SBA loan calculator: payments, rates and fees
Estimate the monthly payment on an SBA 7(a), SBA Express, 504 or microloan. Your rate is checked against the most SBA lets a lender charge, and the upfront guaranty fee comes from the FY 2027 schedule. The math runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us.
The SBA programs side by side
These are the four SBA loan programs the calculator covers. The figures are from SBA's current rulebook, SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026, and the regulations it rests on.
| Program | Maximum amount | SBA guarantee | Longest term | Who lends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | $5,000,000 | 85% up to $150,000, 75% above | 10 years for working capital, 10 for equipment (15 when the IRS useful life supports it), 25 for real estate | An SBA lender | SOP 50 10 8.1 SBA 7(a) terms |
| SBA Express | $500,000 | 50% | Revolving lines up to 10 years, term-out included | An SBA lender, under the 7(a) program | SOP 50 10 8.1 SBA 7(a) terms |
| SBA 504 | Debenture up to $5,000,000, or $5,500,000 per project for small manufacturers and energy projects | The CDC's debenture, in full | 10, 20 or 25 years | A bank lends 50% or more, a CDC up to 40% | SOP 50 10 8.1 SBA 504 loans |
| Microloan | $50,000 | See SBA's microloan page | 7 years | An intermediary | 13 CFR 120.707 SBA microloans |
SBA's exposure on any one 7(a) loan tops out at $3,750,000. Two or more 7(a) loans to the same business and its affiliates approved within 90 days are added together for the guarantee and the fee.
How SBA maximum rates work
Lenders set the rate on a 7(a) or SBA Express loan, but SBA caps it. The cap is a base rate plus a spread, and the spread shrinks as the loan grows. For a variable rate the base is the prime rate or the SBA Optional Peg Rate, and the spreads are in Appendix 18 of SOP 50 10 8.1. For a fixed rate the base is prime and the spreads come from SBA's 2022 Federal Register notice.
SBA uses the prime rate in effect on the first business day of the month. The Federal Reserve's H.15 release of October 14, 2026 puts the bank prime rate at 7.00%, where it has been since September 17, 2026, and SBA's own October 2026 fixed-rate table uses the same 7.00%. When prime moves, every cap in the table moves with it.
| Loan amount | Variable | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 or less | 13.50% prime + 6.5 | 15.00% prime + 8 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | 13.50% prime + 6.5 | 14.00% prime + 7 |
| $50,001 to $250,000 | 13.00% prime + 6 | 13.00% prime + 6 |
| $250,001 to $350,000 | 11.50% prime + 4.5 | 12.00% prime + 5 |
| Over $350,000 | 10.00% prime + 3 | 12.00% prime + 5 |
Source: SOP 50 10 8.1, Appendix 18 (variable), 87 FR 46883 (fixed), Federal Reserve H.15, October 14, 2026 (prime).
The 7(a) guaranty fee
SBA charges a one-time upfront fee on the part of the loan it guarantees. The rate depends on the loan amount and on the date the loan is approved. These are the rates in SBA Information Notice 5000-881797, for 7(a) loans approved from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
A loan with a term of 12 months or less pays 0.25% of the guaranteed portion at any size. Loans of $700,000 or less to manufacturers (NAICS 31 to 33), businesses in the listed food supply chain codes, and businesses in a rural area pay no upfront fee. Neither do SBA Express loans to veteran-owned businesses.
There is also an annual service fee of 0.55% of the guaranteed balance outstanding. The lender pays it, and the notice says the lender may not pass it on to you, so the calculator leaves it out.
| Loan amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| $150,000 or less | 2% of the guaranteed portion |
| $150,001 to $700,000 | 3% of the guaranteed portion |
| $700,001 to $5,000,000 | 3.5% of the guaranteed portion up to $1,000,000, plus 3.75% of the part over $1,000,000 |
| Loan | Guaranteed | Upfront fee |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $85,000 (85%) | $1,700 |
| $350,000 | $262,500 (75%) | $7,875 |
| $1,000,000 | $750,000 (75%) | $26,250 |
| $5,000,000 | $3,750,000 (75%) | $138,125 |
Source: SBA Information Notice 5000-881797, FY 2027 7(a) fees.
