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SBA Loan Structuring Calculator

An SBA loan structuring calculator that reads the deal, tests every rule and solves backward to a structure that fits

Deals that cannot work found in minutes, not a week later.

See the demoBook a demo
See one case, screen by screen ↓
target40minfrom a deal’s documents to an approved structure
target14of 14SBA rules tested on every structure, each with its reason
demo23documentsread in a 1 min 12 s run of six agents — 41 figures, each with its page
demo1.34xcoverage on trailing earnings once the smallest fix is on the bench — 14 of 14 rules pass
In short

What is SBA Loan Structuring Calculator?

A tool that builds the sources and uses for an SBA 7(a) deal and tests it against the SBA rules: equity injection, seller note standby, guaranty and fee, and debt service coverage. This one also reads the deal’s documents for the figures, tests all 14 rules on every change with the reason for each, and solves backward from the coverage and equity you need to the smallest structure that fits.

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Updated

The problem

Why a deal that cannot work is found in week three of underwriting

An SBA 7(a) acquisition lives or dies on a handful of rules: the buyer’s 10% equity injection, whether the seller note counts toward it, the guaranty and its fee, and debt service coverage on the business’s trailing earnings. Those rules changed on 1 June 2025 (SOP 50 10 8) and again for loans numbered from 1 October 2026 (SOP 50 10 8.1): a seller note counts only on full standby for the life of the loan, limited sources supply at most half the injection, and coverage for acquisitions is 1.25x on historical cash flow.

The business development officer works the structure out in a spreadsheet from the broker’s numbers — adjusted EBITDA with projections in it, a seller note on the old 24-month standby. The deal goes to underwriting, the valuation and the quality of earnings report are ordered, and in week three someone finds it never fitted. The buyer’s exclusivity is running, and the bank may lose the broker’s next referral.

typical60–90daysfrom LOI to close for an SBA acquisition today
demo$192Kof the broker’s adjusted EBITDA the quality of earnings report did not support, on the sample deal
demo3of 14rules the broker’s structure failed under SOP 50 10 8.1, though his sheet claimed 1.48x coverage
Where a deal’s structuring days goestimated
By hand10 days
With the solution1.4 days
  • Reading the package and keying the figures2 → 0.1 d
  • Tying earnings to the returns and the QoE2 → 0.1 d
  • Testing the structure against the SOP in force1 → 0.1 d
  • Reworking the structure with buyer and broker3 → 0.5 d
  • Credit officer review and approval1 → 0.5 d
  • Drafting the term sheet and the note1 → 0.1 d

Estimated split for one SBA acquisition, in working days, by hand and with the solution.

How it works

How a deal is structured

Six specialist agents read the deal and test every structure live; the bench solves backward from the coverage you need; the credit officer approves.

What comes in
Deal documents in23 documents · LOI, returns, QoE, valuation, Form 413
Agents at work
Deal document readerfigures with pages
Then
Earnings verifier
Collateral checker
Then
Structure solverloan · fee · coverage
Rules checker
Then
Term sheet drafterafter approval
A person decides
SBA credit officerapproves the structure
What comes out
Structure that fits
Sources and uses
Term sheet
One case, step by step

One acquisition, from the broker’s structure to a term sheet

Owen Delacroix is buying Harbor Line HVAC Services in Durham from its founder for $4,200,000. The broker sent 23 documents on Friday with a structure claiming 1.48x coverage. It is Monday 12 October, and the deal has no SBA loan number yet — so SOP 50 10 8.1 applies. Here is what happens, screen by screen.

  1. 01Monday morning

    The bench opens on the deal as the broker sent it

    Elena Marsh · SBA business development officer

    Elena’s structuring bench shows Harbor Line as submitted: buyer cash $189,000, a $460,000 seller note from Frank Odell on a 24-month standby, and an SBA 7(a) loan of $3,982,476 balancing a total project cost of $4,631,476. Sources and uses are drawn to scale, and the seller note sits hatched in red: “Does not count · paid from month 25”.

