Landscaping & Tree Service

Landscaping and tree service companies build equity in their equipment faster than most operators realize. A skid steer bought four years ago, a mini excavator acquired to break into commercial site work, a chipper and aerial lift for the tree crew, these assets hold value and the paydown represents real capital. That capital can be cash in your account within two weeks through cash-out equipment refinancing.

We work with landscape contractors from residential maintenance companies adding commercial installation capacity to large commercial landscape firms running full site construction fleets. Tree service operations and arbor care companies are also a regular part of our business. The equipment is different but the capital problem is the same.

Minimum transaction is $50,000. Landscaping and tree service operators typically access $75,000 to $250,000 in a single transaction depending on fleet size and equity. Funding takes about one to two weeks from a complete application.

The equipment universe for landscaping and tree service is broader than it might appear. Much of it qualifies for refinancing based on established secondary market values.

• Skid steer loaders. Skid steer refinancing is the most common transaction in this trade. Bobcat, Kubota, Caterpillar, and John Deere skid steers have robust secondary market demand. Compact track loaders are equally lendable.
• Mini excavators. Mini excavator refinancing is common for landscapers doing commercial site prep, pond and water feature installation, and utility work. Kubota, Bobcat, and John Deere minis hold value well.
• Telescoping handlers and aerial lifts. Tree services and commercial landscapers use aerial lift equipment and telehandlers for tree removal, installation, and elevated installation work. These assets qualify when the value supports the loan amount.
• Compact track loaders. Compact track loader refinancing covers the CTL side of the fleet, which is increasingly popular in landscaping for the lower ground pressure and performance in soft turf conditions.

Specialty attachments and small equipment like chippers, stump grinders, and spray rigs are generally not primary collateral but do add context to the business's overall operational picture.

Landscaping businesses grow in lumps. A new commercial maintenance contract comes in, and suddenly you need a second crew, another truck, and more equipment than you have available. The contract is signed but the equipment to service it is not yet in the yard. Pulling equity from existing machines pays for the additional equipment without waiting for the new contract payments to accumulate.

Tree service companies have a similar dynamic: storm work, land clearing contracts, and municipal tree work come in fast when conditions create them. Capital access speed matters. A company that can field a second boom truck within two weeks captures work that a slower competitor misses entirely.

Landscape contractors in fast-growing suburban markets like Raleigh, Austin, and Boise where residential and commercial development is adding landscape installation and maintenance volume consistently use this structure to scale without waiting for cash to accumulate from current contracts.

The operators who use this program most effectively have two or more pieces of equipment with meaningful equity and a clear plan for the capital. The plan matters not because we restrict how you use the proceeds, but because knowing your purpose helps us structure the right transaction.

Adding a crew means different capital timing than buying a new machine outright. Acquiring a competitor's client list means different capital needs than covering payroll through a slow winter. Whatever the purpose, the structure adjusts to fit.

Single-machine operators where the $50,000 minimum is the constraint should look at the total fleet picture: if a skid steer and a mini excavator each have equity, a combined transaction can meet the minimum where neither alone would. We look at the full equipment list, not just the single largest machine.

Landscaping and tree service companies often have credit profiles that reflect the early stages of business building: limited business credit history, personal credit that absorbed some of the startup costs, and revenue that is real but inconsistent on a monthly basis due to seasonality.

We work with B and C credit profiles. B/C credit equipment financing is part of our standard product set and not a specialty program with extra hurdles. What we look for is demonstrated cash flow through bank statements, equipment with real equity, and a business that is clearly operating and generating revenue. Three months of bank statements and an equipment list is usually enough to start the conversation.

For operators who want to understand how equipment refinancing compares to a working capital loan, the page on working capital versus equipment financing covers the key differences.

Tell us what you have, what you owe, and what the capital is for. We run the numbers and come back with a real structure the same day you apply. No commitment required to see what your fleet is worth.

These are the underwriting points the desk uses to turn the taxonomy page content into a real cash-out structure.