Bellcrest Lending Group, a small-business funding service in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, explains funding for excavation and site work: equipment financing for skid steers, excavators and trailers, working capital between project payments, and term loans for yards or buyouts. It uses Fond du Lac County figures for other specialty trade contractors from County Business Patterns 2023.
At a glance
- Specialty trade employers
36 in Fond du Lac County, WI (CBP 2023, NAICS 2389)
- Under five employees
22 of the 36 employers (61.1%, CBP 2023)
- Annual payroll
$29.3 million paid to 310 employees (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees
120 with no payroll (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 2022)
Site Work Across Fond du Lac County, WI: 2023 and 2024 Census Counts
For other specialty trade contractors (NAICS 2389), the Census group that includes site preparation and excavation, County Business Patterns counted 36 employer establishments in Fond du Lac County, WI in 2023, with 310 paid employees and $29.3 million in annual payroll; 22 of them, or 61.1%, had fewer than five employees. That works out to about 8.6 employees per establishment and about $94,613 of payroll per employee (our arithmetic).
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate Census program built on NAICS 2022 codes, counted 120 businesses without paid employees in other specialty trade contractors (NAICS 2022 2389) in the county for 2024, with $10.6 million in combined receipts, or about $88,117 each (our arithmetic). The two programs count different businesses, so this page keeps them apart.
Used skid steer financing in Fond du Lac, WI
Used skid steers are financed like any used equipment: the partner looks at age, hours, condition and the seller. A dealer sale comes with an invoice and often an inspection; a private sale needs a bill of sale, proof of ownership and photos. Attachments, such as buckets, forks and trenchers, can be included if they are listed.
Illustration only, invented figures: a used skid steer at $38,000 with $5,000 down, financed over 48 months at 10%, costs about $837 a month (our arithmetic). The same machine new at $62,000 with the same down payment and rate costs about $1,446 (our arithmetic).
Working capital for excavation project for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
An excavation project ties up money in fuel, operators, trucking and equipment payments long before the general contractor or owner pays. That gap is what working capital or a line is for. Partners want the contract, its billing schedule and the payer's history.
Working capital in Fond du Lac, WI covers what partners review.
Business loans for excavation services: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
Excavation services, from basement digs to utility trenching, rely on a few expensive machines. Business loans for this work sort into equipment financing for each machine and its trailer, and working capital for jobs. Machines with low hours hold value, which supports longer terms.
Keep maintenance records. A partner valuing used equipment will ask for them.
Business loans for excavation business around Fond du Lac, WI
For an excavation business, partners read the equipment list with values and any liens, the project backlog, and bank statements. Contractors in this Census group in the county paid about $94,600 per employee in 2023 ($29.3 million across 310 employees, our arithmetic), so payroll is a heavy fixed cost between progress payments.
Buying a yard or another contractor's fleet is a term loan cost.
Business loans for excavation projects in Fond du Lac, WI
Project-based loans tie the funding to a specific contract: the partner reviews the contract, the payer and the schedule, and sizes the funding to the costs before the first payment. When the project pays, the balance comes down.
Read the contract for retainage and payment terms before you request funding; both set the size of the gap.
Excavation business loan for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
An excavation business loan can also refinance existing equipment debt into one payment, or fund a major repair, such as an engine or undercarriage rebuild, that extends a machine's life. Partners treat repairs that extend life differently from routine maintenance.
Equipment financing covers new and used machines.
Trailers, Trucks and Attachments for Fond du Lac County, WI Site Crews
Moving machines needs trucks and trailers, and attachments add earning power to each machine. Finance them on terms matched to their lives: a trailer may outlast a truck, and a breaker attachment may last longer than its carrier.
Illustration only, invented figures: a contractor finances a $22,000 tilt trailer over 60 months at 9.5%, about $462 a month (our arithmetic).
Bidding a Job With Equipment Payments in Mind
Every machine payment is a fixed monthly cost, whether the machine works or sits. When bidding a job, spread equipment payments across the hours each machine is expected to run. A machine that runs fewer hours costs more per hour, which a partner reviewing a new purchase will think about too.
Illustration only, invented figures: an excavator with a $2,100 monthly payment that runs 120 hours a month costs $17.50 an hour in payment alone (our arithmetic). At 60 hours a month, the same payment is $35 an hour (our arithmetic). Fuel, wear and the operator come on top.
Track utilization for each machine. It is the best evidence that a new machine will earn its payment.
Records an Excavation Contractor Brings
- An equipment list with year, hours, value and liens.
- Open contracts and backlog.
- Statements from the bank and the latest returns.
- Quotes or bills of sale for the equipment.
Related pages: contractor funding, landscaping business loans, all industries and local figures for Fond du Lac, WI.
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