    “3 of 14 rules fail — injection 4.08% of 10% · seller note not on full standby · coverage 1.20x under 1.25x”

  2. 0207:42

    23 documents read, every figure with its page

    The agents

    The deal document reader went through the LOI, the asset purchase agreement, the seller note term sheet, the consulting agreement, three years of 1120-S returns, the QoE, the valuation and Owen’s Form 413, and took 41 figures with their pages. The rules checker tested the broker’s structure against SOP 50 10 8.1, and the collateral checker found business assets lend $538,000 — not fully secured, so a lien on Owen’s home applies.

    “Finished in 1 min 12 s · 6 agents · 23 documents” — and the term sheet drafter waits: nothing is drafted until the structure fits.

  3. 03The earnings

    Trailing earnings, not the broker’s run-rate

    Earnings verifier

    The memorandum claims adjusted EBITDA of $1,060,000. The quality of earnings report from Ashcombe & Pryor CPAs supports $868,000: it accepts the legal settlement, the owner’s personal expenses and the owner’s pay above a market general manager, refuses the $126,600 run-rate of new service pricing and the $36,000 spouse’s bookkeeping salary, and takes a $29,400 warranty true-up. Less $52,000 of maintenance capex, $816,000 is available for debt service.

    On the refused run-rate: “A projection: it cannot clear coverage.”

  4. 04As submitted

    The calculator shows exactly where it breaks

    Elena Marsh · SBA business development officer

    Only Owen’s $189,000 counts toward an injection of $463,148 — short $274,148. Because the note is not on full standby, its $61,283 a year sits in the debt service at a 10-year amortization, and coverage on the QoE’s trailing figure is 1.20x against the 1.25x floor. Each failed rule shows its figure and its SOP reference.

  5. 05One slide

    Seller note to full standby — three tests flip

    Elena Marsh · SBA business development officer

    Elena slides the standby from 24 months to “Full, life of the loan”. The note block turns blue — $231,574 counted toward the injection, the other $228,426 standby debt — and the note’s payments leave the coverage test, so coverage rises to 1.32x. But equity is 9.08%, still short $42,574, and a new test bites: buyer cash must cover at least half the injection.

    “Seller note as equity — now passes · Counts toward injection”

  6. 06Solve backward

    Tell it the result you need

    Structure solver

    Elena sets coverage at 1.25x and equity at 10.0%, with the limits from the file: Frank will put the note on full standby, keep the LOI price of $4,200,000, keep Frank’s note at $460,000, and Owen’s cash at most $312,000 from his Form 413. The solver searches the levers in order of least change and tests all 14 rules at every step, showing each step as it runs.

    “A structure that works — meets 1.25x and 10.0% under SOP 50 10 8.1.” Nothing changes until you put it on the bench.

  7. 07On the bench

    $51,000 more cash, and every rule passes

    Elena Marsh · SBA business development officer

    Put on the bench, the proposal moves buyer cash to $240,000 and the loan to $3,930,000. Sources and uses balance at $4,630,000; the guaranty fee is $108,031 financed; equity counted is $471,500 — 10.18%; the monthly payment is $50,853; coverage on trailing earnings is 1.34x. Owen keeps $72,000 of his liquidity.

    “Fits — 14 of 14 pass”

  8. 0808:05

    The credit officer approves the structure

    Marcus Hale · SBA credit officer

    Elena saves the structure and sends it to Marcus. He sees the loan, buyer cash and seller note on full standby, equity injection 10.18%, coverage 1.34x and 14 of 14 rules passing, each result with its source. He approves, and the activity trail records who did what and when.

    “Marcus Hale approved the structure” — and only then can the term sheet be sent.

  9. 09Same morning

    The term sheet and a plain note go out

    Term sheet drafter

    After approval the term sheet goes to Owen Delacroix and Tom Kessling: $3,930,000 SBA 7(a), 75% guaranteed, Prime + 2.75%, 10 years, the seller note on full standby on SBA Form 155 with interest accruing, a second lien on Owen’s home and $1,000,000 of life insurance, coverage of at least 1.25x as a condition. The note to Owen and his broker explains both changes and why.

    “Subject to credit approval and SBA eligibility. Not a commitment to lend.”

