COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
6. Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets, Net
Goodwill
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill are as follows (in thousands):
| Mechanical Segment | | Electrical Segment | | Total | ||||
Balance at December 31, 2023 | $ | 393,276 | $ | 273,558 | $ | 666,834 | |||
Acquisitions and purchase price adjustments (See Note 5) |
| 208,236 | 200 | 208,436 | |||||
Balance at December 31, 2024 | 601,512 | 273,758 | 875,270 | ||||||
Acquisitions and purchase price adjustments (See Note 5) | 52,897 | 97,348 | 150,245 | ||||||
Balance at December 31, 2025 | $ | 654,409 | $ | 371,106 | $ | 1,025,515 | |||
The aggregate goodwill balance as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 includes $116.6 million of accumulated impairment charges, all of which relate to the mechanical segment.
During our annual impairment testing on October 1, 2025, we performed a quantitative assessment where the fair value of each reporting unit was estimated using a discounted cash flow model combined with a market valuation approach. We assigned a weighting of 50% to the discounted cash flow analysis and 50% to the public company approach for the year ended December 31, 2025. Based on this assessment, we concluded that the fair value of each of the reporting units was greater than its carrying value. A 10% decline in the estimated fair value of each reporting unit due to a change in assumptions would not have resulted in us recording an impairment in 2025.
For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, no impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets was recorded.
There are significant inherent uncertainties and management judgment involved in estimating the fair value of each reporting unit. While we believe we have made reasonable estimates and assumptions to estimate the fair value of our reporting units, it is possible that a material change could occur. If actual results are not consistent with our current estimates and assumptions, or the current economic outlook worsens, goodwill impairment charges may be recorded in future periods.
Identifiable Intangible Assets, Net
Identifiable intangible assets consist of the following (dollars in thousands):
Weighted-Average | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Remaining Useful Lives | | Gross Book | | Accumulated | | Gross Book | | Accumulated | |||||
| in Years | | Value | | Amortization | | Value | | Amortization | |||||
Customer Relationships |
| 6.8 | $ | 636,734 | $ | (294,683) | $ | 550,518 | $ | (241,263) | ||||
Backlog |
| 1.4 |
| 24,148 | (10,300) |
| 54,918 |
| (40,328) | |||||
Trade Names |
| 17.8 |
| 177,746 | (48,477) |
| 151,561 |
| (40,989) | |||||
Total | $ | 838,628 | $ | (353,460) | $ | 756,997 | $ | (322,580) | ||||||
Identifiable intangible assets attributable to businesses acquired in 2025 have been preliminarily valued at $130.3 million, consisting of customer relationships, trade names and backlog. Identifiable intangible assets attributable to businesses acquired in 2024 have been valued at $251.3 million, consisting of customer relationships, trade names and backlog. The weighted-average initial amortization period for the identifiable intangible assets attributable to businesses acquired in 2025 and 2024 was 10.5 years and 9.1 years, respectively.
The amounts attributable to customer relationships and trade names are amortized to “Selling, General and Administrative Expenses” based upon the estimated consumption of their economic benefits, or under a shorter period of time using the straight-line method if the pattern of economic benefit cannot be reliably estimated. Our intangible assets related to customer relationships and trade names are amortized over periods from to twenty-five years. The amounts attributable to backlog are amortized to “Cost of Services” on a proportionate method over the remaining backlog period. Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $79.6 million, $97.3 million and $43.4 million respectively.
As of December 31, 2025, future amortization expense of identifiable intangible assets was as follows (in thousands):
Year ending December 31— | | | ||
2026 | $ | 76,564 | ||
2027 |
| 65,826 | ||
2028 |
| 63,119 | ||
2029 | 56,852 | |||
2030 | 44,317 | |||
Thereafter |
| 178,490 | ||
Total | $ | 485,168 |
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 19, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 20, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 22, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 22, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 23, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 26, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 21, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 22, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 23, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 23, 2016 | |
About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures
Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.
Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.