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Legence Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 March 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue up 34.6%: Revenue was $737.6 million, up from $548.2 million a year earlier. The prior release had set fourth-quarter guidance of $600 million to $630 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 53.2%: Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA was $87.0 million, or 11.8% of revenue, against 10.4% a year earlier. Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $298.8 million, a 30.1% increase. Source
  • Net loss higher than a year earlier: Fourth-quarter net loss attributable to Legence was $32.7 million, or $(0.55) per diluted share, for the period from September 12, 2025. The year-earlier net loss was $18.7 million. Full-year net loss was $59.8 million. Source
  • Fabrication revenue drove quarterly growth: Segment revenue rose 44.4% to $565.1 million. Installation & Fabrication rose 53.2% to $475.4 million, while Maintenance & Service rose 10.6% to $89.7 million. Source
  • Backlog up 48.6% to $3.7 billion: Backlog and awarded contracts were $3.7 billion at December 31, 2025, compared with $2.5 billion a year earlier. Installation & Maintenance backlog was $2.68 billion, up 65.8%. Source
  • Bowers closed with $325 million upfront: The Bowers acquisition closed January 2, 2026. The upfront cash payment was $325 million, subject to adjustments, and about 2.55 million Class A shares were also issued. Source

“Our fourth quarter 2025 performance punctuates a milestone year for Legence,”

Jeff Sprau, Chief Executive Officer of Legence

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenues Sourcefirst quarter 2026$925 million to $950 millionNew
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefirst quarter 2026$90 million to $100 millionNew
Total revenues Sourcefull year 2026$3.7 billion to $3.9 billionRaised from $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$400 million to $430 millionRaised from $370 million to $400 million

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter 2026 revenue and Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA guidance was established for the first time in this release. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance was raised to $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion, and Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $400 million to $430 million. Source
  • New: Bowers acquisition closed January 2, 2026, after the prior release had announced a definitive agreement. Source
  • New: Metrix Engineers acquisition closed March 1, 2026, within the Engineering & Consulting segment. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue up 34.6%: Revenue was $737.6 million, up from $548.2 million a year earlier. The prior release had set fourth-quarter guidance of $600 million to $630 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 53.2%: Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA was $87.0 million, or 11.8% of revenue, against 10.4% a year earlier. Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $298.8 million, a 30.1% increase. Source
  • Full-year revenue up 21.5%: Full-year 2025 revenue was $2.6 billion, compared with $2.1 billion in 2024. Full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin was 11.7%, against 10.9%. Source
  • Net loss higher than a year earlier: Fourth-quarter net loss attributable to Legence was $32.7 million, or $(0.55) per diluted share, for the period from September 12, 2025. The year-earlier net loss was $18.7 million. Full-year net loss was $59.8 million. Source

Engineering & Consulting segment

  • Program & Project Management drove quarterly growth: Segment revenue rose 10.0% to $172.6 million. Program & Project Management rose 29.7% to $71.7 million, while Engineering & Design fell 0.7% to $100.8 million. Source
  • Segment margin lower on service mix: Non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Margin was 30.9%, against 32.6%. Management attributed the decline to a higher mix of Program & Project Management revenue and lower margins in that service line. Source
  • Acquisitions drove most full-year growth: Full-year segment revenue was $726.3 million, up 20.7%. About 80% of the increase came from the full-year effect of 2024 acquisitions and a partial year of a late-2025 acquisition. Source
  • Engineering & Design grew for the year: Engineering & Design revenue rose 22.8% to $425.0 million for the full year, mainly from life sciences & healthcare and hospitality & entertainment clients. Source

“Our latest results speak to the demand momentum for mission-critical building systems, which we anticipate will continue throughout 2026 and beyond.”

