The Pinch Points
Why Metal Fabricators Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Metal fab fronts everything — steel by the ton, certified labor, and machine time — months before a GC's draw lands. Banks panic at the low balance; our lenders read the POs. Sound familiar?
Maxed-Out Plasma, Jobs Turned Away
Your plasma cutter is maxed out at 1-inch plate. A fiber laser cutter ($250K) would let you take on $80K/month in jobs you currently turn away. The ROI is 18 months.
Steel Up 12%, Bids Locked
Steel prices jumped 12% this quarter. Your $150K in outstanding bids were quoted at old prices. You need $40K in extra material capital to absorb the increase and honor your quotes.
$600K Package, Draw 45 Days Out
A GC awarded you a $600K structural steel package for a commercial building. Fabrication materials cost $180K upfront. The draw schedule starts 45 days after you deliver.
Operator Quit, $220K Committed
Your press brake operator just quit and you've got $220K in committed bending work over the next 6 weeks. Hiring and training a replacement plus overtime for your crew costs $28K you didn't budget for.
New Account, Supplier Wants COD
A municipal water authority wants you to fab 200 custom stainless handrail sections — $140K job. The 316 stainless alone is $52K and your supplier wants COD because you're a new account.
The Job You Finance Before the Draw
You fabricate and deliver a structural steel package, but the GC pays on a progress draw 30–60 days out — so your steel and labor are out the door before the money comes in.
What an operator said
“Steel jumped 18% and we had $420K in committed bids at old prices. Basecamp lined up $95K in working capital in 48 hours. We honored every quote and kept our reputation.”
Dave R. · Fab Shop Owner · Pittsburgh, PA
Start Here
See Your Range in 60 Seconds
No credit check, no documents to start, and an estimated funding range on the spot. No one contacts you until you’re ready to move forward.
What Happens When You Start
Estimate Your Capital Range
Slide to your annual gross revenue. We size capital off your top line — not your credit score.
Estimated Capital Range
A conservative range based on 10-15% of annual revenue — many businesses qualify for more with strong receivables or assets behind them. Lenders return real term sheets once they see your file.
60 seconds · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for the Trade
What We Fund for Metal Fabrication Shops
Fab Equipment, Section 179
Fund a fiber laser, press brake, or robotic welding cell with a fraction down and the full first-year write-off — the machine cuts steel while it pays for itself.
A Working Line for Steel & Crew
A revolving line covers material buys and payroll while a progress draw is still weeks out, and lets you lock steel at today's price on committed bids.
PO & Contract Financing
Front the material and labor on a signed structural package, repaid as the draw lands, so you take the bigger job without floating it yourself.
A/R Financing on GC Invoices
Advance against outstanding GC invoices so net terms don't trap the cash you need to start the next package.
Match Your Situation
The Cash-Flow Gaps We Fund for Metal Fabricators
Match your situation to the structure. Every one of these funds on your revenue, not a perfect credit file.
| What It Looks Like | Funding Solution | Amount | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel price volatility | Hot-rolled steel prices swing 15–40% with little warning — committed bids at old pricing eat into margins on $200K+ contracts. | Business LOC | $75K–$1M | 1–3 days |
| Welding equipment upgrades | Transitioning from MIG to robotic welding cells cuts labor costs 40% and improves weld consistency on structural jobs — a meaningful capital outlay up front. | Equipment Financing | $75K–$250K | 3–7 days |
| Contract ramp-up labor costs | Landing a $600K structural package means hiring 4–6 certified welders and fitters before the first draw payment arrives. | Working Capital | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
| Brake press replacement | A 20-year-old press brake with worn rams and inconsistent bend angles costs $2K/week in rework — a new CNC brake press is a major upgrade. | Equipment Financing | $150K–$300K | 3–7 days |
| Welder certification costs | AWS D1.1 structural welding certification for new welders runs a few thousand each — staffing up for a large contract stacks the cost before revenue lands. | Working Capital | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
The Products
How Metal Fabrication Financing Is Structured
Most metal fabrication files fund between $75K and $5M+, structured to the equipment, steel, or contract in front of you. Larger lines available when revenue, cash flow, and story qualify.
| Amount | Term | Best For | Funding Speed | Typical Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 6mo–10yr | Material capital, payroll, contract ramp-up | 1–3 days | Often unsecured, daily/weekly ACH |
| Equipment Financing | $75K–$5M+ | 2yr–10yr | Lasers, press brakes, welding cells | 3–7 days | Equipment serves as collateral |
| Invoice Factoring | $75K–$5M+ | Per invoice | Net-30/60 GC and customer receivables | 1–2 days | Invoices secure the line, no PG typically |
| Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | Revolving | Steel price swings, consumables, sub-assemblies | 1–5 days | Unsecured line, no PG by default |
Tax Strategy
Section 179 on a Fiber Laser, Press Brake, and Welding Cell — Worked
If last year was strong and you’re about to write a check to the IRS — stop. Acquire qualifying equipment with as little as 10% down, finance the rest, and write off the full purchase price in year one. Section 179 covers it up to the annual cap; 100% bonus depreciation — made permanent in 2025, with no cap and no income limit — carries the rest.
