Equipment · Denver, CO
Equipment Financing & Loans in Denver, CO
Equipment financing in Denver covers the purchase, but the equipment itself keeps costing money every year it stays on the books, through Denver's business personal property tax. The City and County of Denver's own 2025 Abstract of Assessment and Summary of Levies shows the City and County of Denver's own mill levy, apart from Denver Public Schools, totaled 26.328 mills for 2025, covering the General Fund, bond principal and interest, Social Services, Developmentally Disabled, fire and police pensions, Capital Maintenance, Affordable Housing and the Library; the same abstract lists the State-approved 2025 assessment rate for non-residential property at 27%. Business personal property, including equipment, fixtures and furnishings, must be listed on a Declaration Schedule and returned to the Assessor by April 15 each year to avoid a penalty.
Check business eligibilityFunding specialists, not a lender. No approval guarantee.
Updated October 30, 2026
Decision guide
Equipment financing in Denver: the city's own 26.328-mill tax on what you buy
A good fit when
- Financing new equipment with the annual city-only property tax built into the ongoing cost.
- Filing the Declaration Schedule with the Assessor by April 15 the year after equipment is bought.
- A term loan or lease matched to equipment's useful life, not just this year's assessed value.
- Separating Denver's own 26.328-mill city levy from the larger combined rate that also funds the school district.
Look elsewhere when
- Assuming no further tax is owed once equipment financing closes.
- Missing the April 15 Declaration Schedule deadline and triggering a penalty.
- Treating the 79.602-mill total of general taxes as the City's own rate; 52.274 of those mills are Denver Public Schools'.
- A merchant cash advance for equipment with a useful life measured in years, not months.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Assessed value at the 2025 non-residential assessment rate of 27% | $40,500 |
| City and County of Denver's own tax at its 2025 levy of 26.328 mills (excludes Denver Public Schools) | About $1,066 a year |
| Monthly payment on $150,000 over 60 months at 9.5% APR | About $3,150 a month |
Illustrative only, not an offer. The 9.5% rate is an assumption. The Assessor determines actual value and any exempt amount each year; the City's mill levy is approved annually by the Mayor and City Council, and school and special-district levies are added on the actual bill.
City-only, not combined
The 26.328 figure is the City and County of Denver's own mill levy; Denver Public Schools levies 52.274 mills separately on the same assessed value.
Get every cost in writing
Colorado has no commercial-financing disclosure law like California’s or New York’s. Ask for the total repaid, fees, schedule and an annualized cost.
Official sources (checked October 22, 2026): City and County of Denver: 2025 Abstract of Assessment and Summary of Levies.
What a funding specialist adds. Nowbiz is a team of funding specialists, not a lender, and helps Denver owners finance equipment with the City's own annual property tax in mind. The provider sets eligibility and terms.
Prepare
Documents that settle the decision
- Equipment quotes or purchase agreement
- Prior-year Business Personal Property Declaration Schedule, if any
- Two years of business tax returns
- Year-to-date profit and loss
- Three to six months of business bank statements
Local funding context
Why Denver, CO businesses consider equipment financing
Denver is the commercial and financial capital of the Mountain West, with a diversified economy of professional and financial services, healthcare and the Anschutz Medical Campus in neighboring Aurora, aerospace and technology, energy, a nationally known restaurant and craft-brewing scene, a large construction and development trade, and logistics along Interstates 25 and 70 and around Denver International Airport.
Restaurants and breweries finance equipment and use lines and term loans to manage high fixed costs; contractors and subcontractors factor invoices owed by developers and general contractors and finance equipment and vehicles; professional and technology-services firms use lines to hire ahead of engagements; healthcare practices finance equipment and buildouts; trucking and logistics companies finance equipment and factor freight; outdoor and consumer brands use revenue-based financing. The SBA’s Colorado district office is in the city.
Equipment financing in local practice. In Denver, restaurants and caterers spread the cost of ovens, hoods, walk-ins and delivery vehicles over several years instead of draining opening capital; contractors finance excavators, skid steers, lifts and work trucks against the equipment itself, protecting bonding capacity. Firms finance servers, phone systems and office fit-outs when a lease requires them to build out space.
What to evaluate
- New or used business equipment may qualify
- The financed asset commonly supports the transaction
- Terms can be aligned with the asset's useful life
- Vehicles, kitchen, medical, manufacturing, and technology equipment may be considered
| Sector | Local driver | Products commonly considered |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and breweries | City wage floor, high rents, equipment | Equipment loans, lines, term loans |
| Contractors and subcontractors | Developer payment cycles, retainage | Factoring and equipment financing |
| Healthcare practices | Equipment, buildouts | Equipment financing and SBA 7(a) |
Local numbers
Denver business and SBA lending figures
The Census Bureau counted 27,422 business locations with paid employees in Denver County, which includes Denver, in its 2023 County Business Patterns, and 73% of them had fewer than 10 employees. Average annual payroll was $89,800 per employee across 489,563 jobs.
In the SBA's 2026 fiscal year (October 2025 through September 2026), 52 lenders approved 198 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $106.0 million for businesses in Denver County, an average of $536,000 per loan. By number of loans, the most active were Newtek Bank, National Association (27 loans); The Huntington National Bank (20 loans) and U.S. Bank, National Association (20 loans). Certified development companies approved 18 SBA 504 loans totaling $19.4 million for real-estate and equipment projects there; the most active was B:Side Capital.
