Sell Your Business/Collision Repair/CaliforniaLast updated: October 5, 2026

Sell Your Collision Repair Shop in California

Quick Answer
Collision repair shops in California typically sell for 3x-8x EBITDA, or 2.5x-4x SDE for smaller owner-operated collision repair shops, per published ranges from Focus Advisors and John M. Salony. The Census Bureau counts 4,141 auto body, paint and interior repair shops in California, the most of any state, and 50% of them have fewer than five employees. The largest groups buying collision repair shops nationally include Caliber Collision (Hellman & Friedman), Gerber Collision & Glass (Boyd Group Services Inc.) and Crash Champions (Clearlake Capital Group). We have recorded seven named collision repair acquisitions in California, most recently Tracy Collision by Quality Collision Group (Aug 2026). Our own research found 29 collision repair shops in California already owned by these platforms, including Amato's Auto Body (Quality Collision Group) and Chilton Auto Body.
3x-8x
typical EBITDA multiple (published ranges)
2.5x-4x
typical SDE multiple
4,141
establishments in California (Census 2023)
50%
have fewer than 5 employees

Who is buying collision repair shops in California

Named collision repair acquisitions we have recorded in California

  • Tracy Collision, acquired by Quality Collision Group
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Aug 2026 · Tracy, CA · Source ↗
  • Fix Auto franchise of Richard Fish (6 locations), acquired by Puget Collision
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced May 2026 · San Diego and Orange Counties, CA · Source ↗
  • Marina Auto Body, acquired by Chilton Auto Body
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Mar 2026 · Marina Del Rey, Inglewood and Huntington Beach, CA · Source ↗
  • SJ Denham Collision Repair Center, acquired by G&C Auto Body
    Family-owned buyer · Announced Jul 2025 · Redding, CA · Source ↗
  • Miracle Auto Body, acquired by G&C Auto Body
    Family-owned buyer · Announced Jul 2025 · Chico, CA · Source ↗
  • Chilton Auto Body (20 locations), acquired by Trive Capital
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Feb 2025 · San Carlos, CA · Source ↗
  • Philip Thearle's Autowerks Collision Center, acquired by Quality Collision Group
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jun 2024 · Santee, CA · Source ↗

Collision repair shops in California that already have an outside owner

Found by DealSeam's own research, not just press releases. Each company is listed on its owner's website, says so on its own website, now redirects to its owner, or was confirmed owned in DealSeam's September 2026 ownership screen. Many of these sales were never announced.

  • Gerber Collision & Glass (Boyd Group Services) lists 53 locations in California · Source ↗
CompanyCityOwned byHow we know
Amato's Auto BodySan DiegoQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
B & S Hacienda Auto BodyPleasantonQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Body Shop by Gene CochettiSalinasQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Brooks Motor CarsOaklandQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Capitola Auto BodySanta CruzQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Chilton Auto BodySan CarlosChilton Auto Bodylisted on Chilton Auto Body's website ↗
Fix Auto AnaheimAnaheimPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Buena ParkBuena ParkPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Carlsbad VillageCarlsbadPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto CoronaCoronaPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Costa MesaCosta MesaPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto IrvineIrvinePuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Long BeachLong BeachPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto MontclairMontclairPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto OceansideOceansidePuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto OrangeOrangePuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto San ClementeSan ClementePuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Signal HillLong BeachPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto TustinTustinPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
Fix Auto Yorba LindaYorba LindaPuget Collisionlisted on Puget Collision's website ↗
G&C Auto BodySanta RosaG&C Auto Bodylisted on G&C Auto Body's website ↗
Jerry Graham Auto BodyDel Rey OaksQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Kaizen Collision CenterEscondidoKaizen Collision Centerlisted on Kaizen Collision Center's website ↗
Marina Auto BodyMarina del ReyChilton Auto Bodyits own website says so ↗
Monterey Auto BodyMontereyQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Philip Thearle's AutowerksSanteeQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Santa Cruz Auto BodySanta CruzQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Tracy CollisionTracyQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗
Watsonville Auto BodyFreedomQuality Collision Grouplisted on Quality Collision Group's website ↗

Headquartered in California: G&C Auto Body (Santa Rosa, CA) and Chilton Auto Body (San Carlos, CA).

PlatformOwner / backerTypeHeadquartersScale
Caliber CollisionHellman & Friedman (majority); Leonard Green & Partners and OMERS (minority)Private equityLewisville, TXmore than 1,850 locations nationwide; network spans 44 states after the Key Collision deal (Aug 2026)Source ↗
Gerber Collision & Glass (Boyd Group Services)Boyd Group Services Inc. (TSX: BYD; NYSE: BGSI)Strategic / publicWinnipeg, MB1,312 locations (Matthews, Aug 2026); 1,301 in North America at the Joe Hudson's closing (Jan 2026)Source ↗
Crash ChampionsClearlake Capital GroupPrivate equityChicago, ILmore than 650 locations in 38 statesSource ↗
Classic CollisionTPG Capital (acquired from New Mountain Capital, 2024)Private equityAtlanta, GAmore than 350 locations nationallySource ↗
CollisionRightSummit Partners (majority since Jan 2024); founder Rich Harrison retains equityPrivate equityDublin, OHapproximately 130 facilities across 11 states (134 per FenderBender, Sept 2026)Source ↗
Quality Collision GroupSusquehanna Private CapitalPrivate equityMcKinney, TX105 locations in 13 statesSource ↗
VIVE CollisionGreenbriar Equity Group (growth recapitalization from Garnett Station Partners, Nov 2023)Private equityNew York, NY82 locations (Sept 30, 2026)Source ↗
Puget CollisionEagle Merchant PartnersPrivate equityKent, WA72 collision repair locationsSource ↗
Brightpoint Auto Body RepairSouthWorth Capital Management (Memphis family office)Private equityMemphis, TNover 15 brands with 35+ locations across the US (as of Q1 2026)Source ↗
G&C Auto BodyCrozat familyStrategic / family-ownedSanta Rosa, CA64 locations throughout California and NevadaSource ↗
OpenRoad CollisionTrivest Partners and LP First CapitalPrivate equityAustin, TX41 locations in 5 statesSource ↗
Chilton Auto BodyTrive CapitalPrivate equitySan Carlos, CA25 locations across CaliforniaSource ↗
Kaizen Collision CenterKinderhook Industries (with LNC Partners and founder Jacob Tilzer)Private equityScottsdale, AZ45 stores spanning CO, AZ, CA, IA, NV and NESource ↗
Driving Force CollisionTRP Capital PartnersPrivate equityLong Island City, NYseven shopsSource ↗
Collision LeadersBestige HoldingsPrivate equityWarrensburg, MO13 storesSource ↗
Minuteman CollisionWillow River (Willow River Collision HoldCo LP)Private equityNot disclosedfour locations across greater BostonSource ↗

