Back to screen
03 / Company Audit

Only Water Heaters

/ Plumber

QualifiedNo PE signalTier B
Reviews70
Rating4.9
Visits/moNo dataTraffic checked
Size score65
ZIP HHI-ACS 2024 5-year
COL index-BEA RPP, 100 = US

PE / Platform Check

PE signalNo PE/platform affiliation found in the saved evidence
Ownership typeIndependent
Ultimate ownerNo PE owner found
Operating platformNone named
BrandOnly Water Heaters
Modelgoogle/gemini-3-flash-preview

This separates the operating brand from the ultimate owner so a buyer can see whether the target is independent, franchise-owned, public-company owned, or already sitting inside a PE-backed platform.

Screen Result

SectorPlumbing / drain / sewer
DecisionQualified
Locations1
EmployeesNot assessed
Service areaCentral Ohio (Columbus, Powell, Northland)
OwnersMichael Matheny

Market / Census

ZIPNot available
Median HHINot available
PopulationNot available
COL indexNot available
COL-adj. HHINot available
MetroColumbus

Census fields come from ACS 2024 5-year ZIP/ZCTA estimates via Census Reporter. Cost of living uses BEA 2024 regional price parities for the metro where available.

Questions Asked

  1. Is this an independent/local operator, a likely independent, a franchise, a PE/platform brand, a public company, municipal utility, retail/noise record, lead-gen page, or unknown?
  2. If it is affiliated, what parent platform, platform brand, or franchise brand is named in the evidence?
  3. How many locations does the operator appear to have, and what service area does it cover?
  4. Can owner/founder names or leadership signals be found from public evidence?
  5. What is the size signal score from reviews, website presence, service breadth, locations, employees, and market footprint?
  6. Is it a qualified acquisition lead, and if so is it tier A, B, or C?
  7. Which public URLs support the conclusion?

Rationale

Established independent operator (40 years in business) with a strong review profile (4.9 stars, 70 reviews), clear local branding, and a specialized service model that is highly attractive for plumbing rollups.

Operating since 1984 with a highly specialized niche (water heaters only), offering both residential and commercial services with same-day installation capabilities and a stocked fleet.

Owners / Operators

  • Michael MathenyPresident
    mediumOwner
    www.linkedin.com/in/michael-matheny-9a684624

    Water Quality & Water Heating Expert | Sales Growth, Relationship Building, Marketing & Client Care

    The target company 'Only Water Heaters' is located in Columbus/Central Ohio (Powell, OH). Michael Matheny is listed as President of 'Ohio Water Heaters' in the Columbus area. While the name varies slightly, the geographic and service niche alignment makes him the most likely principal operator identified in the evidence.

    Michael Matheny President @ Ohio Water Heaters | Sales Growth, Relationship Building Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area
    www.linkedin.com/in/michael-matheny-9a684624

Audit Trail

Google Places source

70 reviews, 4.9 rating, Google profile appears claimed.

Acquisition + PE screen

Last run May 18, 2026.

Ultimate owner check

No platform owner resolution is required for this company.

Traffic lookup

SimilarWeb via RapidAPI returned No data visits/mo.

Census + COL lookup

Demographic enrichment has not run for this record.

Source Signals

WebsitePresent in Google Places
Google profileAppears claimed
Audit links16 saved

Google profile claimed means the scraped profile did not show "Claim this business". It is a legitimacy signal, not an ownership signal.

Search Queries Run

  • "Only Water Heaters" Ohio owner private equity franchise locations
  • "Only Water Heaters" Ohio acquired parent company platform

Evidence Reviewed

Website Scrape

Traffic Evidence

SourceSimilarWeb via RapidAPI
CheckedMay 18, 2026
EstimateNo SimilarWeb estimate
Top sourceNot available

Smaller local contractor domains often have no SimilarWeb estimate even after a successful lookup.

Model Result

OwnershipIndependent
QualifiedYes
TierB
Size65
Raw model response
```json
{
  "ownership_type": "independent",
  "parent_platform": null,
  "platform_brand": null,
  "franchise_brand": null,
  "location_count": 1,
  "service_area": "Central Ohio (Columbus, Powell, Northland)",
  "employee_estimate": null,
  "owner_names": [],
  "size_signal_score": 65,
  "size_signal_reason": "Operating since 1984 with a highly specialized niche (water heaters only), offering both residential and commercial services with same-day installation capabilities and a stocked fleet.",
  "qualified_lead": true,
  "qualification_tier": "A",
  "qualification_reason": "Established independent operator (40 years in business) with a strong review profile (4.9 stars, 70 reviews), clear local branding, and a specialized service model that is highly attractive for plumbing rollups.",
  "disqualification_reason": null,
  "evidence_urls": [
    "http://onlyhotwater.com/",
    "https://onlyhotwater.com/services/residential-water-heater-repairs",
    "https://www.yelp.com/biz/only-water-heaters-columbus"
  ]
}
```