Contractor and construction financing covers equipment, working capital between draws and lines of credit for overlapping jobs. Twin Falls County had 398 construction employer establishments in 2023, 70.6 percent with fewer than five employees (Census County Business Patterns). Wheatwell Finance, a small-business funding broker in Twin Falls, ID, introduces contractors to lending partners that set terms.
| Construction employers | 398 in Twin Falls County, 1,834 paid employees (Census CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Specialty trades | 271 establishments (same source) |
| Very small firms | 70.6% had fewer than five employees (same source) |
| New housing units permitted | 527 in 2025; 634 in 2024 (Census BPS) |
| Common requests | Compact equipment, working capital between draws, lines of credit |
| Who decides | The lending partner |
Construction in Twin Falls County, ID by the numbers
Twin Falls County had 398 construction employer establishments in 2023, with 1,834 paid employees and an annual payroll of about $94.0 million. 281 of them, 70.6 percent, had fewer than five employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023).
| Subsector | Establishments | Paid employees | Fewer than 5 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction of buildings (NAICS 236) | 107 | 497 | 78 |
| Specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238) | 271 | 1,241 | 189 |
| All construction (NAICS 23) | 398 | 1,834 | 281 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Specialty trades, such as electrical, plumbing, concrete, framing and roofing, make up about two thirds of the county's construction employers. Separately, the county had 752 construction businesses with no paid employees in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024); that count comes from a different program and year and should not be added to the employer figures.
Residential building permits in Twin Falls County, ID
Permits for new privately owned housing units in Twin Falls County numbered 380 in 2023, 634 in 2024 and 527 in 2025. Of the 2025 units, 501 were in single-unit buildings, and the permit valuation for the year was about $158.7 million (U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual files). These counts cover new homes only, not commercial work, remodels or repairs, but they show that residential building activity has varied from year to year.
Where contractors' cash gets stuck
Small contractors usually pay for labor and materials before they are paid. Crews are paid weekly; suppliers want payment on their terms; the owner or general contractor pays on a draw schedule or after an inspection; and part of each payment may be held back until the job is finished. The gap between those dates is a working capital problem, and it grows with every job taken on at once.
Working capital financing can bridge a specific gap tied to a signed contract. A line of credit suits contractors who run several jobs and face gaps that open and close throughout the year.
Mini excavator and skid steer financing
Compact equipment is the most common reason small contractors ask about financing. Mini excavators, skid steers, compact track loaders and attachments hold resale value, so lending partners often finance them with the machine as collateral through a loan, a lease or an equipment finance agreement. Partners commonly ask for:
- a dealer quote or, for a private sale, the bill of sale, serial number and hours;
- the last few months of business bank statements and the latest tax return;
- proof of the work the machine will do, such as current contracts or a backlog;
- details of other equipment already financed.
Trailers, compressors and work trucks used for the business's own jobs are financed the same way. Equipment financing compares loans, leases and finance agreements in detail.
Small business loans for a construction company
Larger or less specific needs, such as a shop building fit-out, a second crew's startup costs or refinancing several equipment notes into one, may suit a term loan. Loans for contractors are judged on the same basics as any business: deposits, profitability on the tax return, existing debt and owner credit. Partners also look at the concentration of work: a contractor whose revenue depends on one general contractor or one developer carries more risk in a partner's eyes than one with many customers.
Starting a construction business in Idaho
Owners starting a construction business in Idaho face the same entity and tax registration steps as any new business, covered in starting a business in Idaho, plus requirements specific to the trade. Funding is harder to arrange before the business has a record of jobs and deposits.
General contractors in Twin Falls, ID and their subcontractors
General contractors in Twin Falls, ID and the subcontractors who work for them sit on opposite sides of the same payment timing. A general contractor waiting on an owner's draw may in turn hold payments to subs, and a sub may be waiting on several general contractors at once. When asking for funding, bring the contracts, pay applications and aging of receivables that show when money is due; they are the clearest evidence that a gap is temporary. The Twin Falls, ID page has more local figures, and other sectors are covered on the industries page.
By Wheatwell Finance · Updated