Sell Your Collision Repair Shop in California
Who is buying collision repair shops in California
Named collision repair acquisitions we have recorded in California
- Tracy Collision, acquired by Quality Collision GroupPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Aug 2026 · Tracy, CA · Source ↗
- Fix Auto franchise of Richard Fish (6 locations), acquired by Puget CollisionPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced May 2026 · San Diego and Orange Counties, CA · Source ↗
- Marina Auto Body, acquired by Chilton Auto BodyPrivate-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 BodyFamily-owned buyer · Announced Jul 2025 · Redding, CA · Source ↗
- Miracle Auto Body, acquired by G&C Auto BodyFamily-owned buyer · Announced Jul 2025 · Chico, CA · Source ↗
- Chilton Auto Body (20 locations), acquired by Trive CapitalPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Feb 2025 · San Carlos, CA · Source ↗
- Philip Thearle's Autowerks Collision Center, acquired by Quality Collision GroupPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jun 2024 · Santee, CA · Source ↗
Headquartered in California: G&C Auto Body (Santa Rosa, CA) and Chilton Auto Body (San Carlos, CA).
| Platform | Owner / backer | Type | Headquarters | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber Collision | Hellman & Friedman (majority); Leonard Green & Partners and OMERS (minority) | Private equity | Lewisville, TX | more 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 / public | Winnipeg, MB | 1,312 locations (Matthews, Aug 2026); 1,301 in North America at the Joe Hudson's closing (Jan 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Crash Champions | Clearlake Capital Group | Private equity | Chicago, IL | more than 650 locations in 38 states | Source ↗ |
| Classic Collision | TPG Capital (acquired from New Mountain Capital, 2024) | Private equity | Atlanta, GA | more than 350 locations nationally | Source ↗ |
| CollisionRight | Summit Partners (majority since Jan 2024); founder Rich Harrison retains equity | Private equity | Dublin, OH | approximately 130 facilities across 11 states (134 per FenderBender, Sept 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Quality Collision Group | Susquehanna Private Capital | Private equity | McKinney, TX | 105 locations in 13 states | Source ↗ |
| VIVE Collision | Greenbriar Equity Group (growth recapitalization from Garnett Station Partners, Nov 2023) | Private equity | New York, NY | 82 locations (Sept 30, 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Puget Collision | Eagle Merchant Partners | Private equity | Kent, WA | 72 collision repair locations | Source ↗ |
| Brightpoint Auto Body Repair | SouthWorth Capital Management (Memphis family office) | Private equity | Memphis, TN | over 15 brands with 35+ locations across the US (as of Q1 2026) | Source ↗ |
| G&C Auto Body | Crozat family | Strategic / family-owned | Santa Rosa, CA | 64 locations throughout California and Nevada | Source ↗ |
| OpenRoad Collision | Trivest Partners and LP First Capital | Private equity | Austin, TX | 41 locations in 5 states | Source ↗ |
| Chilton Auto Body | Trive Capital | Private equity | San Carlos, CA | 25 locations across California | Source ↗ |
| Kaizen Collision Center | Kinderhook Industries (with LNC Partners and founder Jacob Tilzer) | Private equity | Scottsdale, AZ | 45 stores spanning CO, AZ, CA, IA, NV and NE | Source ↗ |
| Driving Force Collision | TRP Capital Partners | Private equity | Long Island City, NY | seven shops | Source ↗ |
| Collision Leaders | Bestige Holdings | Private equity | Warrensburg, MO | 13 stores | Source ↗ |
| Minuteman Collision | Willow River (Willow River Collision HoldCo LP) | Private equity | Not disclosed | four locations across greater Boston | Source ↗ |
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.
| Employees | Establishments | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 | 2,055 | 50% |
| 5 to 9 | 881 | 21% |
| 10 to 19 | 791 | 19% |
| 20 to 49 | 381 | 9% |
| 50 or more | 33 | 1% |
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
A confidential conversation
We learn about your shop and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.
Introductions where there is a fit
Where a qualified buyer fits your shop, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.
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.
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.
Selling another kind of business in California?
Selling a collision repair shop in another state?
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.
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. 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.