HVAC, plumbing and roofing funding with costs up front

In depth

Funding the season before it starts

A spring order of condensers, a new tech's first weeks of pay and a marketing push all go out before July's calls come in. That's a real funding need, but it's a seasonal one. Build the plan from last year's deposits: when calls picked up, and how many weeks passed between buying stock and getting paid for installs. That gap is the term you need.

Match the term to it. An 8-month advance taken in April debits through November, well into the shoulder season when HVAC calls thin out. A line of credit drawn in spring and paid down in summer, or a shorter term that ends with your peak, keeps you from paying for July's money in October.

Openbook Capital lays out each offer's total payback, cost in dollars, payment schedule and estimated APR side by side, so you can see what a season's funding really costs before you sign. The compare offers tool does the same for quotes you already have.

Service vans: finance, lease or pay cash

Equipment financing covers vans, box trucks and upfits like shelving, ladder racks and inverters. The vehicle is the collateral, so the cost is usually lower than unsecured funding, and the payment stays fixed.

Leases can keep the down payment low, but check mileage limits and wear rules, since service vans pile on miles. A $1 buyout lease works much like a loan, while a fair market value lease leaves you choosing at the end. Our financing versus leasing guide compares both.

Get the van and the upfit on 1 quote if you can, since some lenders finance the whole package and others only the vehicle. If the van is for a new tech, time the purchase to their start date so payments don't run for weeks before they bill. Paying cash can look thrifty, but it drains the cushion you need when a compressor order and a slow week land together.

Service tickets, installs and commercial terms

Card-paid service tickets settle within days, so a shop that runs mostly service can handle split funding without much strain. Installs pay in pieces: a deposit, then the balance, often through a homeowner financing program.

Commercial and new-construction work often pays on terms, weeks after the invoice. If that's a growing share of your revenue, invoice factoring or a line suits it better than a daily debit. Knowing your mix lets you pick the payment structure before a funder picks it for you.

Electricians and plumbers who sub on new construction also face progress billing and retainage. Our construction funding page covers how that timing works.