  10. 10Since 1 October

    The whole pipeline, against the rules in force

    Renée Whitfield · SBA lending manager

    Renée sees 14 deals and $30.85M in SBA loans: 8 fit, 4 don’t — three of them since the 1 October rules. When SOP 50 10 8.1 took effect, the rules checker rescreened 9 deals without a loan number overnight; Pinecrest Pediatric, Sandhill Pool Supply and Coastal Crate Logistics no longer fit, and each is back in Restructure with its reason.

    “Structured the same day — 92% of complete deals since July · was 31%”

Who it’s for

Built for everyone who touches an SBA deal.

The same Harbor Line deal, seen by the four people who carry it — what their week looked like, and what it looks like now.

EM
Elena MarshSBA business development officer
Structures the deal
Before
“I find out in week three that a deal never could have worked.”
Now
Knows on day three whether the broker’s structure fits, and what the smallest change is that makes it fit.
MH
Marcus HaleSBA credit officer
Approves the structure
Before
“Show me the rule each number passes — and the page it comes from.”
Now
Approves a structure with all 14 rule results and their SOP references in front of him, every figure tied to its document.
RW
Renée WhitfieldSBA lending manager
Owns the pipeline
Before
“Every dead deal costs a banker a month and the bank a referral.”
Now
Sees which deals the 1 October rules broke, each with its reason, from an overnight rescreen of every deal without a loan number.
TK
Tom KesslingBusiness broker, Longleaf Business Advisors
Brings the deal
Before
“The seller won’t wait for a bank that changes its mind.”
Now
Gets the term sheet and a plain note on what changed and why, the same morning, inside the buyer’s exclusivity.
Built on the engine

6 agents. Each with one job, and hard limits.

Six specialist agents read the deal and test every structure live; the bench solves backward from the coverage you need; the credit officer approves.

Deal document reader

Reads the LOI, purchase agreement, seller note, consulting agreement and SBA forms, and takes the price and its allocation, note terms and standby, earn-outs, the seller’s transition and the buyer’s liquidity — every figure with its page.

  • Never fills in a figure that is not in a document — it reports it missing
  • Cites a page for every value
Earnings verifier

Ties three years of tax returns, the trailing P&L, the bank deposits and the quality of earnings report, and records whether the QoE accepted or refused each broker add-back, and why.

  • Never counts a projection toward coverage
  • The QoE figure wins when a QoE is required
Rules checker

Tests every structure against the SOP in force on the loan-number date: injection, limited sources, standby, coverage floor and earnings basis, QoE, valuation, loan limit, earn-outs, transition, rate cap, guaranty and fee, guaranties and collateral.

  • Never waives or softens a rule
  • Every result cites its rule
Structure solver

Computes the loan, guaranty, financed fee, total project cost, payment and coverage live, and finds the smallest change that makes a failing deal fit — standby first, then cash within the buyer’s liquidity, then the seller note, then price.

  • Proposals only — every change is one the banker accepts
  • Stays within the buyer’s verified liquidity
Collateral checker

Works out the lending value of the business assets, the shortfall, the residence-lien rule and life insurance.

  • Never values an asset above the bank’s advance rate
Term sheet drafter

Drafts the term sheet with every term, condition and collateral item, and a plain note to the buyer and broker explaining any change from their proposal and why.

  • Nothing leaves before the credit officer approves
SBA credit officer

Approves before any term sheet leaves. The agents propose; a named person decides.

Ask in plain words

Ask about any deal, rule or figure

Bankers ask in their own words — or ask it to find a structure that fits. Answers come with their sources, and nothing is saved until the banker saves it.

Why doesn’t Harbor Line fit as submitted?

Three of the 14 rules fail under the rules for loans numbered from 1 October: the seller note is on a 24-month standby, then payments; the equity injection is 4.08% — only Owen’s $189,000 counts; and the broker’s $1,060,000 includes a projection. On the QoE’s trailing $868,000 the coverage is 1.20x, under the 1.25x floor, because the note’s $61,283 a year is in the debt service.

Which add-backs did the quality of earnings report refuse?

Two, worth $162,600 — the $126,600 run-rate of new service pricing (a projection) and the $36,000 spouse’s bookkeeping salary (the job continues) — and it took a $29,400 warranty true-up the broker left out. Adjusted EBITDA is $868,000, not $1,060,000; less $52,000 of maintenance capex, $816,000 is available for debt service.

