Fund materials, cover payroll between draws, and keep projects on schedule. Get $10K–$2M with approvals in 24 hours — no waiting on slow-pay GCs.
Construction is one of the most capital-intensive industries in the United States. A single mid-size commercial project can require hundreds of thousands of dollars in materials, labor, and equipment before a single draw payment arrives. Even profitable contractors routinely face cash crunches that have nothing to do with their competence or the strength of their backlog.
The root of the problem is structural: construction companies are paid on project milestones, not on delivery. Meanwhile, material suppliers want payment in 30 days, laborers need to be paid weekly, and equipment must be maintained whether projects are running on schedule or not. When a general contractor delays a draw by 45 days, the entire downstream chain — subcontractors, suppliers, equipment lessors — bears the financial burden.
Traditional bank loans were not designed for this payment cycle. They require 12–24 months of tax returns, personal guarantees, and collateral that small to mid-size contractors simply cannot provide on short notice. The result: contractors either turn down good projects, stretch their suppliers to the breaking point, or watch their margins erode paying for credit card cash advances at punishing rates.
Merchant Fund Express offers construction business loans built around how contractors actually operate — fast approvals, flexible draw structures, and underwriting that looks at revenue and contracts rather than perfect credit history.
Sub-tier contractors typically wait 45–90 days after completing work to receive payment from the GC. During that window, payroll, material suppliers, and equipment rentals continue on schedule. A line of credit or invoice factoring arrangement converts those unpaid invoices into immediate working capital without waiting on the GC's payment timeline.
Owner-funded projects often tie draws to inspection milestones. A single failed inspection or weather delay can push a draw back 30 or 60 days — long enough to miss payroll or default on a material delivery. Working capital loans bridge that gap, keeping crews on site and suppliers delivering without interruption.
A Caterpillar 320 excavator costs $150,000–$250,000. A Cat D6 dozer runs $200,000–$350,000. When equipment breaks down mid-project, rental replacement can cost $3,000–$8,000 per week. Equipment financing lets contractors purchase or replace machinery without draining working capital reserves, preserving cash for the operational demands of active job sites.
Short-term capital for materials, payroll, and project overhead between draws. Borrow $10K–$500K with repayment terms from 3–18 months. No collateral required. Funds available in 24–48 hours after approval.
Learn more about working capital loans →Turn unpaid contractor invoices into immediate cash. Receive 80–90% of invoice value within 24–48 hours. Perfect for subcontractors waiting on GC payments. No debt added to your balance sheet.
Explore invoice factoring →Finance excavators, skid steers, backhoes, cranes, and other heavy machinery. Terms up to 60 months. Preserve working capital while acquiring the equipment needed to bid and win larger projects.
See equipment financing options →A revolving credit facility up to $250,000 that you draw on as needed and repay as cash comes in. Ideal for managing seasonal fluctuations and unexpected project costs without reapplying each time.
Apply for a line of credit →A lump sum advanced against future revenue with repayment as a percentage of daily sales. Fast approval, no fixed monthly payment, and available to contractors with limited credit history.
Learn about MCAs →Fixed daily or weekly ACH repayments tied to a percentage of your revenue. Flexible repayment that adjusts to your actual cash flow — not a rigid monthly schedule that ignores slow seasons.
Explore RBF options →Construction business loans at Merchant Fund Express have no restrictions on use. Contractors and construction companies put this capital to work across every stage of a project:
Our underwriting is designed around the construction business model — not the assumptions of a traditional bank. Here is exactly how the process works:
These are general minimum thresholds. Actual qualification depends on the combination of all factors including revenue consistency, industry type, and the specific product requested. Contractors with strong project pipelines and consistent revenue often qualify even with credit challenges.
| Factor | Merchant Fund Express | Traditional Bank Loan |
|---|---|---|
| Approval Time | 24 hours | 30–90 days |
| Credit Score Minimum | 500 | 680+ |
| Collateral Required | No (most products) | Yes — real estate or equipment |
| Funding Speed | 1–3 business days | 2–6 weeks after approval |
| Application Length | 10 minutes | Days of paperwork |
| Revenue Requirement | $10K/month | $250K+ annually with profitability |
| Prepayment Penalties | None on most products | Often 1–3% |
We offer working capital loans, business lines of credit, merchant cash advances, equipment financing, invoice factoring, and revenue-based financing — all tailored to the cash flow realities of construction businesses.
Most construction business loans are approved within 24 hours and funded within 1–3 business days after document submission. Emergency working capital can sometimes be delivered same day.
Yes. We work with contractors with credit scores as low as 500. Revenue, project backlog, and time in business carry more weight than credit score alone in our underwriting.
Funding ranges from $10,000 to $2,000,000 depending on your monthly revenue, time in business, and the type of financing. Equipment financing can go higher based on collateral value.
Most of our working capital products are unsecured. Equipment financing is secured by the equipment itself. Invoice factoring uses your outstanding invoices as the asset — no additional collateral required.
Invoice factoring lets you sell unpaid invoices to a factoring company at a small discount and receive 80–90% of the invoice value upfront — typically within 24–48 hours — rather than waiting 30, 60, or 90 days for the GC to pay.
Yes. Working capital loans and business lines of credit can be used for any business expense including payroll, materials, subcontractor payments, insurance, and equipment rentals.
Typically: 3–6 months of business bank statements, a voided business check, and basic business information. Some products require invoices or a contractor's license. The full application takes under 10 minutes.
Apply in 10 minutes. Approval in 24 hours. Funds in your account within 3 business days.
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