Businesses in NAICS 561790, which covers pool service, duct and chimney cleaning, pressure washing, gutter and parking lot cleaning and similar trades, took 802 SBA 7(a) loans between October 2023 and June 2026, about $258 million from 169 lenders. The median loan was $150,000 at a median rate of 10.25%, both level with the national figures. What stands out is buying: 98 loans, 12.2%, financed a change of ownership, above the national 10.4%, at a median of $627,250. Lenders underwrite these businesses on recurring accounts, trucks and equipment, and seasonality.
| Measure | Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) loans approved | 802 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $150,000 | $150,300 |
| Middle half of loans | $50,000 – $350,000 | $50,000 – $500,000 |
| Loans of $1 million or more | 8% | 12.9% |
| Median rate at approval | 10.25% | 10.25% |
| Middle half of rates | 9.5% – 11.25% | 9.3% – 11.25% |
| Acquisitions (change of ownership) | 98 (12.2%) | 16,849 (10.4%) |
| Median acquisition loan | $627,250 | $693,000 |
| Lenders that made these loans | 169 | 1,648 |
| SBA 504 loans (real estate, equipment) | 43 | 16,714 |
Approvals FY2024 – FY2026 to date (1 Oct 2023 – 30 Jun 2026), cancelled loans excluded. Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records, as of June 30, 2026.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved
- 802 (Oct 2023 – Jun 2026)
- Median loan
- $150,000 (national $150,300)
- Median rate at approval
- 10.25%, the national median
- Acquisitions
- 98 loans (12.2%), median $627,250
- Start-ups / franchises
- 22.9% / 20.4% of loans
- SBA Express share
- 38% of loans
The figures, and the one that departs from the national picture
"Other services to buildings and dwellings" is the industry classification's catch-all for building services that are neither janitorial nor landscaping: swimming pool cleaning and maintenance, air duct and dryer vent cleaning, chimney sweeping, gutter cleaning, pressure and power washing, parking lot sweeping and snow plowing. From FY2024 through June 2026 these businesses took 802 SBA 7(a) loans worth $258,077,000, from 169 lenders.
On size and price they are almost exactly the national borrower. The median loan was $150,000 and the median rate 10.25%. The middle half of loans ran from $50,000 to $350,000, the top tenth started at $807,570, and 64 loans (8%) were $1 million or more. The departure is in what the money bought. Acquisitions were 12.2% of loans, above the national 10.4%, and at a median of $627,250 they were more than four times the industry's median loan.
| Figure | Building services (561790) | Against the national figure |
|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $150,000 | Level with $150,300 |
| Middle half of loans | $50,000 to $350,000 | Trucks and rigs at the low end, route purchases at the top |
| Loans of $1 million or more | 64 (8%) | Multi-crew operators and larger purchases |
| Median rate at approval | 10.25% (middle half 9.5% to 11.25%) | Exactly the national median |
| Fixed-rate share | 10.8% | Most loans float |
| Acquisitions | 98 loans (12.2%), median $627,250 at 10% | Above the national 10.4%: these businesses are bought and sold |
| Start-ups | 22.9% of loans | Low start-up cost draws new owners |
| Franchises | 20.4% of loans | Duct, vent, pool and exterior-cleaning brands |
| SBA Express | 38% of loans | Equipment and working capital, up to $500,000 |
| Median jobs supported | 4 | An owner and a few technicians or crews |
Not one business but several revenue patterns
A lender cannot underwrite this code as one industry, because the trades inside it earn money in different ways. The pattern of the revenue decides what the lender asks for:
| Trade | How revenue arrives | What the lender focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| Pool service routes | Weekly service on a monthly contract, plus repairs and equipment sales | Account count, monthly revenue per account, attrition, how much comes from repairs |
| Duct, vent and chimney cleaning | One-off residential jobs, some repeat on a cycle | Lead sources and marketing cost per job, repeat-customer share, franchise fees |
| Pressure washing and exterior cleaning | Residential jobs plus commercial contracts with property managers | Contract terms and notice periods, weather, equipment condition |
| Parking lot sweeping | Recurring commercial contracts, often with a few property owners | Customer concentration, contract renewals, truck fleet |
| Snow plowing | Seasonal contracts, sometimes per push, sometimes flat | Several winters of results, how contracts pay in a light year, what the trucks do the rest of the year |
Seasonality runs through most of them. Pool revenue follows the swimming season in much of the country, snow revenue follows the winter, and exterior cleaning slows in cold months. Lenders test coverage on the full year, but they also look at the lean months: a business that earns cash flow of 300 over a year against payments of 240 covers 1.25x, yet may still run short in the quarter when it earns almost nothing. That is a working-capital problem, and a seasonal line is often its answer; see seasonal lines of credit.
