Find the Financing Model That Fits the Way Your Business Actually Operates
Answer a few questions about your trade, project size, job timing, deposits, and margins. Get a practical financing recommendation in about 60 seconds.
No contact information is required to see your result. We may earn referral compensation if you later choose a financing partner.
- [✓] Trade & project size
- [✓] Emergency vs. scheduled work
- [✓] Deposits & material timing
- [▵] Who gets funded — and when
- [▵] Dealer-fee impact on margin
The Lowest Rate Is Not Always the Best Fit
Most contractors compare financing by interest rate, promotional period, monthly payment, or approval speed. Those matter to the homeowner — but they don't tell you whether the program fits your business.
Find My Financing Fit- [?] Who receives the money — you, or the homeowner?
- [?] When do you actually get paid?
- [?] Can you still collect a deposit?
- [?] Do you have to finish the job before payment?
- [?] What does the dealer fee do to project margin?
- [?] Does the funding timeline match your job timeline?
- [?] Does the credit range match your customers?
The Fit Check Doesn't Send Everyone to the Same Answer
No-Dealer-Fee Marketplace Fit
Best for contractors who can generally wait for homeowner funding and want to protect project margin. Read this result →
Dealer-Fee / Direct-Pay Fit
Best when speed, direct contractor payment, or promotional offers may justify the added cost. Not a failed result — a different tool. Read this result →
Hybrid Financing Stack
Best for contractors who need different financing options for different project types — emergencies and scheduled work rarely fit one tool. Read this result →
Not Ready Yet
Best for contractors whose real bottleneck may be lead flow, licensing, deposits, cash flow, reviews, or sales process. We say so honestly. Read this result →
What Is a Dealer Fee Actually Costing You?
A dealer fee is charged on revenue, but it comes out of profit. At a 15% gross margin, a 6% dealer fee consumes 40% of the profit on that job. Enter your numbers and see yours.
Calculate My Dealer-Fee CostFee per project: —
Share of gross profit consumed: —
Annual dealer-fee cost: —
Estimates for education only. Actual fees and margins vary.
Trade-Specific Financing Guides
Same framework, applied to how your trade actually sells and schedules work.
More trades (windows, concrete, decks, electrical, water treatment, restoration, pools, landscaping, painting, siding) are in production — each gets a real guide, not a renamed template.
Financing Models Compared
The real differences are who applies, who receives funds, when you get paid, and what it costs you.
| Model | Who is funded — and when | Contractor cost | Best for / watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-Dealer-Fee Marketplace | Homeowner, directly — some platforms advertise as fast as 24 hours to the next business day (varies by lender and applicant) | Typically no per-project fee; platforms may charge membership costs | Scheduled projects, deposits, full margin. Watch: not built for same-day starts. |
| Dealer-Fee Lender | Contractor, directly — in many programs after completion and homeowner sign-off | Dealer fee (a % of the project) | Same-day approvals, strong promos, emergency work. Watch: the fee comes out of profit; payment timing. |
| Contractor-Direct Funding | Contractor — timing varies by program (staged or at completion) | Varies; often fee-based | Contractors who don't want homeowner-held funds. Watch: completion requirements. |
| Homeowner-Direct Funding | Homeowner — then pays you like a cash customer | Typically none per project | Deposit-driven businesses. Watch: job can't start until funds land. |
| Promotional Credit Cards | Homeowner's credit line — 0% intro APR offers for qualified customers | Typically none to contractor; card terms apply to homeowner | Smaller tickets, strong-credit customers. Watch: limits; deferred-interest terms; never call it a "0% loan." |
| Hybrid Financing Stack | Depends on the job — one tool for emergencies, another for scheduled work | Mixed | Companies with mixed job types. Watch: sales team needs clear rules for which tool to present. |
| Contractor-Managed Payment Plans | You finance the customer yourself | Your capital at risk | Almost no one. You become the bank: credit risk, collections, chasing payments. Leave the lending to lenders. |
Built to Help Contractors Compare the Business Fit, Not Just the Rate
Contractor Financing Fit Check is an independent education and comparison platform. Recommendations come from a published scoring framework — not from which provider pays the most. We may earn referral compensation when a contractor chooses a partner through our links, and that is disclosed near every partner link. Not every contractor gets the same recommendation, provider claims carry sources and verification dates, and when we get something wrong, we correct it publicly.
Who Receives the Money — and When?
Most contractors compare financing programs by the advertised rate, the promotional period, the monthly payment, or the approval speed. Those matter — but they are not what separates the models.
The question that actually separates them is simpler: who receives the money, and when?
