Direct lenders do not fund applications — they fund prepared projects. This checklist covers what Commercial Funding Partners reviews before structuring equipment financing from $250,000 to $100M+, so you can walk into the conversation with answers instead of homework. Work through it before you call any lender, including us.
1. The project itself
- Equipment scope is specific. Make, model, configuration, and quantity — or for multi-vendor projects, a line-item budget including soft costs (freight, install, cabling, concrete, training).
- Vendor quotes are current. Quotes older than 60–90 days get re-priced in this market; stale numbers stall underwriting.
- Timeline is honest. Delivery dates, staged-payment milestones for built-to-order equipment, and any hard deadline (contract award, season, lease expiry) the funding must beat.
2. Collateral and asset profile
- New vs. used is documented. Used equipment needs age, hours/condition, and a serial-number list; an appraisal path matters on larger projects.
- Titled vs. non-titled is clear. Trucks and trailers move differently than production lines.
- Already-owned equipment is on the table. A sale-leaseback on existing equipment can fund the new project — list what you own free and clear.
3. Financial documentation
- Two to three years of business financials — statements or tax returns, plus a current interim.
- A current debt schedule — lender, balance, payment, maturity for every obligation.
- Bank statements (recent 3–6 months) — cash position tells the speed story.
- The story behind any rough year. A documented one-time event reads very differently than an unexplained dip.
4. Tax and accounting position
- You know which lease treatment you need. Operating lease for off-balance-sheet reporting, capital/non-tax lease for ownership and depreciation — your CPA’s answer changes the structure, not just the rate. The right question is not only “Can we finance it?” but “Does the structure fit how we need to report and operate?”
- Section 179 / bonus depreciation strategy is decided — or you want a structure that preserves the option. Estimate the numbers with the Section 179 calculator.
- Fiscal-year timing is on the calendar. Funding before or after year-end can matter more than 25 basis points.
5. The underwriting path
- Ownership and guarantor picture is ready. Entity structure, ownership percentages, and who can sign.
- You can explain repayment in one paragraph. What the equipment earns, saves, or unlocks — underwriters fund cause-and-effect.
- References exist for your industry. A lender who has funded your industry moves faster; ask for examples. (Ours are public: the funded-transaction index.)
Score yourself
12–15 items ready: you are a direct lender’s favorite kind of call — projects like this have funded in under three weeks. 8–11: a structuring conversation will close the gaps faster than guessing. Under 8: start with your CPA and the debt schedule; the rest follows.
Either way, the conversation costs nothing: call (801) 545-4000 or request a quote and a CFP structuring specialist will walk the list with you.