Key takeaways
- Deposits drive the amount. Revenue on paper matters less than what lands in the bank.
- Existing advances reduce your number, sometimes to zero.
- Equipment financing is sized by the equipment, not deposits, so the limits are different.
- The amount you can get and the amount you should take are two different numbers.
Rough estimates by deposit size
Illustrative only, for a contractor with 12+ months in business, no existing advances, and clean banking:
| Average monthly deposits | Typical working capital range |
|---|---|
| $10,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| $25,000 | $12,000 – $37,000 |
| $50,000 | $25,000 – $75,000 |
| $100,000 | $50,000 – $150,000 |
| $250,000+ | $125,000 and up |
Real offers vary widely. Two contractors with identical deposits can get very different numbers based on the details below.
What moves your number
- 2+ years in business
- Consistent weekly deposits
- Healthy average daily balance
- No overdrafts or negative days
- Strong personal credit
- A clean payoff history on past funding
- Existing advances still being repaid
- Frequent NSFs or negative days
- Lumpy deposits with quiet stretches
- Under 12 months in business
- Revenue running through a personal account
- Recent tax liens or judgments
The single biggest factor most contractors can control is where their money lands. If half your revenue goes through a personal account, half your funding capacity is invisible. More on this in how contractors qualify.
Other products are sized differently
| Product | How the amount is set |
|---|---|
| Working capital | Mostly monthly deposits |
| Equipment financing | The price and value of the equipment |
| Invoice factoring | The size of your invoices and your customer's credit |
| Line of credit | Revenue, credit, and financials together |
| Bank or SBA loan | Tax returns, financials, collateral |
So a contractor with $30,000 in monthly deposits might qualify for around $30,000 in working capital but $150,000 in equipment financing, because the machine secures the deal. See equipment financing.
How much you should actually take
The maximum offer is rarely the right answer. Two checks before you accept:
- Can the job carry it? The funding cost has to come out of the profit on the work it pays for, with room left over.
- Can your deposits carry the payment? If the daily or weekly withdrawal would squeeze payroll in a slow week, the amount is too big.
Run it first. Put the offer into our funding calculator and look at the total payback next to the job's profit. If the numbers are close, take less.
How to increase your number
- Run all business revenue through the business account, starting this month
- Eliminate overdrafts; even a small buffer changes how your statements read
- Pay off or pay down an existing advance before applying
- Deposit as work completes instead of batching at month end
- Wait until you cross 12 or 24 months in business if you're close
Funders look at your last three to four months, so changes made now show up in about 90 days.
Get your actual number
Estimates are useful, but your statements tell the real story. Apply in about 5 minutes with 4 bank statements, no tax returns, and no hard credit pull to start. We compare 15+ funding partners and show you the full cost of every offer.
Common questions
Do you count deposits or revenue?
Deposits into your business bank account. Invoiced revenue that hasn't been paid yet doesn't count toward working capital, though it may support invoice factoring.
What if my deposits swing seasonally?
Funders usually average the last three to four months, so applying right after your busy season generally produces a higher number than applying after a slow stretch.
Can I get more than one funding product at once?
Sometimes, for example equipment financing alongside working capital. Stacking two advances is a different thing and usually a bad idea. We'll tell you which is which.
Does checking hurt my credit?
No. The initial review uses a soft inquiry, which doesn't affect your score. Some partners run additional checks later in underwriting, and you'll know before that happens.
✓ Reviewed by the Funding Expansion contractor funding team · Last updated September 2026
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration: loan programs and eligibility
- California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation: commercial financing disclosures
- California Secretary of State, UCC filings: existing liens that affect new funding
- California Contractors State License Board: licensing requirements
General information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Ranges shown are illustrative examples, not offers or guarantees. Actual amounts, costs, and terms depend on underwriting and vary by funder. Funding Expansion is a commercial funding broker, not a lender.