Home / Industries / Construction equipment financing
Industries · CommercialConstruction equipment financing.
When the next job needs iron you do not have, speed matters. We finance new and used construction equipment from dealers, auctions, and private sellers — including the Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace deals most lenders will not touch.
Credit, time in business and liquidity requirements are listed in one place: qualification guidelines. Buying before year end? Section 179 calculator.
Construction equipment we fund.
Written for contractors.
More guides on the Five West blog. New here? See how the Quote Builder works.
Construction equipment financing, answered.
What construction equipment can be financed?
Excavators and mini excavators, skid steers and track loaders, dozers and graders, wheel loaders and backhoes, attachments and implements, dump trucks and trailers, concrete and paving equipment, and cranes and lifting, new or used, titled or non-titled, from a $10,000 usual minimum to $5 million and above.
Can I finance equipment from an auction, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace?
Yes, including the private-party deals most lenders will not touch. A private-party purchase adds a lien search, an inspection or appraisal on larger machines, and funds paid directly to the seller, with 15% to 25% down typical and a rate a point or three above the same machine bought new from a dealer. Our private-party purchase guides cover what to verify before you wire a deposit.
How old can used construction equipment be?
Age is underwritten at the end of the term, not at purchase: remaining useful life has to outlast the term. For construction iron the practical ceiling is around ten years old at payoff, so a five-year term wants a machine no more than about five years old, and an older machine is written on a shorter term. Hours and a documented service history matter as much as the model year.
What credit score and time in business do I need?
Many established-business programs start around 600 FICO, and two or more years in business opens the broadest set of programs and the best pricing. Between one and two years narrows the field but stays workable; under one year the file is underwritten as a startup, which typically means 700+ personal credit, relevant industry experience, and working capital left after the purchase. Contractors adding iron for a contract they have already won are among the strongest files we see; the bonding and business-credit side is covered in our business credit guide for GCs.
The score alone rarely decides it: cash flow, the equipment, and money down all move the answer. Full detail is in the qualification guidelines and the credit score guide.
Can I get working capital against equipment I already own?
Yes. A sale-leaseback turns a paid-off excavator, dozer, or crane into cash without a bank line or a blanket lien: you sell it to the funder, lease it straight back, keep running it, and the cash arrives as a lump sum on terms up to 60 months with no prepayment penalty. See our leaseback guides for excavation equipment and cranes.
How fast can I get approved, and what documents do I need?
Most applications get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, with same-day options on qualified files and approvals in as little as 30 minutes on clean application-only files. Funding follows in as little as 24 to 48 hours once documents are signed.
Application-only decisions, with no tax returns or financial statements, are available up to $500,000 on qualifying files; above that, expect a full financial package. The application starts with a soft credit inquiry, which does not affect your score. A quote, listing, or auction lot number with serial and hours is usually all a first response needs.
Does Section 179 apply to construction equipment?
Usually, yes. For 2026 the Section 179 limit is $2,560,000 of qualifying equipment, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases, and bonus depreciation is 100%. New and used equipment both qualify, and financing does not change the deduction: equipment bought on an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease with nothing down is deducted the same as a cash purchase, as long as it is placed in service by December 31.
On a fair market value lease the funder owns the equipment, so you deduct the payments as rent instead. Run the estimate in the Section 179 calculator and confirm the treatment with your tax advisor.
How do I get started?
Run the numbers first in the Quote Builder: set the equipment cost, term, down payment, and structure and see an estimated payment in a few taps, with no credit pull. When it fits, one short application and a soft credit inquiry get you matched with a dedicated funding professional who manages the deal from application to funding.
Run the numbers, then apply.
Build your own payment, term and structure in the Quote Builder in a few taps. No credit pull, no obligation. When the numbers work, one application matches you with a dedicated funding professional who manages your deal from application to funding.