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BETTESWORTHConstruction
Commercial Real Estate

What Construction Financing Covers and How Developers Structure a Project Loan

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Construction financing pays approved costs of creating or improving real-estate collateral through controlled advances, rather than one unrestricted lump-sum payment. The developer contributes the required equity, satisfies permitting and documentation conditions, and draws debt as work is completed and verified. From the outset, the loan must have a credible path to completion and repayment—usually a sale, lease-up followed by permanent refinancing, or conversion to longer-term debt.

There is no universal construction-loan down payment, interest rate, loan-to-cost percentage, fee, draw calendar, or guarantee. The lender negotiates those terms after reviewing the project budget, plans, borrower and guarantor capacity, collateral, market assumptions, construction readiness, and repayment strategy. This guide focuses on U.S. commercial real-estate construction and development loans, not a consumer mortgage for building a primary residence.

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What a construction loan is designed to do

A construction loan is generally short-term credit for acquiring land, building improvements, or substantially renovating property. The lender commits an amount tied to an approved budget and releases it in stages. Interest is normally charged on the amount actually advanced, although the agreement may provide an interest reserve to pay carrying costs during construction and lease-up.

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Commercial real-estate lending can include acquisition, development, construction, and financing for income-producing property. A project loan therefore has two linked parts: funding the work and proving that the completed asset will repay the debt. A budget that pays for only the first phase, or a loan that matures before the property can be sold, occupied, or refinanced, leaves a completion or maturity gap.

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The loan agreement controls what is eligible, when money can be released, what evidence is required, how much equity must be in first, what guarantees apply, and what happens if costs or timing change. A lender can decline a draw even when the headline commitment is large if a condition precedent, inspection, lien waiver, equity requirement, or covenant has not been satisfied.

What construction financing may cover

Eligible costs are the categories included in the lender-approved project budget and loan documents. Depending on the transaction, the budget may include:

  • Land or property acquisition, including approved closing costs.
  • Site preparation, demolition, utilities, roads, grading, and other civil work.
  • Hard construction costs for labor, materials, equipment, and installed systems.
  • Architectural, engineering, legal, permitting, appraisal, inspection, and other soft costs that the lender accepts.
  • Financing costs, including approved fees and interest during the construction period.
  • Marketing, lease-up, or other operating costs when the loan agreement expressly includes them.
  • A contingency allowance for unexpected cost increases or redesign.

The budget should identify quantities, contracts, allowances, schedule assumptions, and committed sources of funds. An optimistic estimate can create a funding shortfall when bids, labor, materials, or site conditions change. Higher costs do not automatically produce higher property value, so a lender may require the sponsor to fund an overrun rather than increase the loan.

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Contingency allowance

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) states in its Commercial Real Estate Lending, version 2.0 handbook (2022): “Contingency allowances vary based on the project’s size or complexity but usually range between 5 and 10 percent of the overall budget.” That is reported supervisory practice, not a mandatory percentage or a promise that every lender will finance the reserve. The required amount depends on design maturity, contract structure, site risk, and the lender’s policies.

Interest reserve

An interest reserve is money set aside to pay loan interest during construction and, in some deals, lease-up. The OCC describes it as a reserve account established by the lender and used by the borrower for those payments. It is commonly a budget line in the construction loan, although a lender may instead require the borrower to fund a separate escrow.

Estimate the reserve from the expected timing of draws, interest-rate terms, construction duration, and the period needed to sell or reach target occupancy. If the reserve is depleted because of delays, higher rates, or slower leasing, the lender may require fresh borrower or guarantor cash. A reserve is not extra profit or unrestricted working capital.

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How developers combine debt and equity

The capital stack normally combines senior construction debt, sponsor equity, and any other committed sources such as subordinate financing or public-program debt. The lender’s policy should state the required equity amount, acceptable sources, and contribution timing. Equity can be cash, land value, or another permitted contribution only when the lender accepts and documents it under the agreement.

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OCC guidance says it is prudent for borrower equity to be contributed before construction-loan disbursements begin. Deferring the sponsor contribution can increase completion risk because the project may run out of available capital before the lender has adequate collateral. The lender will want evidence that the equity is real, available, unencumbered as required, and traceable to the project.

LTC and LTV answer different questions

Loan-to-cost (LTC) compares the loan amount with total project cost, including acquisition and construction costs. It measures how much of the budget is being financed with debt.

