How we picked
Filtered to lenders that fund landscape contractors and lawn-care operators. Equipment financing ranked first because mowers, skid-steers, trucks, and trailers are the bulk of any landscaper's borrowing need and are collateral. MCA prioritized for the gap between commercial-AR cycles and during shoulder / winter cash-flow valleys (for operators without snow-removal pivot). SBA reserved for yard acquisition and design-build division build-out. CDFI for first-generation operators rebuilding credit.
Top picks at a glance
| Lender | Best for | Amount | Speed | Min credit | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Funding | Best for zero-turns, skid-steers, and equipment trailers | $5,000 – $1,000,000 | Funding in 1 – 5 business days | 550+ | Apply → |
| Currency Capital | Best for landscape trucks, dump trucks, and crew cabs | $10,000 – $2,000,000 | Funding in 24 – 72 hours after approval | 600+ | Apply → |
| Credibly | Best fast bridge for commercial AR and shoulder-season cash flow | $5K – $600K | As fast as 4 hours | 550+ | Apply → |
| Balboa Capital | Best application-only for mixed mower + trailer + truck packages | $5,000 – $250,000 | 1 – 3 business days | 600+ | Apply → |
| Greenbox Capital | Best for credit-recovering landscapers (500+ credit) | $5K – $250K (MCA); other products vary | 24 – 48 hours | Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs | Apply → |
| Live Oak Bank | Best SBA 7(a) for yard acquisition or design-build division build-out | $25,000 – $25,000,000+ | 30 – 90 days underwriting (SBA standard) | 680+ typical | Apply → |
Advertiser disclosure: Fundnode may earn referral fees from funders listed on this page when you apply through us. This does not affect editorial rankings — see our methodology.
Detailed reviews — our 6 picks
#1 · Best for zero-turns, skid-steers, and equipment trailers
Beacon Funding
Max amount
$1,000,000
Cost
APR 8 – 25%
Speed
Funding in 1 – 5 business days
Min credit
550+
Why we picked it
Beacon funds the specialty equipment most general lenders won't touch — commercial zero-turn mowers from Scag, Exmark, Toro, and Ferris ($14K-$22K), Bobcat and Kubota skid-steers with hardscape and grading attachments ($55K-$95K), enclosed equipment trailers with shelving and mower brackets ($25K-$45K), aerators, dethatchers, stump grinders, and chippers ($8K-$45K). 550+ credit acceptable. Section 179 friendly. Equipment-secured APR 10-22% structurally beats MCA on any equipment buy over $10K. The right tool for spring fleet buy-up before the growing season.
The strength
Equipment financing with broader industry acceptance than larger competitors. Will fund specialty equipment (food trucks, photography gear, fitness equipment, salon equipment). Lower credit threshold (550+).
The watch-out
Higher rates than bank equipment financing for prime credit. Smaller deal cap. Industry specialization can mean less depth in any single vertical.
Qualifications
12 months
$10,000+
550+
#2 · Best for landscape trucks, dump trucks, and crew cabs
Currency Capital
Max amount
$2,000,000
Cost
APR 8 – 22% (varies by equipment + credit)
Speed
Funding in 24 – 72 hours after approval
Min credit
600+
Why we picked it
Currency Capital finances the rolling stock — Ford F-450 and F-550 landscape dumps with chip-box and dovetail packages ($75K-$120K), Isuzu NPR and Hino landscape trucks ($85K-$140K), crew-cab pickups for residential service crews ($55K-$85K), and Class 5-7 dump trucks for material delivery on design-build projects. APR 8-22% structurally beats MCA on any vehicle buy over $50K. Title held as collateral so personal guarantee is lighter than unsecured MCA. Cleanest first call when the capital need is a truck rather than mowers.
The strength
Equipment-specific financing with strong tech platform. Online application, fast approval. Equipment serves as collateral — lower rates than unsecured MCA equivalents. Strong industries: trucking, construction, manufacturing.
The watch-out
Equipment-only — financed funds must be used for specific equipment purchase. Equipment-as-collateral means default risks the equipment.
