Fund the shoulders
March and September are flat while payroll and truck payments are not. Draw through them and repay out of the next peak.
- Draw for payrollFlat weeks only
- Repay at peakSeason clears it
- Sell agreementsBase carries shoulders
Industriestrade contractors
Business Funding for HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Contractors
Capital that moves at the speed of the truck.
One place for HVAC, plumbing and electrical owners to price a billable hour, size a truck against the work it will carry, and see which financing structure fits the move you are actually planning.
No hard credit pull to start. No applicant fees. Independent business capital advisors.
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Start with the move
What trade contractors use business funding for
Pick one and the calculator below changes to the question that move actually asks.
Run the numbers first
Billable hour calculator
You pay for every hour a technician is on the clock and you bill for a fraction of them. This works out what one billable hour has to carry before the business makes anything, and what the rate you charge today is actually returning.
8
40
26
Drive time, restock, callbacks, warranty and training are paid and never billed.
$45
Wage plus payroll tax, workers comp, benefits and paid time off.
$72,000
Everything that is not field wages or job materials, owner pay included.
$170
Leave it blank if you only want the cost side.
Projection
Billable hour cost
At these figures, billable hour cost comes out at $149.
Billable hour cost
$149
Base, example figures- Net margin today
- 12.3%
- Rate gap
- $21
Full breakdown
- Annual rate gap
- $225,920
- Billable share
- 65%
- Monthly billable hours
- 901
- Monthly field payroll
- $62,400
Key insights
- Billable hour cost runs from $298 to $99 as weekly billable hours moves from 13 to 39.
- Billable hour cost falls as weekly billable hours rises.
Nothing you type here leaves your browser
Every figure is worked out on this page. No input is sent anywhere, stored, or attached to you.
Every figure here is yours to check
It runs on the numbers you entered and nothing else, so you can rebuild any line of it by hand.
Talk to a funding specialist
A real conversation about what these numbers mean before you apply to anything.
What this model leaves out An estimate from your own inputs, not an offer or a projection.Read the full note
It recovers your whole overhead out of labour alone, so if you mark up materials some of that overhead is already covered and your true break-even rate sits below this one. It also assumes every billable hour is invoiced and collected in full, which no service business manages.
Typical trade contractor funding requests
- $15K-$300KTypical request range
What we actually structure for this industry. Your amount depends on the file.
- 8Structures we place
Equipment, line of credit, term, SBA, asset-based, receivables, revenue-based, and a business HELOC.
- $0Cost to ask
No applicant fees and no hard credit pull to start. Funding partners set final terms.
The numbers
What this industry runs on.
Unless noted: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns ·
- 111,207Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractorsUS Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS 238220 ·
- 83,342Electrical contractorsUS Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS 238210 ·
- 88%Share with fewer than 20 employees
- $167BCombined annual payroll
- $61,010Median technician payBLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics ·
The cash year
Trade contractor seasonality and cash-flow gaps
HVAC Seasonality Timeline
Two peaks and two shoulders, so the question is which weeks carry payroll when demand stops.
Seasonal pattern
- Lower
- Building
- Stronger
Winter heating peakEmergency work bills well, collections soften
Spring shoulderHeating stops before cooling starts
Cooling peakBest cash of the year, and overtime
Agreement seasonRenewals rebuild the base, then the first freeze
- JAN
- FEB
- MAR
- APR
- MAY
- JUN
- JUL
- AUG
- SEP
- OCT
- NOV
- DEC
July numbers mislead
A truck approved on your best three months is repaid across your worst. Model the payment against a March.
- Model a MarchNot a July
- Buy before seasonEarn across it
- Keep payments flexibleShoulders need room
Season-ahead stock
Buying equipment stock before cooling turns cash into inventory at the year's low point. That is a revolving need.
- Fund the stockRevolving, not term
- Order earlyAvailability tightens
- Clear by autumnBefore heating stock
This is a typical weather-driven year. Your own degree days and agreement base decide how deep each shoulder runs.
Funding products
What actually gets placed for trade contractors.
Monthly
The Trade Contractor Capital Brief
Once a month: what equipment categories actually cost, what structures are being written for contractors, and the compliance changes worth knowing about. No pitch, unsubscribe in one click.
Reading
Trade contractor funding guides and comparisons
Everything we have published for trade contractors, newest first. 6 pieces in total. Narrow it to the shelf you need, or read straight down the list.
- MCA vs. Equipment Financing: Which Fits?Compare MCA and equipment financing by cost, speed, collateral, payment size, and qualification to see which structure fits an equipment purchase.Updated Sep 11, 2026
- Equipment Financing Without Draining CashHow equipment financing works, illustrative rates and terms, how to qualify, and when it beats leasing, a term loan, or paying cash.Jul 9, 2026
- Business Term Loans: A Complete Guide for OwnersAn honest guide to business term loans: how they work, illustrative rates and terms, how to qualify, and when one beats a line of credit.Jul 4, 2026
- Business Line of Credit: How It WorksHow a business line of credit works, what it costs, who qualifies, and when a revolving line beats a term loan or an advance.Jul 1, 2026
- Every Way to Fund a Small Business, ComparedTerm loans, SBA, lines of credit, equipment, factoring, revenue-based funding, cards, and MCAs compared. When each fits, and when it does not.Jun 2, 2026
- How to Prepare Your Business for Fast FundingThe document checklist, revenue benchmarks, and what underwriters actually look at, so you can prepare before you apply for fast funding.Apr 5, 2026
Disclosure
Figures on this page are illustrative estimates only and are not an offer of financing. All amounts, rates, factor rates, terms, payment amounts, timelines, and qualification criteria vary by lender, depend on funder underwriting and your business's bank statement history, and are subject to change without notice. Nothing here is guaranteed until a funder issues terms and you sign them. Factor rates do not represent APR. Commera is a broker, not a lender, and does not set rates.
Local market guides
trade contractors funding by location
Compare local demand, operating costs, cash timing, and funding considerations in the markets where we have dedicated guidance.
Common questions
Trade contractor funding questions, answered straight.
The questions owners ask before they apply, answered for trade contractors.
A line of credit covers materials and payroll on jobs billed net 30 or later. In new construction the gap between buying materials and getting paid regularly runs 60-90 days, which is a working capital problem rather than a profitability one.
Yes, through equipment financing, which uses the vehicle or equipment as collateral and spreads the cost over its useful life. It is generally cheaper than putting a fleet purchase on a revenue-based advance.
No. Funders expect the summer and winter peaks and the shoulder-season dips. Revenue-based repayment flexes with the season, costing less in slow months.
Commonly $25K-$500K on deposit volume, with more available where equipment or receivables can be pledged. Time in business and existing advances move the number most.
First options usually come back within 24 hours and funds commonly wire 24-48 hours after acceptance, which is why trades use revenue-based funding when a job needs materials this week.
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