Loan-to-value (LTV) compares the credit exposure with the property’s acceptable value as collateral. It measures collateral coverage, which can differ sharply from cost when market values move or when a project is bought below or above its eventual value.

Neither ratio alone determines the sponsor’s required equity. For example, a lender can size debt to an LTC limit and then reduce it because the resulting LTV is too high, or require additional equity because costs rose while value did not.

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OCC supervisory LTV benchmarks

The OCC handbook lists supervisory LTV limits of 80% for commercial, multifamily, and other nonresidential construction and 85% for one-to-four-family residential construction. These are benchmarks for covered institutions, not guaranteed loan ceilings, standard advances, or direct down-payment formulas. Each lender sets internal limits and may impose tighter requirements based on property type, sponsorship, market, guarantees, and risk.

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What lenders underwrite before closing

A lender evaluates the project as a coordinated set of risks rather than relying on a single ratio. Expect review of:

  • Borrower and guarantor capacity: liquidity, net worth, credit history, contingent liabilities, and the ability to fund overruns.
  • Development experience: comparable projects completed, current workload, staffing, and the general contractor’s record.
  • Site control and readiness: title, survey, zoning, permits, environmental reports, plans, specifications, and signed contracts.
  • Budget and schedule: independent cost checks, allowances, contingency, critical-path items, procurement lead times, and realistic completion dates.
  • Market support: achievable rents or sale prices, competing supply, absorption, pre-leasing or presales, and sensitivity to weaker conditions.
  • Collateral and structure: liens, priority, assignments, insurance, bonding where required, and guarantees.
  • Repayment: sale proceeds, stabilized cash flow, permanent refinancing, take-out commitment, maturity, and extension rights.

Guarantees may be full, limited, completion-based, carry-based, or otherwise conditioned. A guarantee is a separate risk allocation and is not the same thing as contributed project equity.

How construction-loan draws work

Commercial projects commonly use a progress-payment plan. The borrower requests money for completed work, and the lender releases funds only after reviewing the request and independently confirming progress.

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  1. Prepare the draw request. Organize invoices and costs by approved budget category and work phase. The request should identify prior advances, current work, retainage, and the amount needed.
  2. Certify use and conditions. The borrower certifies that requested funds will be used for the project and that required loan conditions, insurance, permits, and reporting are current.
  3. Submit supporting documents. Depending on the agreement, provide an updated schedule of values, contractor requisition, invoices, payroll or cost records, architect or engineer certification, and supplier and subcontractor lien waivers.
  4. Allow inspection and review. The lender or its inspector compares physical progress with the budget and prior draws, checks for unauthorized changes, and may update the cost-to-complete analysis.
  5. Resolve exceptions. Missing waivers, disputed work, failed inspections, budget overruns, unpaid bills, or an equity shortfall can delay or reduce the advance.
  6. Receive the net advance. The lender releases the approved amount, less any holdback, reserve funding, fees, or other deductions specified in the documents.

Holdbacks and final disbursement

For a commercial progress-payment plan, the OCC says a bank normally retains 10% to 20% from each payment to cover overruns or outstanding supplier and subcontractor bills. This is a typical handbook description, not a legal requirement or invariant term. The loan documents control the percentage, release conditions, inspection process, and timing.

Final funding generally requires completion checks and documentation addressing remaining costs, permits, warranties, and liens. A project can be physically finished yet unable to receive the last advance if close-out documents, certificates, or lien releases are missing.

Stage-based plans for smaller loans

For some smaller residential and commercial construction loans, a lender may use fixed installments tied to inspected milestones instead of detailed percentage-of-completion draws. Do not assume that a commercial progress-draw process applies identically to every homebuilding or owner-builder loan.

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Repayment and the permanent-loan transition

The financing plan should identify the repayment event before construction starts. Common exits include:

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  • Sale: sell completed units, a building, or the entire project and repay from closing proceeds.
  • Lease-up and refinance: complete the asset, reach sufficient occupancy and rent performance, then replace construction debt with permanent financing.
  • Conversion: convert the construction facility into longer-term debt if the lender offers that structure and conditions are met.
  • Owner operation: an operating business may occupy the property and repay from business cash flow, subject to program and lender requirements.

A take-out commitment can establish a future permanent-financing path and may include an interest-rate lock. It remains conditional. Completion, certificate-of-occupancy, appraisal, debt-service coverage, lease-up, occupancy, rent, or other tests may apply. The OCC cautions that a forward commitment mitigates little construction-lender risk if those conditions are not achieved.

