Veterinary
Veterinary practice valuations, independently prepared.
James Nelson
Founder & M&A Valuation Director, The Business Valuers
17 years in UK business brokerage and valuation. 1,000+ SME valuations completed. Former Head of Corporate Sales at Christie & Co.
UK veterinary practices typically sell for 5× – 12× normalised EBITDA, with the top of the range earned by multi-site groups with genuine management depth and strong health-plan income. The bottom applies to single sites reliant on the owner vet, or equine and mixed practice with more seasonal earnings.
A written, evidenced valuation of a small animal, mixed or equine practice — earnings normalised for principal vets, recurring health plan income identified, corporate interest priced honestly. Fixed fee from £495, delivered in three working days.
Independent.We don't sell businesses. No success fee.
- 1,000+ UK business valuations
- 17 years of brokering & valuing experience
- Fixed fee from £495 — no hourly billing
- Report delivered in 3 working days
Fixed fee from £495
Written report in 3 working days. Quote back within the hour, no obligation.
1,000+ UK valuations completed. We don't sell businesses, so there's no incentive to move the figure.
What the figure usually turns on
EBITDA after a market-rate clinical team
Principal vets often take drawings rather than a salary. Earnings are restated after costing every clinical role at the rate a buyer would have to pay to replace it — that adjustment alone frequently moves the figure by six figures.
Health plan and recurring income
Pet health plan members, plan revenue per head and attrition are the closest thing the sector has to contracted income, and buyers pay a premium for them.
Vet and nurse retention
Recruitment is the sector's constraint. A practice with a stable, non-locum clinical team and no single-vet dependency values considerably above one carried by the owner.
Case mix, referral work and equipment
Diagnostics, imaging, dentistry, out-of-hours arrangements and referral-level work all support margin. Equipment age and remaining life feed into the capex a buyer must plan for.
Premises, tenure and catchment
Freehold surgery held in the company is separated from trading value. Branch structure, catchment demographics and proximity to corporate-owned competitors affect both multiple and buyer pool.
Typical benchmarks
Indicative UK ranges only. Corporate consolidator appetite has moved these ranges over time; team stability, plan income and tenure move them for any individual practice.
See our UK SME valuation multiples guide — every sector, what earns the top of the range
Corporate offers need testing, not accepting
Consolidator approaches arrive with a headline number and a structure — deferred consideration, earn-out, tie-in period or equity roll-over — that can be worth far less than it first appears.
We value the practice independently and set out what the offer is actually worth on the terms proposed, so you're negotiating from evidence rather than from the acquirer's own framing.
No sale mandate, no success fee
We don't sell practices and take no commission, so nothing about the figure is shaped by wanting an onward instruction.
The reports are used for sale preparation, partner buy-ins and buy-outs, share transfers, disputes and HMRC submissions.
This is for you if…
- —You've had a corporate approach and want the offer tested independently.
- —You're planning a sale, retirement or a partner buy-out.
- —A partner is joining or leaving and the shares need pricing fairly.
- —You need a valuation for a share transfer, a divorce or an HMRC submission.
Want the number for your business?
Two quick questions and we'll come back with your fixed fee within the hour.
Fixed fee from £495
Written report in 3 working days. Quote back within the hour, no obligation.
1,000+ UK valuations completed. We don't sell businesses, so there's no incentive to move the figure.
Request a veterinary practice valuation.
An independent, fully evidenced figure in three working days. Fixed fee from £495.
Independent.We don't sell businesses. No success fee.
- 1,000+ UK business valuations
- 17 years of brokering & valuing experience
- Fixed fee from £495 — no hourly billing
- Report delivered in 3 working days