Qualifications
6 months
$10,000+
600+
#3 · Best fast bridge for commercial AR and shoulder-season cash flow
Credibly
Max amount
$600K
Cost
Factor 1.11+ (MCA)
Speed
As fast as 4 hours
Min credit
550+
Why we picked it
Commercial landscape-management AR (HOAs, property managers, REITs holding strip-center portfolios) runs net-30 to net-60, and shoulder seasons (Nov-Mar for non-snow operators) pressure cash flow with reduced revenue but continued insurance, equipment-loan, and overhead payments. Credibly funds in as fast as 4 hours. 550+ credit, 6+ months operating, $15K+/mo revenue. Multi-product (MCA + LOC + term) — the LOC is the structurally correct product for recurring AR-cycle gaps and is cheaper than the MCA for repeated use.
The strength
March 2026 API V2 + Cloudsquare integration — most modern submission UX in MCA. $3B+ deployed, 60K+ SMBs. Publishes factor rates honestly (starting 1.11 for A-paper).
The watch-out
The 1.11 headline is the A-paper floor; average factor is closer to 1.32. ISO commission terms aren't public.
Qualifications
6 months
$15,000
550+
#4 · Best application-only for mixed mower + trailer + truck packages
Balboa Capital
Max amount
$250,000
Cost
Equipment APR 8 – 22%
Speed
1 – 3 business days
Min credit
600+
Why we picked it
Balboa funds the mower fleet plus the enclosed trailer plus a landscape dump truck in one application-only package up to $350K — no full financials required, just a one-page app and 3-6 months of bank statements. 600+ credit, 2+ years TIB. Faster close than Currency or Beacon for established operators who want the spring fleet refresh bundled into one transaction with one payment.
The strength
Strong equipment financing + working capital combined. Public-bank-backed (Bank of America subsidiary historically; now Ameris Bank). Section 179 friendly structures.
The watch-out
Equipment-only restriction on lower-rate products. Working capital pricing not always the cheapest.
Qualifications
12 months
$10,000
600+
#5 · Best for credit-recovering landscapers (500+ credit)
Greenbox Capital
Max amount
$250K (MCA); other products vary
Cost
Factor varies
Speed
24 – 48 hours
Min credit
Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs
Why we picked it
Landscaping has a documented reputation for credit dings — equipment repos after slow shoulder seasons, prior MCA stacks that didn't pencil because winter revenue dropped harder than projected, insurance lapses, customer disputes on hardscape callbacks. Greenbox Capital accepts down to 500 credit on some programs, is industry-flexible, and won't decline you on SIC code alone. Published ISO commission caps bound broker markup. The right pick for operators rebuilding credit who have been declined by Credibly or Balboa on credit grounds.
The strength
Five products under one roof: MCA, invoice factoring, equipment financing, collateral loans, LOC. White-label contracts let brokers run the deal under their own brand. Priority 1 status for new ISOs.
The watch-out
$250K MCA cap is below competitors. Marketing tilts broker-friendly more than merchant-transparent.
Qualifications
6 months
$15,000
Flexible — accepts down to 500 on some programs
#6 · Best SBA 7(a) for yard acquisition or design-build division build-out
Live Oak Bank
Max amount
$25,000,000+
Cost
SBA 7(a) APR prime + 2.75% to 4.75%
Speed
30 – 90 days underwriting (SBA standard)
Min credit
680+ typical
Why we picked it
SBA 7(a) via Live Oak is the cleanest structure for established landscape contractors buying a yard with material-storage bays for soil, mulch, and stone, building out a dedicated design-build division (designer hires, AutoCAD and SketchUp licenses, hardscape and irrigation contractor licensing, vehicle adds), or acquiring a competing maintenance operation ($250K-$3M typical: trucks, mowers, equipment trailers, yard real estate, route-management software, and working capital wrapped into one package). Prime + 2.75-4.75% APR over 10 years dramatically beats MCA on any deal over $250K. 60-90 day close. Need 24+ months operating and 680+ credit.
