Peak Business Valuation is a Utah-based firm founded in 2018 by Ryan Hutchins that has grown into what it claims is the highest-rated and most-reviewed business valuation company in the United States, with 700-plus five-star reviews and over 7,000 valuations completed.
The firm serves privately held companies nationwide, primarily those with $1 million to $10 million in annual revenue, and handles everything from standard buy/sell valuations to SBA loan compliance, divorce proceedings, and estate tax planning.
In January 2025, the company joined Ampleo, a fractional executive services provider, which expanded its resource base for small business clients.
Key Takeaways
- Peak Business Valuation completes over 1,400 valuation engagements per year and has worked with more than 100 SBA lenders across the country.
- Most reports are delivered within 5 to 14 business days, with 3-to-5-day rush options available for an added fee.
- The firm targets small-to-midsize businesses and offers transparent, upfront pricing with no hidden fees.
Who Peak Business Valuation Actually Serves
The firm is direct about its sweet spot: businesses earning between $1 million and $10 million in annual revenue.
That focus matters. A lot of valuation firms take on any client, which can lead to generalist reports that don't translate well to SBA underwriting or courtroom scrutiny.
Peak's intentional targeting of the small-to-midmarket segment means the analysts have seen hundreds of similar businesses and can contextualize the numbers with real industry comparables.
Clients include:
- Business buyers and sellers
- SBA lenders (the firm offers $1,000 off the first engagement for new SBA lending relationships)
- Attorneys handling divorce or partnership disputes
- Accountants and financial advisors managing estate planning
- Business owners preparing for future exits or growth planning
The range is wider than most people expect from a valuation firm.
Beyond the typical buy/sell transaction, Peak handles Quality of Earnings reports, Market Feasibility Studies, Litigation Support, and Valuation Report Reviews (where they assess an existing third-party report).
That last service is fairly niche and useful for anyone who has received a valuation and wants an independent second opinion.
Services at a Glance
| Service | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|
| Business Valuation (Buy/Sell) | Transactions, negotiations |
| SBA Business Valuation | Required for SBA loans over $250,000 |
| Machinery & Equipment Appraisal | Asset-heavy businesses, financing |
| Gift & Estate Tax Valuation | Estate planning, IRS compliance |
| Divorce Business Valuation | Marital dissolution proceedings |
| Litigation Support | Expert witness, economic damages |
| Quality of Earnings Report | Financial transparency for buyers |
| Market Feasibility Study | Pre-launch or expansion planning |
| Valuation Report Review | Second opinions on existing reports |
| Partnership Dispute Valuation | Buyouts, ownership conflicts |
How the Valuation Process Works
Peak uses a five-step process: Engage, Analyze, Prepare, Finalize, and Connect. The "Connect" step is worth noting it refers to introductions to trusted advisors after the report is delivered.
That's a detail most valuation firms skip, but it's practical. If you've just learned your business is worth $2.3 million and you're trying to sell, you probably need a broker, an attorney, or both.
Having warm introductions lined up shortens that process.
On the methodology side, Peak uses three standard valuation approaches, which is industry-standard practice for defensible reports:
Income Approach:
Focuses on the business's cash flow and future earning potential.
The assumption is that a buyer is purchasing future cash flows, so historical earnings are normalized and risk-adjusted to produce a present value.
Market Approach:
Compares the subject business to similar companies that have recently sold. This is the most intuitive method and the one most lenders and buyers respond to, since it anchors value in real transaction data.
Asset Approach:
Less common in small business valuations, but used when a company's value is tied more to its physical assets than its earnings manufacturing firms, equipment-heavy operations, and certain real estate-adjacent businesses.
They offer two report types. A Complete Appraisal (Summary Report) is used for M&A transactions, SBA or conventional financing, estate planning, and IRS matters.
A Calculation of Value is a lighter-touch analysis appropriate for listing price guidance or internal business planning. The latter is explicitly not a formal appraisal and cannot be used in IRS proceedings or court.
The Team Behind the Reports
The credentials on Peak's team are real and verifiable.
The firm's founder, Ryan Hutchins, holds ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation), AM-BV, and CMEA designations, with a finance degree from Brigham Young University and advanced accounting training from Santa Clara University.
He's also a member of the AICPA, ASA, NAGGL, and the NEBB Institute.
Shawn Hyde, who leads Gift & Estate Litigation, has over 25 years in the field and literally wrote the book: Business Valuation Resources LLC published his Building the Essential BV Templates in Excel in January 2020.
He's held leadership roles in organizations including the International Society of Business Appraisers.
Dr. Laura Miller brings a Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Nova Southeastern University, a CFA designation, and a CVA.
She specializes in economic damages and forensic accounting and serves as an expert witness in active litigation.
Most firms this size don't publish this level of team detail. The fact that Peak does makes it easier to assess credibility before picking up the phone.
Pricing and Turnaround: What to Expect
Peak doesn't list prices on the website, which is standard for valuation firms because cost genuinely varies based on business complexity, valuation purpose, and report type. What they do commit to:
- Average turnaround: 5 to 7 business days for most reports
- Standard range: 5 to 14 business days depending on complexity
- Rush option: 3 to 5 business days at an additional cost
- Pricing is discussed during a free consultation call
- No hidden fees — pricing is described as upfront and competitive
For SBA lenders specifically, the free first-engagement discount of $1,000 is a concrete incentive.
Given that SBA valuations are required for loans over $250,000, lenders who process significant volume will want a reliable vendor relationship, and Peak appears to actively cultivate that.
What the Reviews Suggest
700-plus five-star Google reviews is a meaningful data point. That volume is hard to fake and harder to maintain.
Common themes across reviews include responsiveness, clear communication, and reports that held up during SBA loan processing or legal proceedings.
Those outcomes matter more than the star rating itself a valuation report that gets challenged or rejected in underwriting costs everyone time and money.
The firm also self-describes a "client-first" philosophy, with co-founder Kelli Hutchins running operations specifically around communication and client experience.
Whether that translates consistently across 1,400-plus annual engagements is harder to verify, but the review volume suggests it's not just marketing language.
After Joining Ampleo
The January 2025 acquisition by Ampleo introduced fractional CFO, CMO, and HR services into the picture.
For small business owners who get a valuation and realize they need ongoing financial leadership a fractional CFO, for instance that connection is now in-house.
It's a logical extension for a firm that already positions itself as a strategic partner rather than just a report vendor.
Whether that integration has changed the valuation process itself is unclear from the public-facing information. The core service offering, team structure, and process appear to remain the same.
Legitimate Limitations to Consider
No firm is the right fit for every situation. A few things worth factoring in:
- Peak's stated focus is businesses with $1M–$10M in revenue. Larger or more complex companies may need a Big Four advisory firm or a specialist in a specific industry vertical.
- Pricing isn't listed publicly, which requires a consultation call before you can compare costs.
- The firm is headquartered in Utah, and while it operates nationally, clients who prefer in-person engagement may find that limiting.
- Rush turnarounds cost extra, which is fairly common in the industry but worth budgeting for if timelines are tight.
Conclusion
Peak Business Valuation is a credentialed, high-volume firm with a clear focus on small-to-midsize privately held businesses, and its combination of fast turnarounds, transparent process, and verifiable team credentials makes it a practical first call for most business owners navigating a transaction, loan, or legal matter.
The 700-plus five-star reviews and 1,400-plus annual engagements give it more social proof than most competitors in its category.