Business loans for civil and earthmoving contractors

Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. Through that work we also understand what the business needs from its cash flow, and where an overdraft or line of credit fits for working capital. For civil and earthmoving work, where the balance sheet is dominated by plant and the claim cycle runs lumpy, that means lenders among our 60-plus panel who read it as normal for the trade and lend on the strength of the business, not property alone. We stay on as the business grows. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.

It depends on how quickly you need it and what you are willing to offer as security. Unsecured facilities are assessed mainly on trading strength and can be arranged in days, which suits a limit of $100K to $500K. Secured facilities, backed by property or plant, support larger amounts and price better, and make sense once you are funding a major purchase or an acquisition. Most established operators end up with a mix, and we shape which sits where.

It depends on your trading, your structure and the purpose, but lending here commonly runs from $100K to well into seven figures, and our range extends to $100M for larger operators. The fleet and the certified claim book can both support a facility, which often means more capacity than a contractor assumes from the property position alone. The binding constraint is usually serviceability rather than security, and we shape the funding early so you know your number before you commit.

Yes, and the machine is normally the security rather than your home. Excavators, dozers, graders, loaders and rollers can all be funded new or used, including private and auction purchases. Terms are typically matched to the life of the asset, and established businesses can often be assessed on bank statements and BAS rather than full financials. Dealer and manufacturer finance programs are available too, and we compare them against a bank facility.

Yes, in the right circumstances. Retentions of around 5 per cent held for a 12 month defects liability period can tie up a meaningful share of a year's margin, and that money is earned but not available. Some lenders will advance against certified claims and the retention balance where the principal is strong and your completion record is clean. It works best as part of a broader facility rather than on its own, and it is assessed on the quality of who owes you the money.

No. Plenty of operators fund growth without touching the family home, either through unsecured facilities assessed on trading, or by securing against the equipment being purchased. Property security widens the range of lenders and structures open to you, so it is worth considering once you are borrowing well into seven figures. The choice is yours, and we will show you what each option costs before you commit.

An unsecured facility can often be approved within 48 hours and funded inside a week where the business is established and the BAS and bank statements are current. Secured facilities take longer, typically two to four weeks, because a valuation is involved. The practical advice is to open the limit before you need it, ideally when you are planning the spend rather than when the invoice is already due. Timeframes are indicative and subject to lender appetite and approval.

Yes. Many lenders assess established businesses on 6 to 12 months of bank statements and recent BAS rather than full year-end financials, which suits operators whose accounts lag the current run rate. It works best where the trading account shows regular receipts and the ATO position is current. If you have a payment plan in place, say so early, because several lenders will still proceed when it is disclosed and being met.

Yes, and it is a commercial property deal rather than a working capital one. A contractor's yard is about hardstand, workshop and secure plant storage rather than a generic tenancy, and an operator with a seven figure fleet usually wants somewhere they control to keep it. Owner-occupiers can generally borrow a higher proportion of the purchase price than an investor would. Our commercial property team handles these end to end through our light industrial and workshop commercial mortgages service.

Often, yes. Dealer finance is convenient at the point of purchase but rarely the sharpest offer available, and contractors who have bought several machines that way end up with a spread of facilities at different rates and terms. Consolidating them against the fleet can lower the total monthly commitment and free up borrowing capacity for the next machine. Whether it stacks up depends on payout figures and the hours on the plant, and we will tell you plainly if it does not.

Most of the time, no. We are paid a commission by the lender once your facility settles. Where a deal requires significant preparation or involves unusual complexity, a small mandate fee may apply. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.

Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your business is located, we can arrange your finance.

Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, such as a property loan for your yard or workshop, we also assist with excavator and earthmoving equipment finance and working capital. On asset finance, that covers earthmoving plant, trucks and commercial vehicles. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit, progress claim funding and cash-flow facilities. We also arrange commercial mortgages if you are buying or refinancing a yard.