The strength
Largest SBA 7(a) lender in the US by dollar volume for 7+ consecutive years. Industry-specialty teams (veterinary, dental, funeral homes, self-storage, agriculture, hotels). Deep understanding of niche-vertical underwriting. Dramatically cheaper than MCA for qualifying merchants.
The watch-out
Long underwriting timeline (45-90 days typical). Requires strong credit (680+), 2+ years operating, clean financials. Industries outside their specialty get less attention.
Qualifications
24 months
$20,000+
680+ typical
Frequently asked questions
- How do I finance a $120K spring fleet refresh as a landscape contractor?
- Beacon Funding is the cleanest path for the mowers, trailer, and small equipment — equipment-secured APR 10-22%, Section 179 deduction in year of purchase. Balboa Capital is a faster application-only alternative if you want the mowers plus a landscape dump truck bundled. Avoid MCA on a $120K spring buy — factor 1.30+ over 12 months is $36K+ in interest vs ~$22K total interest on a 5-year equipment loan at 14% APR, and a daily ACH against the spring revenue can starve operations going into mid-season.
- How do landscape contractors handle the November-March cash-flow valley?
- Three structural moves: (1) add snow-removal contracts on the same equipment (skid-steers with snow attachments) — flips the seasonality and uses idle assets through winter; (2) front-load annual maintenance contracts with prepay discounts (10-15% off for annual upfront pay), which compresses revenue into spring and gives a Q1 cushion; (3) use a Credibly LOC for the trough, drawing only when needed and repaying when the spring rush hits. Avoid stacking MCAs going into Q4 — the daily ACH compounds the winter trough.
- Should I take an MCA to cover hardscape material on a $80K design-build project, or wait for the install deposit?
- Standard design-build is 50% deposit at contract signing, balance on completion. If you've negotiated that structure with the homeowner, the deposit itself covers the hardscape material (pavers, retaining-wall block, decorative stone — typically 30-50% of bid) and you don't need a bridge product at all. If the customer pushes back on the 50% deposit, hold the line — it's the industry standard and protects both parties. Use a Credibly LOC only if the deposit is delayed by a financing contingency on the homeowner side.
- What revenue do I need to qualify as a landscape contractor?
- Credibly MCA: $15K+/mo, 6+ months TIB, 550+ credit. Greenbox MCA: $10K+/mo with 500+ credit, industry-flexible. Beacon / Currency / Balboa equipment financing: revenue-flexible because the mower or truck is collateral — 6+ months operating, 600+ credit typical (550+ for Beacon). Live Oak SBA: $40K+/mo and 680+ personal credit for a $250K+ yard or division package. Match yourself at /match.
Related reading
- Landscaping business funding overview
- Best MCA funders for electrical contractors
- Best MCA funders for solar installers
- Best equipment financing 2026
- The full 2026 ranking — 100 funders
Methodology
How we chose
Ranking criteria
- Use-case fit — funder must qualify the merchant profile this page targets (credit, time-in-business, revenue, industry).
- Pricing transparency — published factor-rate or APR-equivalent disclosure outweighs marketing-only quotes.
- Speed-to-fund — verified time from signed contract to ACH deposit, not 'as fast as' marketing claims.
- Contract terms — daily/weekly debit structure, prepayment treatment, COJ / personal guarantee posture.
- Customer-experience signals — BBB profile, Trustpilot, ISO chatter, and direct merchant feedback collected via Fundnode applications.
Sources consulted
- Funder-published rate cards, contract templates, and disclosure pages (refreshed quarterly).
- Public regulatory filings — California DFPI commercial-financing disclosures, New York commercial-financing disclosure law filings.
- Direct merchant feedback collected through Fundnode's /qualify funnel (n > 200 since 2026-01).
- ISO desk operator interviews — anonymized commentary on approval patterns and stipulations.
Update cadence
Reviewed quarterly. Last updated 2026-06-24.
Conflict of interest
Fundnode may earn referral fees from funders listed on this page when merchants apply through us. Rankings are editorial and independent of fee economics — funders cannot pay for placement.