The short answer
At a glance
| Trades covered | General contractors, roofing, concrete, painting, flooring, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, solar, pressure washing, junk removal |
|---|---|
| Main cash problem | Paying labor and materials before progress payments arrive |
| Factoring | Undisputed invoices to business or government customers, usually net 30 to 90 |
| MCA guideline | Commonly from about $7,500 a month, 3+ months in business |
| Working capital | Commonly from about $17,500 a month, 6+ months, 600+ credit |
| Equipment | Trucks, lifts, machinery; max 60 months at MFE; vendor quote needed |
| Restrictions | Many funders restrict new residential construction and residential remodeling |
| Documents | Bank statements, ID, voided check, application; invoices or contracts for factoring |
Before you apply: checklist
- List open contracts with amounts and expected payment dates
- Separate retainage from the amount you can bill now
- Pull 4 months of business bank statements
- Get quotes for any trucks or equipment
- Note whether your work is commercial, government, service or residential
- Check lien waivers and paperwork for each invoice
- List any open advances before applying
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews construction and contractor funding requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 are considered, and same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Check funding options with Merchant Fund ExpressBy trade
- General contractors and concrete: big material buys and long progress cycles; factoring and working capital.
- Roofing, painting and flooring: seasonal crews and material deposits; advances or working capital.
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical: service vans, parts inventory and commercial jobs on net terms; equipment financing and factoring.
- Landscaping: mowers, trailers and winter slowdowns.
- Solar: panels and labor ahead of installation payouts.
- Pressure washing and junk removal: trucks, trailers and equipment upgrades.
See construction business funding for more.
Progress billing and factoring
Progress billing means you earn money as stages finish, but the check often arrives 30 to 90 days later. Factoring turns those approved commercial or government invoices into cash now. Retainage held back until the job closes is usually not part of the advance.
Illustrative example: factoring a progress invoice
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Approved progress invoice to a commercial GC, net 45 | $80,000 |
| Assumed advance rate (85%) | $68,000 paid now |
| Assumed factoring fee (3%) | $2,400 |
| Rebate when the GC pays ($80,000 minus $68,000 minus $2,400) | $9,600 |
| Total received ($68,000 + $9,600) | $77,600 |
These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real pricing, amounts and terms depend on the full file review.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Funding usually pays for growth: more stock, staff, equipment or marketing. Make sure the customers that growth brings find a website that explains what you do and makes it easy to call, book or buy. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month.
Red flags for contractors
- Funding a residential remodel book without checking restrictions first.
- Taking short-term money to buy a truck that could be financed over its life.
- Stacking advances during a slow season; see construction MCA refinance.
- Factoring invoices that are disputed or not yet approved.
How Merchant Fund Express handles this
Merchant Fund Express reviews contractor files for advances, working capital, equipment financing and factoring. The Merchant Fund Express industries page covers how trades are reviewed. Many funders restrict new residential construction and residential remodeling, so expect questions about the type of work. MFE can also review a refinance of existing advances. Start here: apply with Merchant Fund Express.
Related
Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites. It does not lend or make funding decisions. Funding is offered by our funding partner, Merchant Fund Express, and every request is subject to its review and approval. Figures on this page are illustrations, not offers. Updated October 16, 2026.