Roofing is a materials heavy trade with a lot of risk sitting on your shoulders. Every job needs sheets or tiles ordered to size, scaffold or edge protection in place and a crew who knows what they’re doing at height. The money for all of that goes out well before the builder, homeowner or insurer pays. Fast roofing business loans close that gap.
What makes cash flow tough for roofers?
Materials are ordered to the job. Steel roofing is roll formed to length, and tiles are ordered by the pallet with ridge caps and valleys to match. Once it’s ordered, it’s yours, and suppliers often want payment on delivery or by the end of the month.
Safety gear costs money every week. Scaffold, edge protection and hoists are either hired weekly or bought outright. On a two storey job, the scaffold bill alone can be significant.
Storms create boom and bust. A big hail event can fill your diary for months. That’s great, until you realise you need to buy materials and hire extra hands for dozens of jobs while insurers take their time to approve and pay.
Builders pay late. On new builds, the roof is often one of the stage claims, and payment can take 30 days or more after approval.
If you’re buying stock ahead of time, our building materials finance page has more on how that works.
What roofers use business loans for
- Colorbond sheet, tiles, battens, sarking, gutters and flashings
- Buying scaffold, edge protection or a materials hoist
- Crew wages during a payment delay or storm surge
- A new ute, tipper or tile trailer
- Paying a BAS or ATO debt
- Starting a larger contract, like reroofing a small commercial building or a set of townhouses
Borrowing against property you own
The quickest option for most roofers is a fast second mortgage, secured against your home or an investment property. It leaves your existing loan untouched and doesn’t need tax returns or financials. A first mortgage suits a property that’s owned outright, and a business bridging loan helps if you’re waiting on a sale or refinance to settle. Caveat loans are available in Victoria only.
Bad credit is considered, and funding can happen in as little as 24 hours in some cases. Terms typically run 1 to 12 months.
Unsecured loans for roofing contractors
If you don’t own property, an unsecured cash flow loan may work. You’ll need an ABN, 6+ months of trading and recent business bank statements. It’s based on your turnover, and some are funded within hours.
Sorting out an ATO debt
Roofing income can swing hard between seasons, and a big storm season can leave you with a BAS bill that’s bigger than you planned for. A fast loan can pay it out so you’re not juggling the ATO while trying to run crews. Speak with your accountant about the tax detail.
Buying a ute, trailer or safety gear
When your ute is loaded with sheet and ladders every day, it wears out quickly. A fast loan can replace it without waiting weeks. It can also fund your own scaffold or edge protection, which often pays for itself quickly compared to weekly hire.
Taking on bigger roofing jobs
Stepping into commercial reroofs, warehouse cladding or multi unit developments means bigger orders and longer payment cycles. If you’re chasing stage claims, see our page on progress payment gap finance.
Example: a roofer after a hailstorm
Hypothetical example. After a big hailstorm in Sydney’s west, a roofing business has 30 insurance jobs lined up. The insurer pays after completion and sign off, which can take weeks. The owner needs $150,000 for tiles, sheet, scaffold and two extra roofers. She owns her home and an investment unit. A fast second mortgage over six months funds the materials and wages, and she repays as the insurer pays each job.
What to have ready
- Photo ID and ABN
- Details of any property you’ll use as security
- Business bank statements for an unsecured loan
- What the money is for and your repayment plan
Key facts: roofing business loans
- Loan amounts: $20,000 to $5 million
- Security: home, investment or commercial property, land, or unsecured with 6+ months of trading
- Speed: as little as 24 hours for some property secured loans
- Term: typically 1 to 12 months for property secured loans
- Suits: metal and tile roofers, reroofers, storm repair and insurance roofers
- Pricing: priced on your circumstances, and we find the sharpest rate available for your situation
These are business loans for business purposes. Start your application in about 60 seconds and a lending specialist will call you back to work through the options.
