How do landscaping companies finance equipment?

On this page

How does equipment financing work for a landscaping company?

You choose the equipment, we pay the dealer or seller, and your company makes a fixed payment every month. On an equipment finance agreement, or EFA, the machine is yours from day one and the funder holds a lien until it’s paid off. EFAs run 24 to 84 months. Leases run 24 to 60 and end with a $1, 10% or fair market value buyout.

How long you get depends on the machine. Mowers usually go on 24 to 48 months, because a crew runs them hard all season. Skid steers, mini excavators and trucks hold their value longer, so they can go up to 84 months on an EFA. A used machine usually gets a shorter term than the same model new.

Our usual minimum is about $15,000 for the whole agreement. Qualifying files up to $500,000 can be decided on the application alone, with no tax returns or financial statements. You’ll typically get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes, and funding can follow in as little as 24 to 48 hours after you sign. Many programs start around a 600 FICO for a company with two or more years in business. The full program is on our lawn and landscaping equipment financing page.

What does a landscaping crew’s equipment cost in 2026?

Anywhere from under $2,000 for a paver saw to about $84,000 for a new dump truck, going by the listings we checked. Here’s a crew’s common commercial gear:

Listed asking prices we found, checked November 2, 2026, not appraisals or offers. Every row is a dealer or marketplace listing, linked in Sources.

Hours and year move loader prices a lot. The 2023 SVL75-3 with 2,523 hours was listed $14,100 below the 2025 with 174, even with high flow.

Notice how many pieces sit under $15,000 by themselves: both trailers, the aerator, the compactor and the saw. That’s why bundling comes up so often in this trade.

What’s the monthly payment on landscaping equipment?

Four of those listings, turned into monthly payments for an established business financing the full price with nothing down:

Estimates for an established business (two or more years in business) on an equipment finance agreement, nothing down. These are examples, not quotes, and your real payment will depend on credit, the equipment and the term.

A truck can go longer. Stretched out, that $84,420 truck comes to about $1,522 a month over 72 months, and you’d pay roughly $4,400 more across the whole agreement than at 60. I’d pick the term by how long you plan to run the truck, not by the lowest payment on the sheet.

The Quote Builder prices your own mix as an EFA or a lease, with no credit pull.

Can a whole crew setup go on one agreement?

Yes, and for a mowing crew it’s usually the simplest way to reach our $15,000 minimum. A single commercial mower can land right around that number, or under it. Put the second mower or the trailer on the same agreement and you’ve got one payment instead of two.

Here’s an example from the table. The $17,000 Turf Tiger II, the $17,115 GrandStand and the $13,320 enclosed trailer add up to $47,435, or about $1,180 a month over 48 months for an established business with nothing down.

Running several crews? Fleet financing for a landscaping business is the same idea, bigger: mowers, trailers and trucks for every crew on one agreement. One catch: a financed piece and a leased piece need two agreements, though the $15,000 minimum still counts on the total.

Can you finance used landscaping equipment?

Yes, from dealers, at auction, or from another landscaping company. There is no age limit, though older equipment can be tougher to get done. On mowers and compact equipment, hours and service records count for more than the model year, so send the hour meter reading and whatever records you have.

With good credit, you usually don’t need a down payment, even on a used machine. Expect a shorter term than new, because the term can’t outrun the machine’s remaining useful life.

Buying from a private seller works too. We run the lien search and pay the seller directly, and if they still owe on the machine, we pay off their lender at closing so the lien is released. Have your attorney look over the bill of sale. If it’s a loader, read our used skid steer checklist before you hand over a deposit.

How do hardscaping businesses finance equipment?

The same way, just with heavier iron. A hardscaping crew usually runs a track loader or a mini excavator, a dump trailer, a plate compactor and a saw. The small tools would never reach $15,000 on their own. They can usually go on the loader’s agreement, so list them on the quote and ask.

If all four go on one agreement, the 2023 SVL75-3, the Panther dump trailer, the WP1550AW compactor and the iQ360XT saw total $62,098. That’s about $1,289 a month over 60 months for an established business, nothing down.

Loaders and minis hold their value, so they can carry longer terms than a mower. See how long you can finance a skid steer, and for mini excavator prices, our excavator financing guide.

Can landscaping payments follow the season?

On many programs, yes. The first payment can be pushed out, so a machine you buy in January may not need a payment until the crews are working again. Payments can also be lighter, or skipped, in the slow months. If you plow in the winter, say so, and the slow months can be set to match.

