Do a plumbing company’s phone number, website and online reviews come with the sale?

For a local plumber, the phone number on the van and the first result in a search often do more work than any sign. If those stay with the seller, the buyer can own the trucks and tools and still lose the calls. Treat them as assets with names, owners and a transfer plan, not as things that will simply follow along.

Name each channel in the agreement

Ask your lawyer to list the main phone number, any tracking numbers, the website, the domain name, email addresses, the business profile on search and map listings, and social pages. Naming each one avoids arguments later. The page on transferring domains and software covers the technical side.

Who holds the account

Many small owners set up the domain or the business profile under a personal email address. Ask the seller to show you the account holder for each one. A profile tied to the owner’s personal login can be hard to move, and review history usually stays with the listing, so check each platform’s transfer rules. Check what the platform allows before closing.

Reviews, branding and trucks

Reviews build trust over years, so find out whether the listing can change owners without losing them. If you plan to rename the company, think about when. Truck wraps, uniforms and invoices carry the old name, so a gradual change may protect calls better than a sudden one.

A handover plan for call day

• Agree who answers the line during the switch and who has the login.
• Forward the old number to the new system before changing anything.
• Update the listing, website and invoices on the same day.
• Test a call from outside the office on closing day.