At the top bracket, that first-year deduction can return meaningful tax savings — and for an established business with strong cash flow, it’s the difference between writing a check to the IRS and putting the same money into your own equipment. Your CPA models the exact numbers for your bracket and structure.
Worked scenario · top bracket · illustrative
You financed the machine and put down a fraction of its price — but you deduct the full price in year one. The write-off is bigger than your down payment, and the equipment keeps working the whole time.
Scales with your numbers
Illustrative only. Actual savings depend on your tax bracket, entity type, state conformity, and CPA guidance. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are elections your CPA makes for your situation; above the Section 179 cap, 100% bonus depreciation carries the balance.
Terms reflect credit, revenue, time in business, and each lender. Every file is unique — see what the desk structures for yours in the 60-second qualifier.
Bobby’s Take
“A fiber laser and press brake aren’t an upgrade — they’re whether you bid the structural package or watch it go to the shop with the faster cut. Put roughly $35K down on a $350K machine and §179 writes off the full $350K the year it’s cutting steel — more write-off than you put down. Your CPA models the bracket.”
Bobby Friel · Founder · 20+ years in banking and finance
How It Works
From Application to Funded
One application, 70+ lenders competing, a dedicated specialist, and most files funded in days.
60-second estimate
Enter your numbers — no credit check, no documents. You see an estimated funding range on the spot.
A specialist is assigned
A real funding specialist — not an algorithm — reviews your file, usually within 24 hours.
70+ lenders compete
Your application goes to the marketplace. Competing offers typically land 24–48 hours later.
You pick the offer
Compare structures and terms with your advisor. No obligation until you choose to sign.
Funded in days
From same-day working capital to a multi-piece stack, most files fund in days — not the bank’s 60–90.
Underwriting
What Underwriting Looks At
Funding here leads with what your business actually does — your revenue and cash flow. The specialist desk reads the real picture from your statements, then matches it to the lenders most likely to fund it.
How you’re evaluated
Revenue-first
sized off your top line, not just your balance sheet.
Cash-flow driven
your bank statements show how the business really runs.
Bank-statement underwriting
even a down year is read off 4 months of statements.
Story-driven
a big new contract, a seasonal swing, a turnaround in progress: context the raw numbers miss counts too.
What to have ready
↳Had a loss year? It’s read off the bank statements — 4 months, not 6.
Start fast, finish complete
The operators who fund quickest come to the specialist review with these ready — but you don’t need all of it to start. Your signed application and bank statements are what unblock the review; the rest can follow as trailing docs. Real term sheets come once the lenders can see a true business overview, so the move is simple: get the application and statements in right away, and don’t let a missing tax return hold up your term sheets.
Credit, straight
Qualification
Who Gets Funded — and Who’s Not Ready Yet
A straight read saves everyone time — here’s the line between a metal fabrication file that funds and one that isn’t ready yet.
↳Time in business is a factor, not a gate — newer crews with strong revenue still qualify.
Not ready yet isn’t a no — it’s a checklist. Most of it is fixable in a quarter or two, and your advisor will tell you straight which gaps to fix before a file goes in.
The Operator's Guide
Metal Fabrication Financing
Fronting the Steel Before the First Weld
A fiber laser costs $250K. A press brake runs $150K. And your steel supplier doesn't care about your draw schedule — they want payment on delivery. That's the reality of running a fab shop. You're fronting $100K–$200K in plate, tube, and angle before the first weld gets laid. Banks look at that and panic. Our 70+ lenders look at your POs, your production history, and your customer base. Big difference.
One Application, 70+ Lenders
Here's what we see every week — a fab shop lands a $600K structural package from a GC. Materials cost $180K. The GC pays on a draw schedule starting 45 days after delivery. The owner has two choices: turn down the job or find capital fast. That's where we come in. Equipment financing with the equipment as collateral, working capital in a day, and invoice factoring that turns net-60 receivables into same-day cash. One application, soft-pull review to start.
Common Questions
Metal Fabrication Financing — Questions, Answered
A working line or PO financing fronts the material and payroll against the job, repaid as the draw lands; soft-pull review to start.
Equipment financing covers fiber lasers, plasma tables, press brakes, and welding systems — a fraction down with the equipment as collateral, sized to your revenue and time in business. Soft-pull review to start.
Yes. Working capital and lines of credit provide immediate cash for material purchases when prices spike. A line of credit gives you a standing buffer — draw when steel prices jump, repay when jobs are paid.
Invoice factoring advances against outstanding invoices within 24–48 hours. A line of credit lets you draw for materials and payroll, then repay when the GC pays. Both keep your shop running between progress payments.
Equipment financing: a fraction down, full Section 179 write-off, sized to your revenue — the machine earns while you pay it off.
No. Soft credit pull only — zero FICO impact.
Recommended Funding
The Products That Fit Metal Fabrication Work
Equipment Financing →
Finance laser cutters, press brakes, and welding systems — the equipment is the collateral.
Invoice Factoring →
Convert outstanding fabrication invoices to cash when GCs and customers pay net-30/60.
Working Capital Loans →
Absorb steel price spikes and fund material purchases for large structural contracts.
Business Line of Credit →
Draw for steel, consumables, and sub-assemblies as job volume fluctuates.
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