes each pay $90 at the start of a quarter. That's $1,800,000 collected for pickups you haven't made yet. A buyer counts it as a bill the business still owes, because the pickups haven't happened, so it lowers your working capital.
How long a stretch the target averages, often 3 to 12 months[11] by Lincoln International's account, matters here. Right after quarterly bills go out you owe the most pickups, so a target built on those months runs lower. Ask which months go in. The working capital peg, step by step.
Across every industry: what a company with $50,000,000 in sales is worth.
Often to a fund making you its first waste company, or to a national hauler, with part of the price kept as shares. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $12,400,000 a year. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it.[1]
IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.
Past our sold-deal data. The group behind our calculator stops at companies that sold for $50,000,000, so we don't put a figure on this one. Other publishers' figures are beside it.
At the waste rate, $100,000,000 of sales means $12,400,000 of EBITDA, past the $8,620,690 our data reaches. You'd need a margin under about 8.6% to stay inside it, almost four points below the waste row.
Other publishers' figures, not ours
| Company value | Multiple of EBITDA | Statistic | Buyers | Period | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 | 8.7x | Average | Private equity, platform buyouts | Through the third quarter of 2025 | GF Data[12] |
| $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours | 10.0x | Average | Private equity, platform buyouts | Through the third quarter of 2025 | GF Data[12] |
| $100,000,000 to $500,000,000 | 9.8x against 7.0x under $100,000,000 | Average | Private equity, platform buyouts | Through the third quarter of 2025 | GF Data[12] |
| $50,000,000 to $200,000,000Near yours | 9.0x | Median | All buyers | Twelve months to March 31, 2026 | TagniFi[13] |
| $200,000,000 to $500,000,000 | 11.4x | Median | All buyers | Twelve months to March 31, 2026 | TagniFi[13] |
These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.
Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[12]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[13].
The marked rows are each publisher's closest to $12,400,000 of EBITDA. Treat them as context, not as your price.
Our view: funds often enter waste through a platform, their first company in the field, then add haulers around it. The platform's owner is usually asked to roll part of the price into shares of the new company. GF Data found 63.6%[14] of 2024 private equity deals of $10,000,000 to $500,000,000 used that rollover. How rollover equity works.
Across every industry: what a company with $100,000,000 in sales is worth.
Through a sale in rounds where national haulers and funds bid, with time before closing for permits and city contracts to transfer. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $24,800,000 a year. Our data stops well short of that, so only other publishers' figures show here.[1]
IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.
Exhibit 4 covers $24,800,000 here and the $37,200,000 example at $300,000,000, because the same rows sit nearest both. They're other companies' deals.
Other publishers' figures, not ours
| Company value | Multiple of EBITDA | Statistic | Buyers | Period | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours | 10.0x | Average | Private equity, platform buyouts | Through the third quarter of 2025 | GF Data[12] |
| $200,000,000 to $500,000,000Near yours | 11.4x | Median | All buyers | Twelve months to March 31, 2026 | TagniFi[13] |
These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.
Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[12]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[13].
After the letter of intent, the buyer's signed offer, you usually give it a set time to buy alone. Baker McKenzie's guide says that commonly runs 30 to 60 days[15]. Our view: in waste, permits and city contracts that need consent can take longer, so agree what happens if they do.
Part of the price usually waits in escrow after closing, to cover claims if a promise in the contract proves wrong. In SRS Acquiom's 2024 deals without reps and warranties insurance, the median escrow was 10.0%[16] of deal value. Our view: in waste, the first claims a buyer guards against are about the condition of your sites.
Across every industry: what a company with $200,000,000 in sales is worth.
To the largest haulers and big funds, through a sale in rounds where only a few bidders reach the end. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $37,200,000 a year. That's in the IRS's top size band, well past our data.[1]
IRS size row: $250,000,000 or more in sales, 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[3]. Waste, all sizes: 12.4%, gains included. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.
From $250,000,000 of sales, that amount included, the IRS's top band ran 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization for all S corporations. The waste row's 12.4% sits well above it, mostly because of depreciation.
Public companies run higher still. NYU Stern's January 2026 data puts environmental and waste services at 21.0%[17] of sales as EBITDA. Our view: many of them own landfills and run far bigger route networks than a private company this size. Exhibit 4 above holds the deal rows nearest this size.
If a fund buys you and you keep shares, your second payday comes when it sells. In 2025 the median fund held a company 6.4 years[6] before selling, PitchBook says. Here's who buys a company your size.
Across every industry: what a company with $300,000,000 in sales is worth.
