What could your security business be worth?
Complete our confidential valuation calculator in under 15 minutes. You will receive a personalised indicative range instantly on screen, with a downloadable PDF report. No cost.
Tell us about your business.
Use the figures you already know off the top of your head. The calculator applies its own working multiples to them, and gives you a realistic price range for what your business could be worth.
This is a guide, not a valuation.
Next, have a free first conversation with Simon or Emily, in confidence. Ask for Simon and talk through your hopes and timing. The paid Snapshot is a written, indicative view of value, with what to fix first.
- After the Business Value & Exit Snapshot, value at or above your hopes and ready to exit: the Full Value & Sale Readiness Review, then the sale with Simon.
- Below where you want it, or not selling yet: the Exit Strategy Workshop and/or Finance & Information Readiness Review, then the programme led by Nick.
The calculator does not choose your route. See the services, prices and online presence help.
The eight factors that determine your business value.
Every security business is different. These are the key areas buyers and valuers focus on when assessing what your company is worth.
Why 3x to 10x EBITDA?
What a UK security business sells for depends heavily on its revenue mix. Among electronic security and alarm businesses, integrated installers commonly reach 6x to 10x EBITDA (profit before interest, tax, and the write-down of equipment, vehicles and other assets), because maintenance and service contracts add recurring, predictable income.
Monitoring and alarm receiving centre businesses are often valued differently again, on a multiple of recurring monthly revenue rather than earnings, that is, the monthly figure multiplied by a set number, depending on customer attrition and gross margin. A contracted book of monitored accounts is the single biggest value driver in the sector. For small, owner-managed alarm monitoring firms the practitioner guide puts the range at roughly 3x to 5x EBITDA.
The modifiers that move a business towards the upper end include: recurring monitoring or service contracts as a high share of revenue; SIA Approved Contractor status with NSI Gold or SSAIB certification; BS 7858-vetted, retained and licensed staff that reduce owner dependency, the business leaning on you personally; a diverse, low-concentration client base across retail, corporate, and public sector; and clean, long-term contracts rather than one-off installs, whose staff would carry across with the work under TUPE. Investment firms that buy companies to grow and sell on, known as private equity, are consolidating the sector quickly, with around 70% of UK fire and security deals in 2025 backed by private-equity buyers, up from 57% the year before.
Sources: Sell Your Security Business 2026 Guide, April 2026; Grant Thornton, UK Fire and Security Sector M&A Review 2025. Practitioner guidance, not guaranteed transaction data.
Recurring Monitoring Revenue (RMR)
Contracted monitoring and service income is the single most valuable asset in a security business. Buyers pay a premium for predictable, repeating revenue from a book of monitored or ARC-connected accounts, often valuing it on a multiple of monthly recurring revenue.
NSI Gold and SIA ACS Accreditation
SIA Approved Contractor status, NSI Gold or NACOSS Gold, and SSAIB certification underpin tender eligibility, insurance, and self-certification. Accredited businesses are lower-risk acquisitions, and unaccredited operators typically attract a discount to cover re-certification.
Licensed and Vetted Workforce
A trained, SIA-licensed and BS 7858-vetted team that stays with the business reduces owner dependency and protects contract continuity. Buyers value a stable, compliant workforce that comes with the business, staying with the company or, if its assets are sold, moving across under TUPE.
Monitoring and ARC Book
An in-house alarm receiving centre, or a transferable book of monitored accounts, commands the highest multiples in the sector. With alarms still on copper lines needing an upgrade before the PSTN switch-off, a well-maintained, compliant monitoring base is increasingly valuable.
Client Diversity and Contract Length
A spread of clients across retail, corporate, and public sector, on long-term contracts, reduces concentration risk. Buyers discount businesses that rely on one or two large accounts and pay more for diversified, sticky revenue.
Service vs Install Margin Mix
One-off installations are valuable, but recurring service and maintenance work carries higher margins and steadier earnings. A healthy balance weighted towards ongoing service supports a stronger multiple than install-only revenue.
Owner Dependency
Businesses that can operate without the owner command significantly higher multiples. If contracts, monitoring, and client relationships depend on you personally, buyers will discount accordingly. A capable management layer is a real asset.
Public Sector and Framework Contracts
Places on public sector frameworks across NHS, local authority, education, and government estates signal reliability and open larger, longer contracts. Framework positions are hard to win and add genuine value at sale.
How we work out the figures.
The figures come from the multiples this calculator works with for UK security businesses. It applies them to the turnover and profit you give it, then adjusts for your other answers.
These multiples are the calculator's own working assumptions, not published figures or a record of completed sales, so the result is an indicative range rather than a formal valuation. A formal valuation needs a look at your accounts and how the business runs.
We last reviewed these multiples in July 2026.
Your business is worth more than a guess.
"An indicative range is the start of the conversation. What your business is genuinely worth is revealed by real buyer competition, and that is what we create."Simon Read, Founder & Managing Director