Buying before December 31? Section 179 may let you deduct equipment bought on an EFA or a $1 buyout lease this year, as long as it’s placed in service by year end. Add a deferred first payment where the program allows it, and that first payment can wait for spring. The Section 179 calculator gives you a rough number, and your CPA should confirm how it applies to you.

Can you get a lawn care business loan for working capital?

If you own trucks or construction equipment outright, yes, through a leaseback. Otherwise our lawn care business loans are for equipment, usually written as an EFA: you own the equipment, and it secures the deal. Outside SBA programs, we don’t offer lines of credit or short-term advances.

Here’s how an equipment leaseback works. If your company owns trucks, skid steers or other construction equipment free and clear, you pledge that equipment as collateral for a lump sum, keep owning and running it, and the lien is released once the balance is paid. It’s an EFA for up to 60 months, it needs two or more years in business and a 600+ FICO, and funds usually go out 2 to 5 business days after signing. Forestry equipment isn’t eligible, though it can often be financed through a purchase or refinance instead, so ask.

For a bigger move, like buying your building or another landscaping company, Five West can also place SBA 7(a) loans from $150,000 (see our SBA 7(a) requirements guide).

Can a startup landscaping company get equipment financing?

Yes, selectively. A company with less than a year in business is underwritten as a startup, so the owner carries the file. The programs we place these deals with typically want 700+ personal credit, experience in landscaping or lawn care you can show, working capital left over after the purchase, and usually some money down.

A name-brand mower or loader with a real resale market helps. So does a clean personal credit report. Our startup equipment financing guide walks through the rest.

What should you send with a landscaping application?

Along with the application, send:

• The dealer quote or the listing, with every piece you want on the agreement.
• Serial numbers and hour readings for anything used, plus service records if you have them.
• The seller’s name on a private sale, so the lien search can start.
• When your revenue comes in, if you’d like a seasonal or deferred start.
• A list of equipment you own free and clear, with year, make, model and serial numbers, if you’re asking about a leaseback.

Over $500,000, plan on a full financial package. On any size deal, one funding professional handles it from application to funding.

Frequently asked questions

Can landscapers get loans for equipment?

Yes. Five West finances mowers, skid steers, mini excavators, trucks, trailers, and hardscaping, irrigation and turf equipment, usually on an equipment finance agreement you own from day one. The usual minimum is about $15,000, and qualifying files up to $500,000 can be decided on the application alone.

How long can you finance landscaping equipment?

Equipment finance agreements run 24 to 84 months and leases 24 to 60. Mowers usually go on 24 to 48 months. Skid steers, mini excavators and trucks can go up to 84 months on an equipment finance agreement, and used machines usually get a shorter term than new.

Can I finance one commercial mower?

Yes, if it comes to about $15,000 or more, which is our usual minimum. One commercial mower can come in close to that or under it. If yours does, add a second mower or the trailer and it becomes one agreement with one payment.

Do I need a down payment for landscaping equipment?

With good credit, you usually don’t need a down payment, even on used equipment or a private-party sale. Startups usually put some money down.

Can I skip payments in the winter?

On many programs, yes. The first payment can be pushed out, and payments can be lighter or skipped during the slow months, then pick back up when the work does.

Does Five West offer lawn care business loans for working capital?

Through an equipment leaseback, yes. A company with two or more years in business that owns trucks, skid steers or other construction equipment free and clear can pledge it as collateral for a lump sum, keep using it, and have the lien released at payoff. Five West offers no lines of credit outside SBA programs, and forestry equipment isn’t eligible for a leaseback.

Keep reading

More for landscaping and tree crews.

Skid steers & CTLsSkid steer financing2026 loader prices and attachments. Tree careStump grinder and chipper financingGrinders, chippers and bucket trucks. ExcavatorsExcavator financingMini and full-size prices and terms. Private salesBuying equipment on Facebook MarketplaceScams, liens and paying the seller. StartupsStartup equipment financingWhat a newer company needs.

On the siteLandscaping & forestry financingEquipment financeEquipment leaseEquipment leasebackQuote BuilderQualification guidelines

This article is general information about financing landscaping, lawn care and hardscaping equipment, not tax, legal or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Prices shown are listed asking prices from public pages on the date checked, not appraisals or offers. Example payments are estimates for an established business with no money down; actual terms and payments depend on credit approval, the equipment and the structure. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.