Your permits, your routes and where your waste goes. This is what buyers ask for, in the order they usually ask.
Safety comes up too. Collection is heavy work in traffic, so a buyer reads your accident and injury records.
Profit first, then what it costs to keep the trucks running and the waste moving. Our calculator asks whether you do the service work yourself and how old most of your trucks are.
Our view: disposal is the cost that moves margin most. A hauler that pays another company's landfill takes that company's prices. One that owns its transfer station or landfill keeps more, and carries the cost of running it.
Then the contracts. City contracts and commercial agreements with years left make next year's revenue easier to count on. Most offers at this size assume the company comes without debt, so the loans on your trucks are paid from the price at closing.
The tool opens at the IRS waste rate of 12.4%. Change it to your own sales and margin, and it shows where the sold-deal data behind our calculator ends.
Industry: Waste and junk removal
IRS, waste and junk removal S corporations of every size, tax year 2023, our math. Change it to yours. Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.
A made-up example at the IRS rate
A made-up example: 12.4% of $30,000,000 in yearly sales. EBITDA is yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Our sold-deal data puts that EBITDA at
$14,880,000 to $21,576,000
Typical $18,228,000, priced on EBITDA.
IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals of $5,000,000 to $50,000,000. Typical is the middle of its recent readings. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.
Other publishers' figures, not ours
| Company value | Multiple of EBITDA | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000,000 to $25,000,000Near yours | 5.9x | GF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025 |
| $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 | 6.6x | GF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025 |
| $50,000,000 to $100,000,000 | 8.7x | GF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025 |
| $100,000,000 to $250,000,000 | 10.0x | GF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025 |
| $1,000,000 to $10,000,000 | 5.5x | TagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026 |
| $10,000,000 to $50,000,000Near yours | 7.3x | TagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026 |
| $50,000,000 to $200,000,000 | 9.0x | TagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026 |
| $200,000,000 to $500,000,000 | 11.4x | TagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026 |
These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.
At this profit you can book a call with a dedicated advisor.
The valuation asks your sales and profit again, then your name, email and cell phone, and shows a range.
A dedicated advisor takes your first call and works through your numbers with you. With a waste company, these four come first.
Next, your advisor tells you where the sold-deal data puts your profit, or says when you're past it. Owners often hope for more. A buyer's accountants will start with your truck spending and your disposal costs.
Often to a regional hauler that runs routes near yours, or to one buyer using a bank loan. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $1,240,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $4,025,358 to $5,996,839, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.
Often to a larger hauler or a fund building routes in your region, buying you to join a company it owns. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $2,480,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $9,920,000 to $14,384,000, priced on EBITDA.
To bigger waste companies and funds, sometimes with part of the price paid later if your volumes hold. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $3,720,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $14,880,000 to $21,576,000, priced on EBITDA.
By running a sale where buyers' accountants test your profit and their consultants check your sites and permits. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $6,200,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $24,800,000 to $35,960,000.
Often to a fund making you its first waste company, or to a national hauler, with part of the price kept as shares. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $12,400,000 a year. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it.
Through a sale in rounds where national haulers and funds bid, with time before closing for permits and city contracts to transfer. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $24,800,000 a year. Our data stops well short of that, so only other publishers' figures show here.
To the largest haulers and big funds, through a sale in rounds where only a few bidders reach the end. A made-up example at the IRS waste rate of 12.4% earns about $37,200,000 a year. That's in the IRS's top size band, well past our data.
Waste management and remediation S corporations reported 6.5% as business profit in tax year 2023, by our math on IRS figures for every size. Before interest, depreciation and amortization it was about 12.4%. That figure includes gains on selling equipment. Most of the gap between the two is depreciation on trucks and containers.
Our view: it often does, because a hauler that owns its transfer station or landfill doesn't pay another company to take its waste. A buyer also prices what owning a site costs: permits, testing, and closing the site when it's full.
More for larger owners: what a company sells for, by revenue, selling a larger trucking company and how much earnouts actually pay.
The sold-deal data behind our calculator: IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.
Percentages are BridgeBook's arithmetic on the IRS dollar figures.
Outside figures are other publishers', named and dated, and they don't feed our calculator. How we use outside figures
The valuation starts on Junk Removal / Hauling, our closest type for a waste company. It asks a few short questions, your sales, profit and the age of your trucks among them, then your name, email and cell phone, and shows a range, not one number.
Your exit credit comes off our success fee at closing and grows with your yearly sales: $5,000 under $5,000,000 in sales ($2,500 for your valuation report, plus $2,500 for your advisor call or for starting your listing), up to $50,000 at $100,000,000 or more.
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