Jeff Sprau, Chief Executive Officer of Legence

Installation & Maintenance segment

  • Fabrication revenue drove quarterly growth: Segment revenue rose 44.4% to $565.1 million. Installation & Fabrication rose 53.2% to $475.4 million, while Maintenance & Service rose 10.6% to $89.7 million. Source
  • Segment margin rose on project execution: Non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Margin was 18.3%, against 15.6%. Management attributed the rise to Installation & Fabrication margins from project execution, partly offset by a higher mix of that line. Source
  • Full-year segment revenue up 21.9%: Full-year segment revenue was $1.8 billion. Installation & Fabrication rose 26.2% to $1.49 billion, and Maintenance & Service rose 5.5% to $330.4 million. Source

Margins, costs and charges

  • Consolidated gross margin slightly lower: Gross margin was 20.0%, against 20.6%. Non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Margin, which excludes stock-based compensation on legacy profit interest units paid by outside entities, was 21.2%, against 20.5%. Source
  • Overhead costs rose in the quarter: Selling, general and administrative expense was $114.8 million in the fourth quarter, against $63.0 million a year earlier. Depreciation and amortization was $24.7 million, against $26.4 million. Source
  • Goodwill impairment recorded: Goodwill impairment was $25.0 million in the fourth quarter and full year 2025, against $17.8 million in full-year 2024. A long-lived asset impairment of $2.4 million was also recorded. Source
  • Stock compensation excluded from Adjusted EBITDA: Stock-based compensation expense was $46.1 million in the fourth quarter, against a $3.3 million benefit a year earlier. It is excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. Source

“The Metrix team is a great addition to our organization, within the Engineering & Consulting segment, and aligns well with our collaborative culture,”

Jeff Sprau, Chief Executive Officer of Legence

Backlog and demand

  • Backlog up 48.6% to $3.7 billion: Backlog and awarded contracts were $3.7 billion at December 31, 2025, compared with $2.5 billion a year earlier. Installation & Maintenance backlog was $2.68 billion, up 65.8%. Source
  • Data center work drove segment backlog: Installation & Maintenance backlog growth came mainly from data center & technology. Engineering & Consulting backlog rose 16.2% to $994.1 million, partly offset by a decline in mixed-use. Source
  • Bowers backlog excluded from totals: Reported backlog excludes Bowers. The company estimated Bowers backlog and awarded contracts at about $1.5 billion at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Book-to-bill ratios reported: Book-to-bill was 1.9x for the three months ended December 31, against 1.2x a year earlier. For the twelve months it was 1.6x, against 1.3x. Source

Acquisitions and strategy

  • Bowers closed with $325 million upfront: The Bowers acquisition closed January 2, 2026. The upfront cash payment was $325 million, subject to adjustments, and about 2.55 million Class A shares were also issued. Source
  • Bowers funding mix described: The upfront payment was funded by cash on hand, a $200 million term loan upsizing and revolver borrowings. The revolver borrowings have since been repaid. Source
  • Deferred Bowers payment due end 2026: About $50 million of deferred consideration is payable at the end of 2026, in cash, Class A shares, or a combination, at the company's discretion. Source
  • Metrix tuck-in adds Pacific Northwest engineering: Metrix Engineers is a Renton, Washington MEP engineering firm founded in 2011, with a presence in education. Total consideration was about $30 million, under 25% paid in equity. Source

Balance sheet and cash flow

  • Net leverage down to 2.0 times: At December 31, 2025, cash was $230.2 million and total debt was $825.1 million. Net leverage was 2.0 times, against 2.4 times at September 30, 2025 as stated in the prior release. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose to $256.9 million: Cash provided by operating activities was $256.9 million for 2025, against $29.3 million in 2024. Purchases of property and equipment were $37.9 million. Source
  • IPO proceeds used to repay term loan: Net IPO proceeds were $780.2 million in 2025. Term loan payments totaled $852.2 million for the year, including $74.8 million to related parties. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 March 2026

  • Bowers deferred payment at end of 2026: About $50 million of deferred Bowers consideration is due at the end of 2026, in cash, Class A shares, or both, at the company's discretion. Source
  • First-quarter 2026 guidance period: Management gave first-quarter 2026 revenue and Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA ranges, the next period covered by guidance. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release expected Bowers to close in the first quarter of 2026. The current release reports the acquisition completed January 2, 2026.
  • Not stated: The prior release described a strategic commitment to reduce leverage. The current release reports net leverage of 2.0 times, against 2.4 times at September 30, 2025.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.