The contractor's problem isn't profit — it's timing. You front materials, labor, and permits, then wait weeks or months to get paid. A lender that doesn't understand the construction billing cycle sees instability where there's just a normal project timeline. Here's how to fund the gap with lenders who get it.
Why one lender doesn't get the contractor cycle
Project-based revenue looks lumpy on paper — a big draw one month, quiet the next. A lender that underwrites on steady monthly deposits sees that as risk and declines you, even though it's just how construction billing works. The lenders that understand contractors fund against the cycle — you just have to reach them instead of the ones that flinch at it.
One lender = doesn't get the cycle
Lumpy, project-based revenue trips their box. They see instability, not a billing cycle, and decline you — or price the risk high.
50+ lenders = funding for the gap
Lines of credit to bridge net-30/60, equipment financing for trucks and gear, term loans for big jobs — matched to your billing cycle and negotiated.
Going to one funder vs. The Broker Shop
| What matters | Going to one funder | The Broker Shop |
|---|---|---|
| Understands net-30/60 billing | Often not | Lenders built for project-based revenue |
| Best products | Their one offering | LOC, equipment, term loans — matched to the gap |
| If lumpy revenue trips their box | Declined | Routed to a contractor-friendly lender |
| Who negotiates | No one | We do, across 50+ lenders |
| Cost to you | Varies | $0 — the lender pays our fee |
Fund the gap, not the profit
Your business is profitable — the issue is the weeks between paying for a job and getting paid for it. A line of credit fixes that permanently: draw to start the job, repay when the client pays, only pay interest on what you used. But you need a lender that understands the cycle.
The Broker Shop reaches 50+ lenders at once, finds the ones built for contractors, and negotiates the terms. Funded in days, free to you.
Bridge My Cash-Flow Gap →What actually determines your cost
For contractor funding, these factors decide your cost:
- Right product for the gap — a line of credit usually beats a lump sum for billing cycles.
- How many lenders compete — one box vs. 50+ that understand contractors.
- Revenue across the trailing year — lenders that average it see your real strength.
- Credit and time in business — 500+ and 6+ months open most options.
- Whether anyone negotiates — a broker improves your terms.
See our contractor business loan guide, or how a line of credit works.