Dealer-fee and direct-pay programs are built for speed and value-heavy promotional offers. Approvals are often advertised as same-day. The lender typically pays you, the contractor, directly — in many programs after the job is fully done and the homeowner signs off. In exchange, a dealer fee comes out of the project.
No-dealer-fee marketplaces work differently. The homeowner is funded directly — some platforms advertise funding as fast as 24 hours to the next business day, though timelines vary by lender and applicant. You get an approval answer at the table. Once the money lands, that homeowner is essentially a cash customer: you collect your deposit, schedule the job, and get paid on your normal terms, with no fee coming out of the project.
So the honest tradeoff: if you run emergency work where the job starts today, you don't want to wait on a homeowner to receive funds — a same-day dealer-fee program usually fits that workflow. If you sell project-based work that gets scheduled out anyway, many contractors prefer the marketplace model and keep their full margin. Many companies that do both run a hybrid stack: one tool for emergencies, another for scheduled projects.
And if your tickets are small, your lead flow is thin, or your licensing isn't settled, the honest answer may be that financing isn't your bottleneck yet. One thing we consistently steer contractors away from: financing customers yourself. In-house payment plans make you the bank — credit risk, collections, chasing payments. Leave the lending to lenders.
That is what the Contractor Financing Fit Framework evaluates: your trade context, project size, job timing, deposits, material purchasing, margins, promotional needs, customer credit range, and funding-flow preference — and it points you to the model that fits, even when the answer is "not yet."
Free Tools for Contractors
Financing Model Guides
Dealer fees, funding flow, deposits, cash flow, and trade-specific fit.
Browse →Readiness Checklist & Funding-Flow Visualizer
In production — released when they're genuinely useful, not before.
Contractor Financing FAQ
Is no-dealer-fee financing always better?
No. It depends on how your jobs start and how you like to get paid. If jobs must start the same day, a dealer-fee or direct-pay program usually fits better. If jobs get scheduled out, many contractors prefer the no-dealer-fee model.
What are dealer fees?
Dealer fees are a percentage some lenders charge the contractor in exchange for their financing programs and promotional offers. They can make sense on same-day work, but contractors should run the math on what the fee does to project margin.
Who actually gets the money, and when?
It depends on the model. Dealer-fee lenders typically pay the contractor directly, in many programs after the job is complete and the homeowner signs off. No-dealer-fee marketplaces fund the homeowner directly — some platforms advertise funding as fast as 24 hours to the next business day, though timelines vary by lender and applicant — so the contractor collects a deposit and gets paid on normal cash-customer terms.
Can I still offer promotional financing without dealer fees?
Often, yes. Both models can include promotional offers. That is why promotional financing alone rarely decides which model fits — funding flow and job timing usually matter more.
Can contractors collect deposits on financed projects?
On homeowner-funded models, yes — once the homeowner receives the funds, contractors typically collect deposits on their normal terms. On contractor-direct models, payment usually follows the lender's schedule instead.
Is this good for roofing contractors?
Roofing contractors can often be a strong fit for the no-dealer-fee model because projects are usually larger and scheduled out, which gives the homeowner time to be funded before the job starts.
Is this good for HVAC and plumbing?
It depends on the job mix. Emergency, start-today work usually fits a dealer-fee lender with same-day approvals. Larger scheduled projects like full system replacements can still fit the no-dealer-fee model well.
Who runs Contractor Financing Fit Check?
Contractor Financing Fit Check is an independent education and comparison platform. Content is produced by the Contractor Financing Fit Check Editorial Team under a published editorial policy and comparison methodology. The site may earn referral compensation if you choose a financing partner through our links.
Is the Fit Check financial advice?
No. The Fit Check is an educational assessment based on how your business operates. It is not financial, legal, accounting, or lending advice, and it is not a loan offer or approval.
Do I have to give my contact information to see my result?
No. Your result is shown immediately. Emailing yourself a copy is optional.
What does it cost to use this site?
Nothing. The site is free for contractors. We may earn referral compensation from financing partners, which is disclosed near every partner link.
What if financing isn't right for my business yet?
Then the Fit Check will say so. If lead flow, licensing, deposits, or cash flow is the real bottleneck, the honest answer is to fix that first — and we tell you that instead of pushing a signup.
Know Which Financing Model Fits Before You Sign Up
Annual memberships and dealer fees are real money. Sixty seconds of honest fit-checking first is free.
Take the 60-Second Fit CheckWe may earn referral compensation if you choose a financing partner through our site. Your fit-check result is provided before contact information is requested.