Plumbing Businesses for sale in South Africa

Check qualifications, trade-test records and any registrations required by municipalities, insurers or client contracts. Separate plumbing from regulated electrical or gas work, and verify the cidb status used for public-sector projects instead of relying on the seller's trading history.

Sample completed jobs for quotations, approvals, materials, photographs, test results, invoices and certificates required by the relevant municipality or contract. Confirm who signs them, how defects are corrected and whether records support future warranty or insurance claims.

Reconcile each project and call-out to signed scope, deposit, materials on site, labour completed, variations, retention and remaining cost. Exclude disputed, unapproved or loss-making work, and allow for callbacks inherited under the sale agreement.

Match vehicles, drain machines, cameras, leak detectors and tools to registration papers, serial numbers and finance agreements. Inspect condition and calibration, distinguish employee or rented equipment, and budget for replacements hidden by fully depreciated accounting values.

Age receivables by residential, insurer, body corporate, construction and government clients. Compare payment timing with wages, fuel and material purchases, verify retentions and disputed variations, and calculate the working capital you need before taking over the order book.

Separate emergency call-outs, maintenance contracts, installations and construction projects. Adjust for owner labour, travel, subcontractors, warranty returns, bad debts and once-off insurance work, then test margins using current material prices and realistic technician utilisation.