Collateral: the trucks and rigs
Unlike a consulting firm, these businesses own things: service trucks and vans, trailers, hot-water pressure washers, truck-mounted duct vacuums, sweepers, plows and spreaders. The equipment is real collateral, though it depreciates quickly and is worth less at auction than on the books.
That gives an owner a choice. Equipment loans and leases finance a truck or rig against itself, often with less paperwork than SBA. SBA 7(a) can finance equipment for up to 10 years, or 15 if its useful life supports it, and can bundle equipment with working capital and other needs in one loan. Which is cheaper depends on the equipment's life, the owner's other borrowing and how many vehicles are involved. See equipment financing vs SBA 7(a) and equipment lease vs equipment loan.
Buying a route or a service company
The 98 acquisition loans are the most useful figure on this page for a buyer. They show SBA lenders are comfortable financing these purchases, and at a median of $627,250 and 10% they are sized to real businesses rather than single routes. What lenders test in each purchase is whether the revenue transfers:
- Accounts, not just revenue. The lender wants the account list with monthly billing per account and how long each has been a customer. Pool routes in particular are commonly priced on their monthly billing, and a buyer should check the price account by account.
- Attrition after the sale. Some customers leave when the name on the truck or the technician changes. Purchase agreements often address this with a holdback or escrow; see escrow and holdbacks in acquisition financing. SBA prohibits an earnout, so the protection cannot take that form.
- Commercial contracts. Contracts with property managers and HOAs often allow termination on short notice and may need consent to assign. Lenders will read them.
- The seller's role. In a small route business the seller may be the technician customers know. SBA lets the seller consult for up to 12 months after closing, up to 24 months under SOP 50 10 8.1 from 1 October 2026, but not stay as an owner or employee.
- Franchise resales. With franchises at 20.4% of loans, many purchases are of franchised territories, which need the franchisor's approval of the buyer and a transfer under the franchise agreement. See franchise resale financing.
The SBA structure is the usual one. The buyer brings an equity injection of at least 10% of total project costs; a seller note can count for up to half of it, but only on full standby for the life of the loan; every owner of 20% or more guarantees the loan. From 1 October 2026, every change of ownership also needs financial due diligence and coverage of 1.25x on historical results. See SBA 7(a) acquisition loans and seller notes and SBA standby.
In a route purchase the lender underwrites the accounts, one by one. Bring the account list before the lender asks for it.
Start-ups and franchises
Start-ups were 22.9% of loans, a high share, and the reason is plain: a truck, a rig and a license are enough to begin. Lenders asked to fund a new operator look for time in the trade, often as a technician for someone else, a realistic count of customers in the first year and an equity injection of at least 10% of total project costs. A franchise helps by supplying a marketing system and a lead flow the lender can see in other territories.
Preparing the file
SBA's standard documents: business tax returns for 2–3 years, a P&L and balance sheet with a year-to-date P&L through last month-end, a debt schedule with copies of notes being refinanced, and personal tax returns and a personal financial statement for each owner of 20% or more. Bank statements help, particularly to show the seasonal pattern month by month.
For this industry, add the customer or account list with monthly billing, the commercial contracts, an equipment and vehicle list with year and condition, and revenue by month for at least two years so the lender sees the seasons rather than guessing at them. For a purchase, add the target's latest full year of figures, never an older year, and the letter of intent.
Transparent builds that into a full lender package — financing model, lender presentation, blind teaser and underwriting memo — in a day once the documents are in, and places it with the lenders in its book that fit: 278 write SBA 7(a) and 504, and 244 write equipment. On SBA loans the lender pays Transparent, not the borrower. See the package.
Common questions
- Can I buy a pool route with an SBA loan?
- Yes. Acquisitions were 12.2% of SBA loans in this industry from October 2023 to June 2026, at a median of $627,250. The lender will want the account list with monthly billing per account, and you will need an equity injection of at least 10% of total project costs.
- What rate do building service businesses pay on SBA loans?
- The median rate at approval was 10.25%, the same as the national median, with the middle half between 9.5% and 11.25%. Smaller loans carry higher SBA rate caps than larger ones.
- Should I finance a service truck with SBA or an equipment loan?
- It depends on the equipment's life, how many vehicles you need and whether you also need working capital. Equipment lenders finance the truck against itself; SBA can bundle equipment with other needs over up to 10 years, or 15 if the equipment's useful life supports it.
- How do lenders handle a seasonal business like snow plowing or pool service?
- They test coverage on the full year, using several years of results, and look separately at the lean months. A seasonal line of credit often covers the months when revenue is low.
- Can a seller stay on after I buy their service business?
- Not as an owner, officer or employee under SBA's rules. The seller may consult for up to 12 months, or up to 24 months for loans under SOP 50 10 8.1 from 1 October 2026.