Mesaside Advances, a small-business funding broker in Cheyenne, Wyoming, helps Laramie County contractors and specialty trades compare equipment financing, lines of credit, working capital and term loans. Laramie County had 355 construction employer establishments in 2023 and 724 construction businesses without employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). Lending partners make credit decisions and set rates and terms.
| Typical needs | Equipment and work vehicles, materials, payroll before draws |
|---|---|
| Types discussed | Equipment financing, line of credit, working capital, term loan |
| Laramie County construction employers | 355 in 2023; 65.6 percent had fewer than five employees (Census CBP 2023) |
| No paid employees | 724 construction businesses in 2024 (Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024) |
| New homes permitted | 556 housing units in Laramie County in 2025 (Census Building Permits Survey) |
| Office | 1900 Thomes Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001 · (307) 368-2257 |
Laramie County construction in the numbers
Laramie County had 355 construction employer establishments in 2023, with 2,372 paid employees in the March pay period and $154.5 million in annual payroll (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Most are small: 233 of them, or 65.6 percent, had fewer than five employees.
| Subsector | Establishments | Paid employees | Share with fewer than 5 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction of buildings (NAICS 236) | 104 | 485 | 75.0% |
| Specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238) | 225 | 1,471 | 62.7% |
| All construction (NAICS 23) | 355 | 2,372 | 65.6% |
Another 724 construction businesses in the county had no paid employees in 2024, 493 of them specialty trades and 212 building contractors (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). That is a separate program and year from the employer count, so the two should not be added together; together they do show how many one-person and family crews work in the county.
Residential building activity
Permits for new privately owned housing units in Laramie County rose from 287 in 2023 to 497 in 2024 and 556 in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey). Of the 2025 units, 325 were single-family homes and 188 were in buildings with five or more units; the permits' stated construction value totaled $119.7 million.
Those counts cover new residential units only, not commercial work, remodels or repairs, and a permit is not a finished building. For a contractor, the useful point is practical: more permitted units means more bids, more crews and more materials bought before the money comes in.
How construction financing works for contractors
Most contractor funding questions come down to timing. A crew is paid weekly; a draw is released after an inspection or a billing cycle; retainage, a share of each payment held back until the job is finished, can sit unpaid for months. Construction business financing covers that gap and the equipment that does the work. It is different from a construction loan to build a house or a commercial building, which is real estate lending that we do not arrange.
Contractor lines of credit and working capital
A business line of credit suits contractors whose gap changes size with every job: draw for payroll and materials, pay it down when the draw lands, and use it again. A working capital loan suits one larger gap with a known end, such as carrying a big job to its first payment. Partners reviewing either will look at bank statements, the contracts in hand and how reliably customers pay.
A merchant cash advance is sometimes offered to contractors too. It is not a loan, and remittances taken from every deposit can collide with uneven draw timing, so compare its total against a line before deciding.
How to finance construction equipment
Excavators, skid steers, compressors, trailers and the work trucks or vans that carry crews to the site are usually financed with equipment loans or leases, where the equipment secures the deal. Used machines can be financed too, with closer review of hours and condition. A lease may suit equipment you expect to replace; a loan or equipment finance agreement suits equipment you will run for years.
Specialty trades and general builders need different things
The county's 225 specialty trade employers outnumber its 104 building contractors about two to one (County Business Patterns 2023). The difference matters for funding. Electricians, plumbers, roofers and concrete crews tend to need tools, vehicles and smaller, frequent materials purchases, which suit equipment financing and a modest revolving line. General contractors carry larger receivables and pay subcontractors before the owner pays them, so the size of the gap, and how reliably draws arrive, drives the request.
A building contractor with three jobs running may need a line large enough to carry all three payrolls at once; a two-person trade may need one truck and a compressor. Saying which you are at the start saves a round of questions.
What partners commonly ask contractors for
- Recent business bank statements showing deposits from draws and customers
- Signed contracts and draw schedules for current work
- An accounts receivable list, including retainage held
- Equipment quotes, or details of used equipment
- Business tax returns and year-to-date financials for larger requests
- Proof the business is registered, and any license your work requires
Before you sign for a machine or a line
- Make sure the payment fits the slow months, not the busy ones
- Check whether the equipment, or all business assets, will be pledged
- Find out how a line is reviewed at renewal
- Read any personal guarantee in full
How Mesaside Advances works with contractors
We help you decide whether the need is equipment, a revolving gap or a single project, and send the request to partners that fund construction businesses. Local figures and resources are on the Cheyenne, WY page, and other sectors are on the industries page.
By Mesaside Advances · Updated
