SBA 504 loan
504 loan / Certified Development Company loan / SBA 504 loan program
An SBA 504 loan is long-term, fixed rate financing for major fixed assets such as land, buildings and long-life equipment, made through a Certified Development Company alongside a senior lender. It typically covers 40 percent of the project, and it cannot pay for working capital, inventory, advertising or vehicles.
The U.S. Small Business Administration describes the 504 program as long-term, fixed rate financing for major fixed assets. The loans come only through Certified Development Companies, nonprofit partners that SBA certifies and regulates, working with a senior lender. SBA lists 10-, 20- and 25-year terms, with the rate pegged above the market rate for 10-year Treasury issues.
Under 13 CFR 120.900, every project is financed from three sources: the borrower's contribution, third-party loans and the 504 loan. Typically the borrower puts in 10 percent, third-party loans 50 percent and the 504 loan 40 percent. Section 120.910 raises the borrower's minimum to 15 percent for a business operating two years or less, or for a limited or single purpose building. When both apply, it is 20 percent.
SBA's 504 page opens with financing of up to $5 million, then gives a maximum loan amount of $5.5 million. Section 120.931 reserves $5,500,000 per project for small manufacturers with all production facilities in the United States and for certain energy projects. Other borrowers are capped at an outstanding balance of $5,000,000, counting affiliates.
A 504 loan can buy, build or renovate buildings or land, and buy equipment with a remaining useful life of at least 10 years. Section 120.884 bars working capital, franchise fees, advertising, and automobiles, trucks and airplanes. SBA adds inventory and investment in rental real estate. Its 7(a) page, with a $5 million maximum, lists working capital and furniture, fixtures and supplies as uses.
A project must also create or retain one job opportunity per an amount of 504 funding SBA sets by Federal Register notice. Under section 120.862, it can instead meet a listed goal, such as expansion of exports or rural development, if the CDC's whole 504 portfolio meets its job average.
In practice
A dental practice open for five years buys a $2,000,000 building for its own office. In the typical split, the practice puts in $200,000, a bank lends $1,000,000 and the 504 loan covers $800,000. A practice open 18 months would need at least $300,000 of its own. The 504 loan cannot pay for advertising or working capital for the move, and SBA lists working capital among 7(a) loan uses. The figures are a worked example.
Why it matters to you
A 504 loan suits a building or long-life equipment, and the business still puts in at least 10 percent of the project cost. The working capital, inventory and advertising a new location needs sit outside it, so a growth plan needs a second source for those costs.
What to ask or check
- 01Does your project budget include costs section 120.884 bars, such as working capital, advertising or vehicles?
- 02How long has the business operated, and is the building limited or single purpose?
- 03Does your project qualify for the $5.5 million limit as a small manufacturer or an energy project?
- 04What rate, term and fees do the CDC and the senior lender each quote?
What people get wrong
That a 504 loan can fund everything a new location needs. Federal rules bar its proceeds from working capital, franchise fees, advertising, and automobiles, trucks and airplanes.
Red flags
- A financing plan that counts marketing, inventory or vehicles among the costs a 504 loan will cover.