Wildbend Funding Group, a small-business funding service in Newark, Ohio, helps Licking County, OH builders, remodelers and specialty contractors compare working capital, contractor lines of credit and used construction equipment financing. Construction cash runs behind the work, so the right structure depends on how and when each job pays. Funding partners review requests and make their own decisions.
| Construction employers | 388 in Licking County, OH (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Residential builders | 90 employers; 462 nonemployers (NES 2024) |
| New housing units | 153 authorized in 2025 (BPS) |
| Common fits | Credit line, machines, job-gap capital |
Why contractors run short even when the work is profitable
A contractor pays for lumber, concrete, fixtures and wages as the job goes, and gets paid in draws or at completion. Many contracts hold back a share of each payment, called retainage, until the end. So a busy contractor can show strong contracts and a thin bank balance at the same time, especially when two or three jobs start close together.
Funding for contractors usually covers three different needs, and each has its own structure: the gap between paying for a job and being paid, the uneven months between projects, and the machines and trucks the work requires.
Construction company working capital
Working capital fills the gap on a specific job: buy materials, carry payroll to the next draw, repay when the draw lands. Partners will usually ask for the contract, the draw schedule and a list of receivables. A clear paper trail between the job and the repayment helps the partner read the file.
Illustration only, with invented figures: a remodeler takes a $90,000 kitchen-and-bath job paid in three draws of $30,000, with the first draw due after rough-in. Materials and two weeks of crew wages before rough-in come to $26,000. A short working capital loan of that size, repaid from the first two draws, matches the job's own cash cycle. The figures illustrate timing only and are not an offer.
A contractor line of credit for back-to-back jobs
When jobs overlap and the gaps repeat, a contractor line of credit lets you draw for each job instead of arranging a new loan each time. Draw for materials, repay when the customer pays, draw again on the next job. Partners will look at a year or more of bank statements to see how deposits rise and fall.
Used construction equipment financing
How to finance construction equipment depends on its age and how long you will keep it. Skid steers, mini excavators, trailers, dump trucks and lifts are commonly bought used through equipment financing, with the machine as collateral. Partners weigh hours, condition, serial number and resale demand; older pieces can carry shorter terms or a larger down payment.
Before asking, run your own numbers. The heavy equipment payment calculator turns a price, down payment, rate you enter and term into a monthly payment and total cost. People also search for a construction business loan calculator; the same tool works for a machine purchase, and the term loan page shows how amortization works for larger projects.
Construction trades in Licking County, OH
| Code | Employer establishments | Share under 5 employees | In ZIP 43055 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential building construction (2361) | 90 | 73.3% | 20 |
| Nonresidential building construction (2362) | 23 | 47.8% | 7 |
| Building finishing contractors (2383) | 39 | 74.4% | 8 |
| Other specialty trade contractors (2389) | 57 | 56.1% | 16 |
These four codes total 209 employer establishments (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). The full Construction sector, which also includes plumbing, electrical, roofing and other trades, had 388 employer establishments, 60.6% of them under five employees. Nonemployer Statistics 2024 counted 1,842 construction businesses with no payroll in the county, including 462 residential builders (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024); that is a separate program and year.
The county authorized 174 new privately owned housing units in 2023, 156 in 2024 and 153 in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey). Those are permits, not completed homes, and they describe new residential units only, not remodeling or commercial work.
Trades with their own pages
Plumbers and HVAC contractors have specific cash patterns (parts stock, service vans, warranty callbacks); see plumbing and HVAC contractor funding. Electricians face long commercial pay cycles and expensive wire and gear; see electrical contractor funding. Landscapers, roofers and other trades appear on the full industries list.
Before a build-out or a yard move
Contractors buying or leasing a yard, shop or office should check zoning before signing; the Newark, Ohio zoning and building permit checklist covers what to confirm. Local business counts for other sectors are on the Newark, OH data page.
Contractor files: what partners commonly check
- Contracts or purchase orders for the jobs being funded, with draw schedules
- Receivables aging with retainage listed on its own line
- Bank statements covering at least a full year if the work is uneven
- Equipment quotes or listings with hours and serial numbers
- Current equipment notes and any card-sales advances
Requirements vary by partner and none publish fixed thresholds.
By Wildbend Funding Group · Updated