How much does a Retail EAS Security Installation cost to buy?

A typical Retail EAS Security Installation sells for 1.8x to 4.4x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $105K, expect to pay roughly $190K to $464K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Retail EAS Security Installation?

Startup costs range from $30K to $220K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Service

Retail EAS Security Installation

Anti-theft gates, tags, and shrink control for small retailers

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Retail EAS security installers sell, install, tune, and support electronic article surveillance systems: entry pedestals, AM/RF tags, labels, deactivators, detachers, and post-warranty support. The niche is boring but timely because shrink, tariffs, labor costs, and organized retail theft make every prevented loss feel like found margin.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

63Strong

Avg revenue

$340K/yr

$90K–$1.3M range

Profit margin

31%

~$105K SDE

Multiple

1.8–4.4×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$190K–$464K

startup: $30K–$220K

How It Works

Operators source EAS pedestals, tags, labels, deactivators, and detachers, then survey stores, coordinate with electricians, install systems after hours, train staff, and sell replacement tags plus maintenance. Revenue comes from equipment markup, installation labor, recurring consumables, service calls, and multi-location retailer rollouts.

BizBite verdict

Watch / verify

Retail EAS Security Installation has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.

63Strong

low data confidence · 40/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

+Attractive 31% estimated margin profile

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No SBA category enrichment yet
!No category operating model yet
!Low data confidence

Deal Calculator

Priced off $105K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.37×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 2.9× SDE ($305K)

Category range: 1.8×–4.4× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($31K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 10.50%

Typical SBA 7(a) range: 9.5–12% (prime-based)

Loan term — 10 years

Standard SBA 7(a): 10 years for business acquisition

Purchase price

$305K

2.9× of $105K SDE

Cash to close

$40K

$31K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$4K/mo

$44K/yr on $275K loan

Cash-on-cash

154%

cash back in ~8 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.37×+$5K/mo after debt

Most SBA lenders want ≥1.25× coverage; 1.5×+ is a strong file.

SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.

Pros

+Shrink pressure makes ROI easy to understand
+Recurring tag, label, and support sales after installation
+Small retailers often need local help instead of enterprise vendors
+Can bundle cameras, alarms, and access-control referrals

Cons

-Hardware inventory ties up cash
-Installations may require electricians and after-hours work
-False alarms and staff training can create support burden

Best For

Security integrators, low-voltage contractors, retail-supply distributors, and owner-operators with B2B sales chops

Operating Costs

Costs include EAS hardware inventory, tags and labels, installation labor, electrician coordination, vans, insurance, troubleshooting time, and warranty reserves. Margin is strongest when hardware markup is paired with repeat consumables and support contracts.