Brookharbor Lenders in Charleston, West Virginia passes funding requests from Kanawha County repair shops to funding partners. This page covers bays, diagnostic tools, buildings, lifts and racks, county repair counts and the records a partner may read.
At a glance
- Auto repair and maintenance
Auto repair and maintenance, Kanawha County, WV: 100 employer establishments (CBP 2023)
- General automotive repair
General automotive repair, Kanawha County, WV: 49 employer establishments (CBP 2023)
- Small repair shops
Auto repair employers with fewer than five employees, Kanawha County, WV: 57 (CBP 2023)
Auto Repair Shop Loan for a Kanawha County, WV Garage Adding Bays
Adding a bay means a lift, air and electrical lines, lighting, and sometimes building work to open up the space. A shop turning work away for lack of bays can show that demand in its repair orders, and the added bay can start earning once it opens.
A partner will look at the shop's repair-order totals and car count to judge whether the added bay will be used. An equipment loan covers the lift; a term loan covers building work.
Small Business Loans for Auto Repair Shops Upgrading Scan Tools
Scan tools, diagnostic software subscriptions and ADAS calibration equipment are among the larger purchases a repair shop weighs. The hardware can be financed like other equipment; software subscriptions are usually an operating cost paid monthly.
Calibration equipment needs floor space and sometimes a dedicated bay. Bring the full quote, including targets, software and training.
A partner looking at a diagnostic purchase will ask what work it lets the shop take on. If the shop has been sending calibrations or programming to a dealer, the repair orders for that outsourced work show what the tool could bring in-house.
Auto Repair Business Loan to Buy the Shop Building
A shop that rents its building may have a chance to buy it from the landlord. Owning ends rent and builds equity, but it ties up a down payment and adds property costs. A partner will review the shop's finances, the purchase agreement and an appraisal.
Compare the full monthly cost of owning, including the loan, taxes, insurance and repairs, with the rent before deciding.
The building price is only part of the question. A partner will also want to know the condition of the roof, the lifts that are bolted into the floor and whether the zoning allows the shop to expand on the site. An inspection report and a note from the city on permitted uses can save surprises after closing.
Auto Repair Equipment Financing Options for Lifts and Alignment Racks
Two-post and four-post lifts, alignment racks, tire changers and balancers, and brake lathes are the core equipment of a repair shop. Each can be financed through an equipment loan, an equipment lease or a dealer program.
A lease may suit equipment the shop plans to upgrade; a loan may suit equipment it plans to keep for many years. Compare the total of payments and any buyout.
Dealer and manufacturer programs for lifts and racks are convenient because the paperwork arrives with the quote, and some come with promotional terms for a limited time. Read what happens when the promotional period ends, and compare the program with an independent equipment loan on the full total of payments over the same term.
Kanawha County, WV Repair Shops: 100 Employers, 57 With Fewer Than Five Staff
County Business Patterns counted 100 auto repair and maintenance employers in Kanawha County, WV in 2023, with 581 employees and an annual payroll of about $22.2 million. Fifty-seven of them had fewer than five employees. General automotive repair shops numbered 49.
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate program, counted 90 automotive repair and maintenance businesses with no paid employees in 2024. Auto parts, accessories and tire stores, a retail code, had 55 employers in 2023.
An Invented Two-Lift Bay Addition for a Charleston, WV Garage
Illustration only, invented figures: a Charleston, WV garage adds a bay with two lifts and the air and electrical work they need, for $25,000 installed. The shop borrows the full amount for four years at an invented annual rate of 10.5%.
Spread over 48 months, that comes to about $640.08 a month and about $30,724 in all, so the financing adds about $5,724 (our arithmetic, invented case). The shop would compare that with the repair-order total the added bay is expected to bring in.
Parts Accounts, Repair-Order Totals and Shop Leases a Partner May Read
- Repair-order totals and car count by month.
- Parts supplier statements and terms.
- Business bank statements and card statements.
- The shop lease or the building purchase agreement.
- Equipment quotes, with installation.
Partners differ in what they ask for; gather these when asked.
By Brookharbor Lenders · Updated