Construction Company Working Capital & Bridge Financing in Fort Worth, Texas

Scan the descriptions below and click the guide that matches your situation — each one covers qualification criteria, rates, and application steps for that specific product.

What to know about construction working capital and bridge financing in Fort Worth

Fort Worth's construction market runs on a slow-payment cycle. Public projects, TxDOT contracts, and large commercial GCs routinely push net-60 or net-90 terms, and that gap between work performed and cash received is where most contractor cash flow crises start. The financing products that close that gap are not interchangeable — the right one depends on your revenue, credit, the source of the receivable, and how fast you actually need money.

The main options, and who each fits

• Business line of credit — Best for contractors with $250,000+ annual revenue, 680+ FICO, and at least two years in business. Rates run 8–20% APR. Draw what you need, repay, draw again. This is the most flexible tool for ongoing payroll and materials funding, but approval takes weeks and most regional banks want collateral.

• SBA 7(a) working capital loan — Rates of 8.5–11% APR and terms up to 10 years make this the cheapest long-term option, with loans up to $5,000,000 and SBA guaranteeing up to 85% of the balance. The catch: you need a 640+ credit score, 24 months in business, and 30–45 days to close. Fort Worth contractors bidding large infrastructure projects use SBA 7(a) most often when they have the runway to wait.

• Short-term working capital loan (online lender) — Funds in 1–3 business days. APR runs 15–45%, so the cost is real, but for a $80,000 payroll gap on a job that pays out in 45 days, the math often works. Lenders typically review 12 months of bank statements and want to see at least $250,000 in annual revenue. Contractors with thinner credit use these to bridge a single project cycle.

• Invoice factoring — You sell an approved receivable and get 80–90% of face value in 1–3 business days. The factoring fee runs 1–5% of the invoice. No debt added to your balance sheet. This is the go-to tool for subcontractors and specialty trades holding pay apps from creditworthy GCs — the factor cares more about your customer's credit than yours. Subcontractor invoice factoring is common on large Fort Worth commercial and infrastructure jobs precisely because the GC's name makes the receivable bankable.

• Equipment financing as a liquidity tool — If you're buying or refinancing a piece of heavy iron, equipment loans for Fort Worth contractors free up cash you'd otherwise tie up in a down payment, and the asset itself serves as collateral — typically requiring 10–20% down. Equipment financing approval runs 1–3 days with rates from 5.5–9% APR for borrowers above 700 FICO. This isn't a working capital product per se, but preserving cash on an equipment purchase has the same net effect as a short-term loan.

Numbers that separate the tiers

Product	Typical APR	Speed	Min. Credit	Min. Revenue
Business line of credit	8–20%	1–3 weeks	~680	$250k+
SBA 7(a)	8.5–11%	30–45 days	640	Varies
Online working capital loan	15–45%	1–3 days	600–620	$250k+
Invoice factoring	1–5% fee	1–3 days	Flexible	Varies
Equipment financing	5.5–9%	1–3 days	~640	Varies

What trips contractors up

The most common mistake is waiting until payroll is two days out to apply. Online lenders and factoring companies are fast, but they still need bank statements, AR aging, and a signed contract or invoice. Have those documents ready before you need them.

Debt service is the second trap. Lenders cap total monthly debt payments at 43–50% of gross monthly revenue — if you've already drawn on a material credit account and have an equipment note, a new working capital loan may push you past that ceiling regardless of your credit score. Run your own DSCR (target 1.25x or better) before applying.

Finally, geography matters for lender relationships. Fort Worth contractors doing work across the Metroplex should note that lenders familiar with DFW-area construction markets often move faster on appraisals and project reviews than out-of-market underwriters — a meaningful edge when you're racing a payroll deadline. Contractors expanding work into other Sun Belt markets — say, bidding jobs in Atlanta — will find that the same product categories apply, but lender relationships and state lien law nuances differ.

For contractors in the solar installation space picking up commercial Fort Worth work, working capital options for solar contractors follow the same factoring and line-of-credit logic, with the added wrinkle of ITC-related project timelines affecting when receivables clear.