Slatemont Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Bismarck, North Dakota, looks at how Burleigh County contractors can buy equipment without draining cash: sizing the down payment against a reserve, choosing between buying, leasing and renting, and when working capital or a credit line fits better. Each request is decided, and priced, by the lending partner that reviews it.
A county of small crews
Burleigh County had 390 construction employer establishments in 2023, more than any other sector, and 64.9% of them had fewer than five employees. Specialty trade contractors made up 262 of the 390, and 73.7% of the 99 building contractors were that small (County Business Patterns 2023). Another 705 construction businesses had no paid employees at all in 2024, 476 of them in specialty trades (Nonemployer Statistics 2024).
ZIP-level counts show the same pattern on both sides of the county line: ZIP 58501 had 92 construction employers, 73.9% of them under five employees, and ZIP 58554 around Mandan had 120, 74.2% under five (ZIP Business Patterns 2023).
The work behind the purchases
New housing units authorized by building permits in the county climbed from 200 in 2023 to 258 in 2024 and 303 in 2025 (Census Building Permits Survey). The figures cover new homes only, not commercial work, roads or remodels, but they show residential activity rising across three years.
Down payment or cash reserve
A bigger down payment lowers the monthly payment and total cost. It also empties the account that covers payroll while a general contractor's draw is late. For a crew of four, that account is often the difference between a slow month and a missed payroll.
A practical test: after the down payment, could the business still cover several weeks of payroll and materials without a new deposit? If not, a smaller down payment and a slightly higher payment may be the safer trade. Use the excavator financing calculator to see both versions side by side.
Buy, lease or rent
| Option | Fits when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Buy with a loan or EFA | The machine works most weeks for years | Down payment and maintenance costs |
| Lease | You want lower payments or plan to upgrade | Total cost if you buy it out later |
| Rent by the job | Use is occasional or the work is new to you | Rental costs adding up over a busy year |
Owners searching 'how to get equipment for a new business' often skip renting. For a new crew, renting for the first jobs records real usage before committing to a payment for years.
When the need is cash, not a machine
If a machine is already in the yard and the problem is payroll between draws, working capital financing or a contractor line of credit fits better than another equipment purchase. Financing a machine to free up cash rarely works out, because the new payment starts right away while the cash problem stays.
What a partner wants for a contractor equipment request
- The dealer or seller quote with make, model, year, hours and serial number
- Business bank statements showing job deposits
- Current contracts or a backlog list
- Payments already owed on other machines
- The owner's credit, since most crews here are small
Where to go next
Contractor financing covers the rest of a contractor's funding, equipment financing compares loans, leases and buyouts, and the Bismarck, ND page has the county's full sector table. The remaining posts sit on the blog.
By Slatemont Capital Group · Updated