This page from Aspenspring Business Loans in Durango, Colorado covers equipment financing by trade: builders' machines, landscaping rigs, restaurant kitchens, fitness studios and salons, with La Plata County, CO Census counts for each. It explains what a machinery loan is, how long equipment financing runs, and loan versus lease, with invented worked payments.
At a glance
- Construction employers, La Plata County, CO
357 (County Business Patterns 2023)
- Restaurant employers, full and limited service
135 (our arithmetic, County Business Patterns 2023)
- New housing units authorized, 2025
376 (Building Permits Survey)
Builder and Construction Equipment for La Plata County, CO Crews
Construction had 357 employer establishments in La Plata County, CO in 2023, 66.4% of them with fewer than five employees, and 120 of them were residential builders (County Business Patterns 2023). Permits authorized 376 new housing units in the county in 2025, after 208 in 2024 and 357 in 2023 (Building Permits Survey). Compact excavators, skid steers, dump trailers and work trucks are the machines behind that work.
Illustration only, invented figures: a framing crew buys a $96,000 compact excavator, puts $9,600 down and finances the rest over 60 months at an invented 9%: about $1,794 a month (our arithmetic). A partner reads the dealer quote, the machine's age and hours if used, and the crew's deposits. The contractor page covers draws and payroll.
Landscaping Equipment Loans for Durango, CO Crews
La Plata County, CO counted 49 landscaping service employers in 2023, 75.5% with fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023), and 106 landscaping businesses without paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Zero-turn mowers, compact loaders, trenchers, trailers and trucks make up a crew's equipment, and each can be financed on its own or in one package.
Illustration only, invented figures: an $18,500 commercial mower over 48 months at an invented 10% runs about $469 a month (our arithmetic). The landscaping page covers crew payroll between invoices.
Restaurant Equipment Financing for Durango, CO Kitchens
County Business Patterns counted 68 full-service and 67 limited-service restaurants with paid employees in La Plata County, CO in 2023, 135 in all (our arithmetic, County Business Patterns 2023). Ranges, hoods, walk-in coolers, dish machines and point-of-sale systems are what a kitchen finances. Hoods and walk-ins attached to the building can count as improvements rather than equipment, which changes what a funder can claim.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $54,000 kitchen line over 60 months at an invented 10.5% comes to about $1,161 a month (our arithmetic). The restaurant page covers remodels and second locations.
Fitness Equipment Leasing for La Plata County, CO Studios
La Plata County, CO had 11 fitness and recreational sports centers with paid employees in 2023 (County Business Patterns 2023), too few for a page of their own here, and Nonemployer Statistics counted 60 businesses without paid employees in the broader other amusement and recreation group for 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Studios lease cardio machines they expect to replace and finance racks, plates and flooring they plan to keep.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $46,000 cardio package leased at $1,150 a month for 48 months with a $4,600 purchase option costs $59,800 in total if bought out (our arithmetic). Set that total beside a loan for the same machines before choosing.
Salon Equipment Financing Options Around Durango, CO
County Business Patterns counted 17 beauty salons with paid employees in La Plata County, CO in 2023 (County Business Patterns 2023); Nonemployer Statistics, a separate program, counted 110 beauty salons, 20 nail salons and 10 barber shops without paid employees for 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Styling chairs, shampoo bowls, pedicure spas, dryers and ventilation are the purchases.
Illustration only, invented figures: $14,800 of stations and chairs over 36 months at an invented 11% runs about $485 a month (our arithmetic). A salon renting booths reads its booth rent alongside card deposits when it sizes a payment.
What Is a Machinery Loan, and How Is It Different From a Lease?
A machinery loan is a loan secured by the machine it buys: the business owns the machine from day one, the funder files a lien, and the lien is released at the last payment. A lease keeps ownership with the lessor; the business pays to use the machine and, at the end, returns it, renews, or buys it for the stated price. A fixed-price buyout, such as a dollar, makes a lease work much like a loan.
| Equipment loan | Lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns it | The business, with a lien | The lessor until any buyout |
| End of term | Lien released | Return, renew or buy |
| Upfront cost | Down payment, if required | First and sometimes last payment |
| Tax treatment | Ask your tax preparer | Ask your tax preparer |
How Long Is Equipment Financing Good For?
A term is set by the funder for each offer, and it is tied to the machine's working life: a funder will not lend over more years than the machine is expected to work. A used machine with high hours can carry a shorter term than a new one. A quote is also good only for a set time; dealer quotes and approvals carry expiry dates, so check both dates before planning a purchase.
Match the term to the earnings: a machine that brings in revenue for eight years can be paid for over a long term, while a computer replaced every few years suits a short one. For a cost with no working life, such as wages, look at a working capital loan or a line of credit instead.
Four articles work through equipment cases in more depth: racks and cardio machines for a fitness studio, furniture and fixtures for a lodge, a kitchen line for a restaurant that is expanding and trucks, trailers and mowers for a landscaping crew.
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