Selling a trade business in Illinois
For owners of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing and specialist trade businesses in Illinois who are thinking about a possible sale and want a practical plan for their crew, customers and future.
Licensing in Illinois
Licenses are often held by a person, not the company. Before a sale, know which licenses the business relies on and who holds them.
- Plumbers are licensed statewide through the Illinois Department of Public Health.
- Roofing contractors are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
- Electrical and HVAC contractor requirements can be local; check the relevant municipality. Chicago requires a city electrical contractor license, while Westmont lists local HVAC contractor registration requirements.
Confirm current requirements directly with the licensing agency.
Last verified: against the official sources below. Requirements can change.
Official licensing sources
Use these to confirm who the state licenses for plumbing and roofing, including renewal rules, and when an electrical contractor license is required in Chicago. The Westmont page covers that village's own contractor registration.
Get ready
- Organize financial statements and current-year results.
- Separate service agreements from one-off installation revenue.
- Document crew leadership and license dependencies.
- Write down the jobs only you can do today.
- Decide what you want your next chapter to look like.
Other states
Texas · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Michigan
Preparation guidance only. This is not legal advice, a valuation or an offer to buy or sell. Business-specific questions are best answered by a human advisor.