The 28-day clock
Since August 2022 Alberta's Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act gives an owner 28 days to pay a proper invoice, and the contractor 7 days to pay each subcontractor after being paid. Payroll does not wait 35 days.
Alberta business financing
Financing for the Alberta cash-flow cycle.
You can run a profitable Alberta operation and still feel squeezed — payroll and fuel go out now, while oilfield holdbacks, progress draws, and seasonal swings pay you back later. Match that pressure to the right financing route instead of the loudest lender.
Not ready to apply?Call or text 780-830-8726— a real person, no credit pull. No credit pull to start Real person review Working capital, invoice financing, lines of credit
Why Alberta files are different
The same province can create four different financing problems.
Alberta financing is not one market. The right path changes depending on whether the pressure is job timing, freight settlement, oilfield receivables, or seasonal farm cash flow.
Trucking and hauling
Fuel, repairs, and driver pay happen before broker, shipper, or customer settlement clears.
Oilfield holdback runs 90 days
The 10% statutory holdback is normally released 60 days after substantial performance — but on oil and gas wells and well sites it is held 90 days, and the lien deadline stretches to 90 days too. An energy-service contractor waits a month longer than a general trade for the same money.
Seasonal operating gaps
Farms, forestry, and seasonal operators need cash before the revenue event arrives.
Alberta financing routes
Do not chase the loudest lender. Route the file first.
Banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders may all be available, but the value is matching your cash-flow problem to the right product and lender appetite.
Gap
Working capitalPayroll, fuel, supplier bills, materials, rent, insurance, short-term operating pressure.
Explore →Swing
Business line of creditRecurring uneven months, job timing, seasonal costs, and unpredictable draws.
Explore →A/R
Invoice financingCompleted work, slow-paying commercial customers, invoices on 30–90 day terms.
Explore →No
Bank-declined second lookShort track record, bruised credit, uneven deposits, or an industry the bank cooled on.
Explore → By region
Regional context makes the application feel real.
An oilfield-service contractor and a Calgary trade don’t wait the same number of days to get paid. Start with your region, then route by the cash-flow pressure you’re actually under.
Construction, trades, energy services, and suppliers.
Calgary-area files often need a clean explanation of project timing, receivables, supplier costs, and revenue swings.
Route a Calgary-area file →Industrial service, trucking, contracting, and B2B billing.
Edmonton-area businesses often need working capital, invoice financing, or a line of credit to handle commercial terms.
Route an Edmonton-area file →Red Deer corridor operators with timing-heavy cash flow.
Central Alberta can mix agriculture, transportation, construction, and service businesses — each with a different lender fit.
Route a central Alberta file →Resource-linked work where seasons and contracts matter.
For northern operators, the file should explain contracts, receivables, fleet costs, fuel, repairs, and seasonal revenue timing.
Route a northern Alberta file →Cash flow tells the story before collateral does.
Alternative lenders often focus on recent deposits and repayment capacity, while invoice products focus on the customer who owes the receivable.
1
Average monthly depositsRecent business bank statements show lender appetite faster than a vague revenue claim.
2
Use of fundsPayroll, fuel, inventory, materials, or supplier pressure should connect to a repayable plan.
3
Receivables qualityFor invoice financing, the payer's credit and clean paperwork matter more than the applicant's years in business.
4
Existing debt and creditA bruised file may still work if cash flow supports the request and the route is realistic.
CSBFP may help, but it still goes through a lender.
For eligible non-farm small businesses, the Canada Small Business Financing Program can sit beside private financing routes. The program is government-backed, but banks and credit unions still review and approve the file.
Term loan maximum$1M
Line of credit maximum$150K
Total maximum$1.15M
Farm routeCALA
If the business needs speed, private working capital may fit better. If it can wait and meet program rules, CSBFP may be worth routing.
Alberta questions
Questions before a Alberta business applies.
These reduce the fear around bad credit, bank declines, invoice factoring, and what happens next.
How long does an Alberta owner have to pay my invoice?
Under the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act, an owner has 28 calendar days from receiving a proper invoice. If they dispute it, they must send a notice of non-payment within 14 days. Once the contractor is paid, they have 7 days to pay each subcontractor. Since April 1, 2025 the same regime applies to Alberta government projects under the Public Works Act.
Why does my oilfield holdback take longer to come back?
Alberta's statutory holdback is 10% of the value of work done. It is normally retained for 60 days after substantial performance or completion — but on oil and gas wells and well sites it is held for 90 days, and the same 90-day period applies to concrete work. The lien deadlines match at 60 and 90 days. That extra month is a real working-capital cost, and it is one of the most common reasons an Alberta energy-service contractor needs a bridge.
Can I get my holdback released before the job ends?
Only on a large one. Alberta allows progressive release of holdback on contracts worth more than $10 million that run longer than 12 months. Below that threshold the money stays put until substantial performance — 60 days for most work, 90 on oil and gas wells and well sites.
What happens if the owner disputes my invoice?
They must give a notice of non-payment within 14 days of receiving the proper invoice. From there Alberta runs interim adjudication: an adjudicator must issue a determination within 30 days. This is context for a financing file, not legal advice — take a payment dispute to a lawyer.
Can an Alberta business get financing after a bank decline?
Often, yes. A decline can mean the file did not match that bank's current policy. Crewline can route the file toward lenders that look harder at revenue, deposits, receivables, and the use of funds.
Is invoice factoring available for Alberta contractors and carriers?
Yes. Factoring can work when completed B2B work has been invoiced and the customer pays on terms. The customer's credit and invoice paperwork matter.
What is better: working capital or a line of credit?
Working capital usually fits a known short-term gap. A line of credit usually fits recurring swings where the business needs to draw, repay, and reuse access.
Does Crewline make the lending decision?
No. Crewline is a matching and referral service. Financing is provided by third-party lenders who set their own terms and approval criteria.
Start with the Alberta file
Tell us what is due before the money lands.
A few questions about your business, your monthly deposits, the pressure you are trying to solve, and the route that may fit. No credit pull to start.