Review the maturity date, extension options, extension fees, rate exposure, completion contingency, lease-up assumptions, and the consequences if refinancing is unavailable. A credible backup plan may include additional equity, a sale at a revised price, a partner contribution, or a negotiated extension; none should be assumed without written commitments.

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SBA routes: owner-users versus development investors

A business that will occupy and operate from the property may have a different financing path from a developer building an asset solely to hold or sell. Eligibility depends on borrower, use, property, and program rules.

SBA 7(a)

The U.S. Small Business Administration describes 7(a) as its primary business-loan program. It can support qualifying business real-estate acquisition, refinancing, or improvement. The published maximum 7(a) loan amount is $5 million. Applicants must satisfy program requirements that include operating-business status, for-profit operation, a U.S. location, small-business size standards, creditworthiness, and reasonable access to credit. Applications go through participating lenders, not directly to the SBA. Verify current policy and lender eligibility before treating a particular construction project as eligible; the SBA page identifies SOP 50 10 version 8.1 technical updates effective October 1, 2026.

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SBA CDC/504

The CDC/504 program supports major fixed assets such as land, buildings, and equipment. SBA describes a typical project stack as a private-sector lender senior lien covering up to 50% of project cost, a CDC loan backed by a 100% SBA-guaranteed debenture with a junior lien covering up to 40%, and at least 10% borrower equity. SBA lists CDC/504 loan amounts up to $5.5 million and fixed rates in its lender-resource summary.

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Those are program-level descriptions, not universal terms. Confirm current limits, eligible uses, borrower-contribution rules, construction timing, and the participating lender’s underwriting before relying on the structure. A passive development investor should not assume an owner-user program applies.

How to compare financing alternatives

Compare offers on the dimensions that affect completion and repayment, not headline interest rate alone.

Decision area Questions to ask
Eligible borrower and use Is the borrower an operating owner-user, developer, or investor? Is the property type and intended use eligible?
Capital stack How much is senior debt, junior or program-backed debt, sponsor equity, and other committed capital?
Loan sizing Is sizing based on LTC, LTV, project cash flow, debt-service coverage, or several tests?
Disbursement controls Are draws milestone-based or progress-based? What inspections, waivers, certifications, holdbacks, and reserves apply?
Repayment path Is the exit a sale, stabilized refinance, conversion, or operating cash flow? What maturity and extension rights apply?
Risk and cost What are the rate structure, fees, recourse, guarantees, contingency, interest reserve, and overrun obligations?

Request a written sources-and-uses schedule, draw protocol, reserve mechanics, completion tests, and default or cure provisions. Two loans with similar rates can produce very different cash requirements if one has larger holdbacks, tighter inspection rules, or no extension option.

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Common failure points and practical protections

Budget shortfall

Use current trade bids, realistic escalation assumptions, and a contingency suited to project complexity. Track committed cost, paid cost, remaining cost, and contingency monthly. Escalate variances before the next draw rather than waiting until contingency is gone.

Late equity

Document the equity source before closing and schedule contributions ahead of planned draws. Keep liquidity for change orders, interest, taxes, insurance, and lender-required reserves instead of committing every dollar to the initial budget.

Draw delay

Maintain a recurring draw calendar, standardize invoices and waivers, and assign one person to reconcile the lender’s budget categories. Ask the lender in advance what an inspector needs for a disputed or partially completed item.

Construction or lease-up delay

Build float into the schedule, monitor long-lead materials, and test the interest reserve against a slower completion and lease-up case. If the maturity date is at risk, begin an extension or refinancing discussion while the project still meets covenants.

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Failed take-out

Read every completion, occupancy, appraisal, and debt-service condition in the permanent-loan commitment. Keep a documented alternative—additional equity, sale, or extension—and verify that it is legally and financially available.

Developer preparation checklist

  • Approved plans, permits, title, survey, environmental work, insurance, and construction contracts.
  • Detailed sources and uses with acquisition, hard costs, soft costs, contingency, interest reserve, and closing costs.
  • Evidence of sponsor equity, acceptable contribution timing, and liquidity for overruns.
  • Borrower, guarantor, contractor, and consultant financial and experience information.
  • Market evidence supporting rents, sales, absorption, lease-up, or owner-occupancy assumptions.
  • Written draw procedures, inspection standards, lien-waiver requirements, holdbacks, and final-disbursement conditions.
  • Repayment model showing sale, refinance, conversion, or operating-cash-flow assumptions, plus maturity and extension strategy.

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