How do HVAC companies handle slow seasons?

The strongest ones sell maintenance agreements, which bring in revenue year-round, and keep a line of credit for the shoulder months. Draw in spring and fall, repay in summer and winter.

Can I finance an HVAC service van?

Yes. Vehicles qualify for equipment financing. Kapitus says qualified buyers can finance up to 100% of the cost with no down payment, on terms up to 72 months, with published minimums of 2 years in business and a 660 credit score.

Do the new refrigerant rules affect financing?

Indirectly. Since January 1, 2025, new residential and light commercial systems must use refrigerants under a federal limit, which meant new tools, training, and inventory for most contractors. Those are one-time costs that a term loan or equipment financing can spread out.

Will a seasonal dip hurt my application?

Less than you might think. Lenders look at revenue across the year, and seasonality is expected in HVAC. Applying with statements that include a peak season helps.

How much can an HVAC company borrow?

Mostly a function of monthly revenue, time in business, and credit. A company doing $100,000 a month could see roughly $80,000 to $300,000 on a short-term loan. Equipment financing is sized separately, to the vehicle or equipment.

HVAC Business Loans: Trucks, Inventory, and Seasonal Cash Flow

What you need	What usually fits	Why
Another service van or install truck	Equipment financing	The vehicle secures the loan. Terms run up to 72 months, so the payment matches the truck's working life.
Stocking units before summer or winter	Line of credit	Draw to buy inventory, repay as installs are paid. Reuse it next season.
Payroll in spring and fall	Line of credit	Keeps trained technicians on through the slow weeks so you are staffed when it turns.
Tools and training for new refrigerants	Term loan	A one-time cost with a clear purpose and a fixed payment.
Commercial jobs that pay in 30 to 60 days	Invoice factoring	For completed, invoiced work owed by a creditworthy business.
A marketing push before peak season	Working capital financing	Fast. The offer may be a loan or revenue-based financing repaid from the sales it brings in. Check that the return beats the cost.

A good business with a calendar problem

HVAC has what lenders want. The work is not optional. When the air conditioning dies in July, the customer calls someone that day.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects technician employment to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average job. It points to commercial construction, including data centers, to more complex climate-control systems, and to the steady work of repairing and replacing what is already installed.

The catch is the calendar:

Summer and winter are flat out. Overtime, long lead times, full schedules.
Spring and fall go quiet. The trucks, the leases, and the payroll do not.

Most HVAC financing exists to move money from the busy months to the slow ones.

Why lenders like HVAC contractors

The same logic that favors the other specialty trades applies here.

Many jobs, many customers. Service calls and installs produce a steady stream of separate deposits.
Two revenue streams. Residential service on one side, commercial and new-construction work on the other.
Recurring revenue. Maintenance agreements are the closest thing the trades have to a subscription. Underwriters notice them.
Replacement is not discretionary. A failed system gets replaced in any economy.

The 2025 refrigerant change

Since January 1, 2025, new residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems have had to use refrigerants below a federal global warming potential limit of 700. The EPA rule allows systems built from components made before that date to still be installed.

For a contractor, that meant real costs in a short window:

New recovery machines, gauges, and leak detectors rated for the new refrigerants
Training and certification time for every technician
Carrying two generations of equipment and parts during the changeover

These are one-time costs. Spreading them over a fixed term is a better fit than paying them out of a slow month’s cash.

What a lender looks at

Revenue across a full year. Bring statements that show a peak season, not only the slow months.
Maintenance agreement count. If you have several hundred, say so.
Fleet and equipment debt. Existing truck payments come off what you can carry.
Residential and commercial mix. Commercial work pays slower.
Licenses, certifications, and insurance. Current and ready.

HVAC business loans: what you can get

Product	Amount	Term	Typical use for an HVAC contractor
Equipment financing	Up to 100% of cost	Up to 72 months	Service vans, recovery machines, tools for the new refrigerants
Line of credit	Up to $750,000	Up to 24 months	Spring and fall payroll, inventory ahead of summer
Term loan	Up to $5 million	6 to 36 months	A one-time cost: training, a second shop, a fleet add
Invoice factoring	$200,000 to $7 million	Per invoice	Commercial and new-construction work that pays in 30 to 60 days
SBA 7(a) loan	Up to $5 million	Up to 25 years	Buying a competitor, a building, a large expansion

Amounts and terms are what our primary lender publishes; your offer is sized to a full year of deposits, not the slow months.

Matching the tool to the job

Trucks and equipment: equipment financing. Match the term to how long you will run the truck.
Seasonal gaps and inventory: a line of credit. Draw, repay, reuse.
One-time projects: a term loan.
Speed, when the work is already booked: working capital financing. A fast offer often comes as revenue-based financing, which costs more. Run the numbers in the APR calculator first.

HVAC financing requirements

The starting points are the same as for any business: 2 years in business, $250,000 in annual revenue, and a credit score of 600 or higher, with floors that run from 600 to 680 depending on the lender. Equipment financing can start at 1 year with some lenders.

Have these ready:

3 to 6 months of business bank statements, ideally covering a busy season
Licenses and proof of insurance
A count of active maintenance agreements
For a vehicle, the dealer’s quote

Check your number with the funding estimator.

Sources

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, 2025 to 2035 projections
U.S. EPA: Technology Transitions HFC Restrictions by Sector, updated August 28, 2026
Kapitus: Equipment Financing, checked October 12, 2026

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HVAC Business Loans and Financing

By the numbers

Common needs and what fits