Detroit's construction market is not what it was five years ago, and that is a compliment. Brownfield redevelopment across Wayne County, massive industrial investment from EV and battery manufacturing in the surrounding region, and steady suburban site work in Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties have created a real machine market. Contractors here are buying iron again, and we are financing it.
We work with excavating, grading, utility, and site development contractors throughout southeast Michigan. Minimum deal size is $50k, typical range is $100k to $150k and up. Application-only financing runs up to roughly $400k on standard construction equipment, and three months of bank statements is usually all the financial documentation required. B/C credit profiles are not disqualified. Call us or apply online to get the process started.
Southeast Michigan: Where the Jobs Are Coming From
The single biggest driver of new site work in the Detroit region right now is advanced manufacturing investment. New EV battery plants, electric vehicle assembly expansions, and supplier facilities across Washtenaw, Monroe, and Oakland counties require massive site preparation: clearing, grading, utility infrastructure, and access road construction before a single foundation goes in. Those projects consume significant machine hours and generate real equipment demand for contractors who can handle the scale.
Detroit proper continues its long-running brownfield remediation and redevelopment cycle. Site clearing, underground utility replacement, and foundation work on former industrial parcels requires experienced operators and capable machines. Demolition contractors and site development contractors both play active roles in this work, and the job pipeline has lengthened as investment confidence in the city has grown.
In the outer ring, suburban growth in communities like Novi, Milford, and Canton Township drives steady residential site prep demand. Residential site builders working these communities need mid-size excavators and support equipment moving from lot to lot on tight delivery schedules.
The Machines That Work in This Market
For the large industrial site prep jobs in southeast Michigan, 30-ton-class crawler excavators and large wheel loaders carry most of the load. These machines are significant capital investments, and financing them correctly matters. An application-only approval on a used 35-ton excavator that hits the $400k ceiling keeps a complex financial disclosure out of the process and gets the machine funded faster.
Urban brownfield and utility work in Detroit requires more compact options. Compact excavators in the 5- to 10-ton range handle tight city lots and can work inside partially demolished structures where larger machines cannot go. Hydraulic breaker attachments are standard on city demo work and can be financed alongside the base machine in a single transaction.
Used equipment is a realistic and common choice in this market. A solid 20-ton machine with 5,000 to 6,000 hours and a recent undercarriage check prices substantially below new and performs well on most southeast Michigan job types. We finance used iron at competitive terms when the machine and the borrower profile both make sense.
The Funding Process for Detroit Contractors
Submit an application with the machine details, vendor or seller information, and three months of business bank statements. We present the deal to lenders in our network that specialize in heavy construction equipment. Most contractors get a credit decision within one to two business days. Closing and funding typically follows within ten to fourteen calendar days.
New machines from Michigan dealer networks, used equipment from the Ritchie Bros. Michigan auctions or private sellers, equipment purchased at out-of-state auctions, and machines you already own and want to refinance all run through the same process. The collateral is the equipment and the key variable is your business cash flow, not just your credit score.
For operators carrying some credit history, B/C credit equipment financing programs are part of our financing team. These programs may require a down payment in the ten to twenty percent range depending on the equipment age and your credit profile, but they produce real approvals rather than declines. We tell you what the terms look like before you commit.
Pulling Equity From Iron You Already Own
Detroit contractors who have been in business through tough years often have equipment that was bought outright or paid down significantly. That equity is not doing anything sitting in a machine that is depreciating slowly. A Sale-Leaseback converts it: you sell the equipment to a lender, get the cash, and lease the machine back at a predictable monthly payment. The machine stays in the yard and on the job.
A cash-out refinance does the same thing on equipment that still has a lien, as long as you have meaningful equity above the payoff. Both structures are particularly useful when you have a large job coming up and need working capital for mobilization, bonding, or payroll before the first draw arrives.
Structuring Payments for Southeast Michigan Operators
Equipment loan terms in our programs run 36 to 84 months. For mid-size machines in the $150k to $300k range, a 60- to 72-month term keeps the monthly payment in a range that works alongside the operating costs of running a crew in the Detroit market. Longer terms reduce monthly obligations and preserve cash for fuel, repairs, and payroll, which matters when a large project has a slow payment cycle at the start.
Down payment requirements depend on the credit profile and the machine. Clean credit and application-only transactions can close with no money down in many cases. B/C credit profiles typically require ten to twenty percent down. A down payment reduces the lender's exposure and your monthly payment simultaneously, and on a used machine where the acquisition cost is already lower, a modest down payment can produce a very manageable monthly number.
For contractors who prefer a tax-efficient structure, Section 179 financing allows a full first-year deduction on purchased equipment subject to IRS limits. A loan or dollar-buyout lease structure supports this deduction; a true operating lease generally does not. Your CPA should confirm the right structure for your situation, and we can structure the financing to match whatever they recommend.
Southeast Michigan Jobs Are Moving. Fund the Machine.
Whether it is a large industrial site prep project in Monroe County or urban brownfield work in Wayne County, the financing should not slow you down. Apply online or call us to talk through the specific machine and deal. We fund fast and we are straight with you about what the approval looks like. If the terms are not what you expected, we explain why and tell you what would change them. No surprises at the closing table and no wasted time running an application that has no realistic chance of approval with the programs we have access to.