Ownership verified October 6, 2026. See every platform's recent deals in the Collision Repair roll-up tracker →

How many auto body, paint and interior repair shops are in California

The Census Bureau counted 4,141 auto body, paint and interior repair shops in California in 2023, the most of any state. 50% had fewer than five employees and 90% had fewer than 20. 33 had 50 or more.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShare
Fewer than 52,05550%
5 to 988121%
10 to 1979119%
20 to 493819%
50 or more331%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 ↗ (NAICS 811121). An establishment is a single physical location, so an owner with three locations counts three times.

What a collision repair shop in California is worth

Collision repair shops typically sell for 3x-8x EBITDA, or 2.5x-4x SDE for smaller owner-operated collision repair shops, with most deals in the Varies range. These are published industry ranges from Focus Advisors and John M. Salony, not an appraisal of your shop.

What buyers pay more for

  • +Diversified insurer DRP relationships
  • +OEM certifications
  • +Multi-shop scale
  • +Modern equipment and ADAS calibration

What buyers discount

  • -Declining trailing EBITDA
  • -DRP concentration
  • -Tesla-dependent revenue
  • -Owner dependence

How selling through DealSeam works

01

A confidential conversation

We learn about your shop and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.

02

Introductions where there is a fit

Where a qualified buyer fits your shop, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.

03

You decide

You choose whether to go further, on your own timeline. Sellers pay nothing; the buyer pays our fee if a deal closes.

Selling a collision repair shop in California: common questions

How much is a collision repair shop in California worth?

Collision repair shops typically sell for 3x-8x EBITDA, or 2.5x-4x SDE for smaller owner-operated collision repair shops, with most deals in the Varies range. Buyers tend to pay more for diversified insurer drp relationships, oem certifications, multi-shop scale and modern equipment and adas calibration, and less where they see declining trailing ebitda, drp concentration, tesla-dependent revenue and owner dependence. These are industry-wide ranges from Focus Advisors and John M. Salony, not an appraisal of your shop.

Who is buying collision repair shops in California?

Recent named deals in California include Tracy Collision (acquired by Quality Collision Group, Aug 2026), Fix Auto franchise of Richard Fish (acquired by Puget Collision, May 2026) and Marina Auto Body (acquired by Chilton Auto Body, Mar 2026). Nationally, the largest groups consolidating collision repair shops include Caliber Collision (Hellman & Friedman), Gerber Collision & Glass (Boyd Group Services Inc.) and Crash Champions (Clearlake Capital Group); 14 of the 16 platforms we track are private-equity-backed. Our own research found 29 collision repair shops in California already owned by these platforms, including Amato's Auto Body (Quality Collision Group), Chilton Auto Body and Fix Auto Anaheim (Puget Collision).

How many auto body, paint and interior repair shops are there in California?

The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 4,141 auto body, paint and interior repair shops in California in 2023, the most of any state. 50% had fewer than five employees, 90% had fewer than 20, and 33 had 50 or more.

Does it cost anything to sell through DealSeam?

No. Sellers pay nothing. When a deal closes, the buyer pays DealSeam's fee. There is no listing fee and no retainer.

Will my employees or customers find out I'm thinking about selling?

No. Nothing is listed publicly, and your details go to a buyer only after you approve that introduction.

Thinking about selling your collision repair shop?

DealSeam works confidentially with owners to understand their options and, where there's a fit, introduces them to qualified buyers, at no cost to sellers.

Talk to us about your California shop

Tell us how to reach you and we'll start a confidential, no-obligation conversation.

Confidential, and free for owners — we're paid by buyers. Prefer to lead with the numbers? Tell us about the business.

Sources

Valuation multiples are published ranges from Focus Advisors, Growing the Independent MSO (Apr 2024), Focus Advisors, Billions and Billions: Private Equity Investments in Collision Repair Surge (May 2024), Focus Advisors, Rewards of Scale and Collision Industry Market Dynamics in 2024 (Dec 2024) and John M. Salony (ABI), Sell Your Body Shops and Collision Business (updated May 2026). Establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 811121). Platform ownership comes from each platform's own or press sources, verified October 6, 2026. Companies listed as already owned come from DealSeam's own research: the owner's website, the company's own website, a domain redirect, or a source found in our September 2026 ownership screen, each re-checked before publishing. Named acquisitions are the deals we have recorded from public announcements, each linked to its source; they are not every deal in the state. Ownership in this sector changes often. None of this is investment, legal or tax advice.