Working capital, equipment, and fleet funding for commercial cleaning, janitorial, and property maintenance companies.
We fund cleaning & janitorial businesses across the country. One application gets your file in front of 70+ lenders competing to offer you the best terms — no collateral required, all credit profiles considered.
Cleaning and janitorial businesses sit in an awkward spot for traditional lenders. Labor is the dominant cost (typically 50–65% of revenue). Margins are thin (5–15% net is typical for established operators). Customer concentration risk is high — losing a single $40K/year contract can erase a quarter's profit. And revenue lumps unevenly: commercial contracts pay net-30 to net-45 while payroll runs every two weeks.
The mismatch creates a structural funding need. Bank loans rarely fit because banks look at unsecured leverage ratios that cleaning operators can't hit. SBA loans work for established firms (3+ years, $1M+ revenue) buying out competitors or upgrading equipment. For everyone else, the working-capital gap is filled by MCAs, factoring, or LOCs — each with its own fit.
| Product | Fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Factoring | Strong fit | B2B contract revenue makes AR factorable at 80–90% advance rates. Bridges the net-30/45 to weekly payroll gap. |
| Working Capital MCA | Common fit | Funds in 24–72hr for unexpected payroll bridges, vehicle repairs, or losing a contract. Best for credit profiles below 650. |
| Line of Credit | Best long-term | For 2+ year operators with 650+ FICO, LOC at 14–22% APR beats MCA dramatically. Draw only when revenue dips. |
| Equipment Financing | Specific use | Floor scrubbers, trucks, pressure washers, supply trailers. Equipment-secured rates 9–18% APR. |
| SBA 7(a) | Established only | Acquisition of competitors, real estate for warehouse/dispatch, major equipment fleet. Requires 3+ years TIB, 680+ FICO. |
| Term Loan | Light fit | Cleaning businesses rarely qualify at competitive bank rates. Online term loans price 16–26% APR — usually beaten by LOC for cyclical needs. |
The 6 most common capital deployments we see across our cleaning & janitorial clients, with the funding product that fits each.
Hire 8 cleaners to staff a new contract; payroll hits 2 weeks before the first invoice clears. Need $25K–$75K to bridge. Factoring or LOC fit best.
Replace aging vans, floor scrubbers, or pressure washing rigs. Typical investment $40K–$200K. Equipment financing at 10–15% APR.
Roll up a $400K–$1.2M revenue cleaning company. SBA 7(a) is the cheapest path; non-SBA term loan if speed matters.
Won a $250K/year hospital cleaning contract; need $40K for staff training, supply stockup, insurance bonds. MCA or LOC.
Office cleaning revenue drops 20–30% over summer. Need $30K–$60K to bridge. LOC is structurally cheapest if pre-approved.
Move from $1M to $5M general liability + janitorial bond for larger contracts. Premiums $8K–$25K upfront. Term loan or LOC draw.
Beyond the standard credit + revenue + time-in-business thresholds, cleaning & janitorial businesses face industry-specific underwriting variables.
Invoice factoring is the most credit-tolerant option since lenders underwrite to your customers' credit, not yours. If you're B2B and have 30+ days of AR outstanding, you can typically factor down to 500 FICO. Rates are 1.5–3% per month on factored invoices. The catch: you need real B2B receivables — residential cleaning businesses don't fit because residential customers don't generate trackable AR.
Difficult. Most lenders want 6+ months of business bank deposits showing real revenue. Pre-revenue cleaning businesses typically fund through personal credit cards, friends-and-family loans, or SBA Microloans (up to $50K, slower process). Once you're 6 months in with $15K+ monthly deposits, the broader funding market opens up.
Typical funding sizes for cleaning operators: MCA $15K–$200K (1–2 months' revenue maximum). LOC $25K–$250K. Equipment financing limited by equipment cost ($40K–$300K). SBA 7(a) up to $5M for acquisitions and real estate. The right amount is the smaller of (a) what you can comfortably service from current cash flow and (b) what the lender will approve.
Sometimes. MCAs price at 60–110% effective APR — expensive, but funds in 24–72hr with minimal documentation. Use cases that justify the cost: bridging a net-30/45 collection, mobilizing a new contract that'll pay back the advance in 90–120 days, replacing equipment that's costing you contracts. Use cases that don't justify it: long-term working capital, refinancing other debt, or covering perpetual cash-flow shortfalls (the MCA accelerates eventual failure).
Standard package: 4–6 months of business bank statements, voided business check, photo ID, EIN letter, business formation documents. Larger amounts ($150K+) typically require last 2 years of business tax returns and a year-to-date P&L. Factoring requires customer invoices, AR aging report, and customer contact info for verification.
For factoring, yes — specific invoices to factor. For all other products, no — lenders underwrite to historical bank deposits, not future contracts. Some lenders will give better terms if you can document a recent contract win as evidence of pipeline.
Yes, though usually more expensive. Term loans and MCAs allow general use of funds. Equipment financing is typically cheaper because the equipment itself secures the loan and you pay over the equipment's useful life. For purchases under $25K, it's often easier to use a business credit card or LOC than to do a separate equipment financing deal.
MCA: 24–72 hours. LOC: 1–5 business days. Factoring: 1–3 business days for first invoice (after 1–2 weeks of initial setup). Equipment financing: 2–7 days. Term loan online: 3–7 days. SBA: 30–90 days.
Ready to see what cleaning & janitorial lenders actually offer for your file?
Apply for Funding — Free