Find the smallest change that makes it fit

Keep the price and make two changes: the seller note on full standby for the life of the loan, and buyer cash from $189,000 to $240,000 — Owen has $312,000. Coverage rises to 1.34x, the loan is $3,930,000 and all 14 rules pass. I have loaded it in the calculator — nothing is saved until you save it.

What would it take to reach 1.40x coverage?

Not inside today’s limits. With the note on full standby and all of Owen’s $312,000, coverage reaches only 1.36x. Two limits could move: Frank takes a larger note on full standby, or the price comes down. I have set the bench’s solver to 1.40x and run it, so you can put either one on the bench.

Every screen

The working solution, as it ships.

13 screens from the working solution, on its sample data. Pick one to see it large.

The structuring benchThe deal as the broker sent it: levers on the left, sources and uses to scale, and five SBA tests that turn red or green as a lever moves.
Seller note to full standbySlide the standby to the life of the loan and the note counts toward the injection — with the standby debt above the cap shown separately.
Solve backwardSet the coverage and equity you need and the limits; the solver shows each step it tried and the structure that works.
A structure that fits$51,000 more buyer cash on the bench: 10.18% injection, 1.34x coverage, 14 of 14 rules passing.
Every dealThe pipeline with price, SBA loan, injection, trailing coverage, the rule result and the stage of each deal.
Deal and documentsThe agents’ run on the deal step by step, and the 23 documents with what each one supplied.
The calculatorEvery input as a slider, the equity injection and coverage gauges, and each rule with its figure and SOP reference.
Trailing earningsReported EBITDA to cash for debt service, coverage by period, and the broker’s add-backs line by line against the QoE.
Sources and usesThe capital stack, every use down to the closing costs, and every source with its share and terms.
ApprovalThe structure summary, the banker’s save and the credit officer’s approval, with the activity trail beside it.
The term sheetLoan, rate and term, use of proceeds, injection, seller note, collateral, guaranty and conditions — sent only after approval.
Rules in forceEach SBA rule before and now, the date it changed and the deals it touched.
Your bank’s rulesRule versions by loan-number date, the rescreen when a rule changes, the equity and coverage floors, the earnings basis and maintenance capital spending.
Governance

Every number traced, every rule cited, approved before it leaves.

Every figure cites its pagePrice, note terms, liquidity and each line of earnings link to the document and page they came from — the LOI, the seller note, the QoE, Form 413.
Rules by the loan-number dateEach structure is tested against the SOP in force on the date the loan gets its SBA number, never the date the deal arrived, and every result cites its rule.
Agents propose, the banker decidesThe structure solver never changes price or terms on its own. A proposal changes nothing until the banker puts it on the bench and saves it.
Approved before anything leavesNo term sheet leaves the bank before the SBA credit officer approves the structure; exceptions to bank policy go to the lending manager.
Historical earnings onlyCoverage uses historical cash flow — the QoE figure when one is required. A projection or an add-back the QoE refused never counts.
Every change on the activity trailEach agent step, retest, saved structure, approval and term sheet sent is recorded with who, what and when. Changes to settings are versioned.
Configuration

Your bank’s credit box, on top of SBA’s

The SBA minimums are built in; where your policy is tighter, it is a setting.

SettingDefaultChoose from
Rule versionBy loan-number dateSOP 50 10 8 to 30 Sep 2026 · SOP 50 10 8.1 from 1 Oct 2026, applied automatically
Minimum equity injection10% (SBA minimum)10% (SBA minimum) · 12.5% (bank policy) · 15% (bank policy)
Cushion on buyer cash when the agents propose a fixThe next $10,000The next $10,000 · the next $5,000 · the exact minimum
Coverage floor — acquisitions and buyouts1.25x1.25x or higher — the bank may require more than SBA
Coverage floor — expansions1.15x (SBA minimum)1.15x · 1.20x · 1.25x
Earnings basisQoE trailing 12 months when required, else last fiscal yearQoE trailing 12 months when required, else last fiscal year · last fiscal year · two-year average
Collateral advance ratesBank standardBank standard (equipment and vehicles 60% · inventory 25% · receivables 50%) · Conservative (50 / 20 / 40)
Structure approvalMarcus Hale, SBA credit officerMarcus Hale, SBA credit officer · Renée Whitfield, SBA lending manager
Connections

