Graniteford Finance, a small-business funding broker in Casper, WY, helps Natrona County contractors finance equipment, cover payroll and materials between progress payments, and fund growth. The county had 335 construction employer establishments in 2023 and 663 construction businesses without employees in 2024. Credit decisions, rates and terms come from lending partners.
| Employer establishments | 335 in Natrona County, 60.9% with fewer than 5 employees (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors | 232 employer establishments (CBP 2023) |
| No-employee construction businesses | 663 in Natrona County (NES 2024) |
| New housing units permitted | 199 in 2025, 310 in 2024, 218 in 2023 (BPS) |
| Usual fits | Equipment financing first, then a credit line, working capital or a term loan |
| Office | 106 S Wisconsin Ave, Casper, WY 82609, (307) 368-2297 |
Natrona County construction in figures
Natrona County had 335 construction employer establishments in 2023, with 2,597 paid employees and $191.6 million in annual payroll; 204 of them, 60.9 percent, had fewer than five employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Most were specialty trade contractors, such as electricians, plumbers, HVAC, concrete and framing firms: 232 establishments with 1,673 employees. Builders of buildings accounted for 88 establishments.
Many more contractors work alone. The county had 663 construction businesses with no paid employees in 2024, 450 of them specialty trades (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Those counts come from a different program and year than the employer figures, so they are shown separately.
| Year | Units |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 218 |
| 2024 | 310 |
| 2025 | 199 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual files. In 2025, 197 of the 199 units were single-family. Permits cover new residential units only, not commercial work, remodels or repairs, so they are one signal of residential building activity, not of the whole market.
Equipment: the biggest single purchases
Skid steers, excavators, loaders, compact track machines, trailers, and the pickups and vans that carry crews and tools are typically financed with equipment financing. The machine secures the deal, and the term can match its working life. For used machines, partners look at hours, condition and resale value, and may shorten the term.
Before buying used equipment from another contractor, check that no lender still holds a lien on it. A UCC search against the seller's business name shows existing financing statements, and titled equipment carries any lien on the title.
Payroll and materials between draws
The core cash problem in contracting is timing. A crew is paid weekly, suppliers want payment on delivery or within their terms, and the customer pays on a draw schedule, often with retainage held until the job is complete. That gap repeats on every job.
- One large job: working capital sized to the gap, repaid when the job pays out.
- Several overlapping jobs: a line of credit, drawn for each job's costs and repaid as each draw clears.
- Retainage piling up: a line or working capital can bridge it, but count retainage as delayed income, not cash, when sizing the request.
Partners will ask about your receivables: who owes what, how old it is, and whether any is in dispute. An aged receivables report and copies of current contracts make the review faster.
Growth: a shop, a yard, a second crew
When the need is a defined project, such as a shop building improvement, a new yard, or buying out a partner, a term loan repaid over several years usually fits better than short-term money. Adding a crew is different: it combines equipment, payroll and working capital, and is often best funded in pieces rather than with one large loan.
Paperwork contractors are asked for
- Business bank statements, usually several months
- Business tax returns and a current profit and loss statement
- A list of current jobs, contract values and amounts billed
- An aged receivables report
- Equipment quotes or invoices, with make, model, year and hours
- Proof the business entity is active with the Wyoming Secretary of State
Some public projects require payment and performance bonds from contractors. Bonding is a surety matter, not funding, and partners may ask about your bonding capacity as part of their review. We do not arrange surety bonds.
Sole operators and two-person crews
Most construction businesses in the county have no employees at all: 663 in 2024, against 335 employer establishments in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). A one-truck plumber or a solo finish carpenter is reviewed largely on bank deposits, personal and business credit, and the tax return that reports the business income, which for a sole proprietor is often a personal return with a business schedule.
Two habits make a small contractor much easier to fund. Keep every job's money in a separate business account, so deposits clearly show the business's revenue. And invoice promptly and in writing, so that receivables can be shown on paper rather than described. Neither guarantees an offer, but both remove the most common reasons a review stalls.
Line of credit or working capital: choosing between them
Picture two specialty contractors. The first runs four or five residential jobs at once, each needing a few weeks of materials and labor before its draw. Its need is recurring and uneven, which is what a line of credit is for: draw for each job, repay when its draw clears, and pay interest only on what is out. The second has landed one commercial job much larger than usual, with a single payment at the end. Its need is one-off and sized by that job, which is a working capital loan, repaid when the job pays.
Using the wrong tool costs money. A lump sum taken for recurring needs sits idle between jobs while interest runs; a line used for one large job may be too small, or tie up room the business needs for everything else.
Merchant cash advances and contractors
Contractors with card or steady bank deposits are sometimes offered merchant cash advances. A merchant cash advance is not a loan: the funder buys part of your future receipts and collects through daily or weekly remittances. Because contracting income arrives in lumps, fixed remittances can bite hard between draws. Compare the total payback with a line of credit before accepting one.
By Graniteford Finance · Updated