Fast business loans for builders and construction

Construction runs on other people’s payment cycles. Builders and contractors pay for materials on delivery, pay crews weekly and pay subcontractors on their terms, then wait for a progress claim to be assessed, certified and paid. Add retention held back until completion, and a profitable building business can spend months carrying cash it has earned but cannot touch.

The usual pressure points

• Between progress claims: costs run for weeks before each claim is paid.
• Retention: a percentage of each claim held until practical completion or the end of the defects period.
• Variations: extra work done now and argued over later.
• Material price swings: buying ahead to lock in prices.
• Bigger contracts: a job that is several times the usual size.

How lenders read a builder’s bank statements

Construction deposits are lumpy: big progress payments with quiet stretches between them. Lenders know this and look at the pattern across several months, the regularity of payments from head contractors or clients and how the business handles the dips. Clear statements, a list of current contracts and a payment schedule help an assessor decide quickly.

If you would rather talk than read, enquire online or call 07 3106 8922 and a person will walk you through it.

The fast-funding timeline

Time	Milestone	Tip
0:00	Enquiry submitted	Do it early in the business day
0:10	First conversation	Have your deadline and amount clear
0:15 to 1:00	Approval	Share bank statements or property details immediately
A few hours	E-signing	Warn everyone who needs to sign
24:00	Funds possible	Give the payee details at the start

Matching funding to the job

Situation	Fast fit
Gap between claims on a current job	Same-day working capital
Starting a large new contract	Property-secured funding, interest prepaid or added
Plant or vehicles	Fast equipment finance
Recurring claim cycles	A line of credit drawn between claims

A worked example (illustrative)

A Brisbane residential builder has three homes under construction. Two clients’ lenders are slow to release progress payments, and frame and roofing trades need paying on Friday. The builder shares statements on Wednesday morning and is approved within the hour for short-term funding. Trades are paid on time and the builder keeps the next stage on schedule.

Speed tips for builders

• Keep a current list of every contract, its value, claims made and amounts outstanding. Assessors love it.
• Submit claims on time and in the format your client’s system wants.
• Have your QBCC, VBA or state licence details handy, as some lenders check them.
• If property is available, mention it early: it opens the largest amounts quickly.

Protect your margin

Funding costs should be built into your pricing for large jobs, just like materials and labour. Check payment terms, retention and liquidated damages before you sign, and make sure your claims are submitted promptly and correctly. Late or incomplete claims are the most common cause of avoidable cash gaps in construction. Watch the calendar too: the Christmas shutdown, wet weather and end-of-financial-year rushes all shift when money arrives, so plan funding around them rather than discovering the gap in the week it bites.

What to have ready

Lenders usually ask for the following. Having them ready can save a full day:

• Current contracts and payment schedules
• Recent progress claims and payment history
• Business bank statements
• Plant and vehicle details if relevant
• Photo ID, ABN and licence details

What holds things up

Watch for these common speed bumps:

• Disputed variations not yet resolved
• Claims submitted late or incomplete
• Several entities with income spread across them
• Directors on site and hard to reach

Why accurate answers matter

The enquiry takes about 60 seconds, and those 60 seconds decide how smoothly everything after it goes. Accurate figures for revenue and the amount, a straight answer about credit history and a clear yes or no on property mean the assessor can move straight to the decision. Guesswork means rework, and rework is the enemy of a 24-hour turnaround.

Before you go

• Progress claims and retention create long cash gaps
• Unsecured funding covers moderate gaps on bank statements
• Property-secured loans to $5m suit big contracts
• Signed contracts and payment schedules speed approval

Where the hours actually go

Here is the usual rhythm. You enquire in about 60 seconds. A person calls, often within minutes during business hours, to confirm the details and the deadline. Statements are shared through a secure link or property details are confirmed. Approval follows, sometimes within 15 minutes and commonly within the hour. Loan documents arrive by email for electronic signing. Once every borrower and guarantor has signed and the conditions are met, funds are released, often the same day or first thing the next business day.

What to do next

It starts with a short form: amount, purpose, how long you have been trading, revenue, credit history and property. No credit check to enquire, no lead farming, and a real person on it quickly in business hours. Fill it in as accurately as you can and the rest moves faster. Begin now.