Works from the package the broker already sends

Deal documentsLOI, asset purchase agreement, seller note and consulting agreement
Financialsbusiness tax returns, trailing P&L, balance sheet, bank statements
Third-party reportsquality of earnings report, business valuation, equipment appraisal
SBA formsForm 413 personal financial statement, Form 1919, Form 155 standby
SBA rules and tablesSOP 50 10 8 and 8.1, the 7(a) fee notice, base-rate caps
Broker and borrower portalsdocuments in, term sheet out
What it changes

The difference, in numbers.

Every figure is labelled: a target the solution is built to, an estimate, a typical published result, or a proven one.

target
40min
from a deal's documents to an approved structure
By handweek 3 of underwriting
With agents≈ 40 minutes
target
14of 14
SBA rules tested on every structure, each with its reason
14 of 14 rules
on every structure
typical
60–90days
from LOI to close for an SBA acquisition today
TodayWith agents

“demo” = seen in the working solution, on its sample deal data · “target” = the design goal, measured in the live solution · “estimated” = our estimate · “typical” = published figures (broker and lender guides: 60–90 days from LOI to close). SBA rules as published in SOP 50 10 8 (1 Jun 2025) and SOP 50 10 8.1 (1 Oct 2026). People, banks and businesses named on this page are fictional — characters and sample data in the working solution.

Questions

What SBA lenders ask us.

What is an SBA loan structuring calculator?

A tool that builds the sources and uses for an SBA 7(a) deal and tests it against the SBA rules: equity injection, seller note standby, guaranty and fee, and debt service coverage. This one also reads the deal’s documents for the figures, tests all 14 rules on every change with the reason for each, and solves backward from the coverage and equity you need to the smallest structure that fits.

How does it calculate the equity injection for an SBA acquisition?

Against 10% of total project cost — price, working capital, closing costs and the financed guaranty fee. Under SOP 50 10 8.1, limited sources such as a seller note on full standby supply at most half of the required injection, so buyer cash must cover at least the other half. On the sample deal, $240,000 of cash plus $231,500 of seller note counted gives 10.18%.

Does a seller note on 24-month standby count toward the injection?

No. Since SOP 50 10 8 (1 June 2025), a seller note counts as equity only on full standby — no principal or interest — for the life of the SBA loan, on Form 155. The calculator shows a note on 24-month standby as not counted, and from 1 October 2026 its payments are included in the coverage test at no more than a 10-year amortization.

Which earnings and coverage floor does it use for debt service coverage?

Historical cash flow — the last fiscal year or a two-year average, and the quality of earnings figure when a QoE is required (acquisitions and expansions at a purchase price of $3 million or more). The floor is 1.25x for acquisitions and buyouts and 1.15x for expansions, and the bank can set a higher floor in settings.

What happens when SBA changes the SOP?

The rule version is chosen by the date the loan is numbered. When a new version takes effect, every deal without an SBA loan number is tested again overnight; on 1 October 2026 the sample pipeline’s 9 un-numbered deals were rescreened and 3 no longer fitted, each with its reason.

Can the agents change deal terms or send a term sheet on their own?

No. The structure solver only proposes, and nothing changes until the banker puts a proposal on the bench and saves it. No term sheet leaves the bank before the SBA credit officer approves the structure, and every step is on the activity trail.

Which documents does it read?

The LOI, purchase agreement, seller note term sheet, consulting agreement, business and personal tax returns, trailing P&L, balance sheet, bank statements, quality of earnings report, valuation, equipment list, lease, and SBA Forms 413 and 1919. Each figure it uses is shown with the document and page it came from.

How long does it take to go live?

The Agentic Solution Engine builds and deploys it from your requirements — your SBA credit policy, term sheet template and a sample of past deal packages — and it goes live once every quality gate has passed. We will walk you through it on your own deals first.

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