How to use these numbers: they describe the local market, not your odds. SBA figures count only loans the SBA guarantees, and a business is approved on its own revenue, credit and cash flow, whichever product it applies for, including equipment financing. A lender that is already active in the county is a reasonable place to ask about SBA options before comparing faster, costlier products.
| Measure | Denver County |
|---|---|
| Employer business locations (2023) | 27,422 |
| Share with fewer than 10 employees | 73% |
| SBA 7(a) loans approved, FY2026 | 198 ($106.0 million) |
| Lenders making SBA 7(a) loans here, FY2026 | 52 |
| SBA 504 loans approved, FY2026 | 18 ($19.4 million) |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) Lender and 504 CDC Activity Reports, FY2026 (data as of September 30, 2026, by project county). County figures include the whole county, not only Denver.
Local rules and help
What to check in Colorado before you apply
| Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where business liens are filed and searched | Colorado Secretary of State (free online searches) |
| SBA district office | Colorado: 721 19th St., Suite 426, Denver, CO 80202 |
Checked October 15, 2026 against official sources: Colorado Secretary of State (free online searches), SBA Colorado District Office. Confirm current rules before relying on them.
How it works
How equipment financing works in Denver, CO
Equipment financing is a purchase-money structure: a lender or lessor pays the vendor for a defined piece of equipment, and the business repays a fixed schedule over a term matched to the useful life of that asset. The equipment itself is the primary collateral, which is why underwriting leans on the invoice, the asset type, its resale market and its age rather than purely on the owner’s credit file. A Denver contractor buying a used excavator and a dental practice financing a new CBCT scanner go through the same basic mechanics even though the assets could not be more different.
The full guide to equipment financing in Colorado covers the mechanics, the application review checklist, the timeline, best uses and watch-outs in depth.
Cost structure
What equipment financing costs: a $148,000 worked example
Compare the deposit, amount financed, payment schedule, fees and ownership at the end of a loan or lease. Ask whether delivery, installation and insurance are financed or paid separately. Used equipment and private-seller purchases need provider confirmation.
Hypothetical example for Denver, CO: using $148,000 and the rate and repayment assumptions stated in the table below gives payments between $2,931 and $4,788, and total repayment between $175,835 and $287,298. These are calculation scenarios, not published market rates or current offers. Additional fees are excluded.
Build the same comparison from a dated written offer. Include amounts deducted before funding, payment dates, additional charges and any balance due at the end. Test the cash remaining in a weaker month before choosing an amount. Provider approval and a manageable payment are separate questions.
Payment estimator
Estimate equipment financing payments for a Denver, CO business
Illustrative equipment financing figures for $148,000 using hypothetical rate assumptions. Actual offers depend on underwriting and the funding partner.
$3,799 per month and $227,916 in total payback (18.5% assumed annual interest; 60 months; fees excluded).
Hypothetical figures using the stated term or collection period. Fees are excluded. Revenue-based amounts are averages over an assumed period, not fixed payments.
| Scenario | Estimated payment | Total payback / customer settlement | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower scenario input | $2,931 / month | $175,835 | 7.0% assumed annual interest; 60 months; fees excluded |
| Midpoint | $3,799 / month | $227,916 | 18.5% assumed annual interest; 60 months; fees excluded |
| Higher scenario input | $4,788 / month | $287,298 | 30.0% assumed annual interest; 60 months; fees excluded |
Secure eligibility check
Fast Funding Review
Share a few details about your Denver business and the equipment financing amount you have in mind to start a confidential, no-obligation review. This step does not use a hard credit pull.
- No hard credit pull to apply
- Review and funding times vary by provider
- 5+ years in the industry
- Encrypted, private document handling
Documents
Documents an equipment lender expects
Prepare the records requested by the provider. Complete documents help the review but do not guarantee a decision or funding date.
- Equipment quote, invoice or purchase agreement naming the vendor and the exact model
- Business bank statements for the period requested by the provider
- Government-issued ID for the owners identified by the provider
- Most recent business tax return for larger amounts
- Year-to-date profit-and-loss and balance sheet when requested
- Vendor details and, for used equipment, the serial number, hours or mileage and condition photos
Alternatives
Alternatives to equipment financing in Denver, CO
Compare the products a Denver business is most likely to be offered alongside equipment financing; each guide below sets out structure, timing, credit guidelines and uses side by side.
Common questions
Equipment financing in Denver, CO: what owners ask
What equipment may qualify?
A provider may consider new or used equipment needed by the business. Supply an itemized quote and ask about permitted asset types, age, condition, useful life and vendor requirements. Eligibility depends on the asset and the business, not the equipment label alone.
Will I need a down payment in Denver, CO?
A deposit may be required. Ask for the amount financed, cash contribution, fees and excluded costs in writing. A provider advertising full financing may still have conditions or costs you must pay separately.
Can used equipment be financed in Denver, CO?
Some providers consider used equipment, subject to age, condition, remaining useful life and vendor checks. Ask whether an inspection or valuation is needed and how the asset age affects the repayment term.
How does Denver’s construction labor shortage affect equipment financing for contractors?
Scarce crews and rising wages push contractors to finance equipment that substitutes for labor and to use lines of credit to pay workers promptly while developers pay in 60 to 90 days. Factoring general-contractor invoices is common on larger commercial jobs.
Are Denver breweries and restaurants good candidates for equipment financing?
Yes, provided the file reflects the city’s costs. Tanks, kitchen lines and refrigeration support equipment financing, card volume supports lines and revenue-linked products, and lenders look for steady deposits through the spring shoulder season between ski and summer peaks.
Which local resources complement equipment financing in Denver?
The SBA’s Colorado district office is in Denver, the Colorado SBDC network has a Denver centre, and the city’s Office of Economic Development and local CDFIs run loan and counselling programs, particularly for minority- and women-owned businesses.