How a 504 loan is put together
A 504 loan pays for a project in three parts. A bank lends 50% or more. A Certified Development Company, or CDC, lends up to 40% through a debenture that SBA guarantees in full. You put in at least 10%, or more for a new business or a special-purpose building.
The debenture is capped at $5,000,000 per business and its affiliates, or $5,500,000 per project for small manufacturers and energy projects, and starts at $25,000. It runs 10, 20 or 25 years, depending on the useful life of what it pays for.
The debenture's effective rate stays fixed for the life of the loan. The rates in the table are effective rates, which include SBA, CDC and CSA fees, as SomerCor, a CDC, reported them for October 2026, priced October 8, 2026. Each CDC's own servicing fee moves its rate by one or two hundredths of a point, so your CDC will confirm yours. For FY 2027, SBA's 504 fee notice sets the upfront guaranty fee at 0.5% and the annual fee at 0.203% of the balance, both waived for manufacturers, listed food supply chain businesses and rural businesses.
| Project | You, at least | CDC, up to | Bank, at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard project | 10% | 40% | 50% |
| New business (2 years or less) | 15% | 35% | 50% |
| Limited or special-purpose property | 15% | 35% | 50% |
| New business and special-purpose property | 20% | 30% | 50% |
| Term | Standard | Fees waived |
|---|---|---|
| 25 years | 6.97% | 6.74% |
| 20 years | 6.97% | 6.73% |
| 10 years | 6.59% | 6.30% |
Source: SOP 50 10 8.1 (shares, limits, terms), SomerCor, October 2026 SBA 504 rates, SBA Information Notice 5000-881796 (FY 2027 504 fees).
How the calculator works
It uses the standard formula for a loan repaid in equal monthly payments. For a 7(a) or SBA Express loan it first works out the guaranteed portion and the upfront fee, then adds the fee to the loan if you choose to finance it. The APR with the fee is the rate at which your payments repay only the money that reached you, by the actuarial method in Regulation Z.
For a 504 loan it splits the project into the bank loan, the debenture and your down payment, then adds the two monthly payments together. If the debenture would pass its cap, the bank's share grows to cover the gap.
Take a $500,000 7(a) loan at 10.00%, the most a lender may charge on a variable-rate loan of that size today. Over 10 years the payment is $6,608 a month. Add the $11,250 upfront fee to the loan and it becomes $6,756.
- Monthly payment
- P × i ÷ (1 − (1 + i)^−n)
- i and n
- Yearly rate ÷ 12, and years × 12
- Maximum rate
- Prime + SBA spread for the loan size
- Guaranteed portion
- Loan amount × SBA guarantee %
- Upfront fee
- Guaranteed portion × FY 2027 fee rate
- 504 split
- Bank ≥ 50%, CDC ≤ 40%, you ≥ 10%
Applying for an SBA loan through us
Today Capital Group is a broker, not a lender. We work with SBA lenders and can place 7(a) and 504 applications, so one application from you reaches lenders that make these loans. The lender decides whether to approve the loan and sets its rate, within the SBA maximums above.
SBA publishes what each program covers and who can use it. Start with its pages on 7(a) terms, conditions and eligibility, 504 loans and microloans. Our page on SBA and bank loans explains how we put a bank file together.
Questions about SBA loan payments
SBA loan calculator
Use the standard loan formula: payment = P × i ÷ (1 − (1 + i)^−n), where P is the amount borrowed, i is the yearly rate divided by 12, and n is the number of monthly payments. A $500,000 loan at 10.00% over 10 years comes to $6,608 a month. If the guaranty fee is added to the loan, use the loan amount plus the fee as P.
Your lender sets it, but SBA caps it at a base rate, usually prime, plus a spread that depends on the loan size. With prime at 7.00% (Federal Reserve H.15, October 14, 2026), the most a lender may charge on a variable-rate 7(a) loan runs from 10.00% on the largest loans to 13.50% on loans of $50,000 or less. Fixed-rate caps run from 12.00% to 15.00%.
It is a one-time fee on the part of a 7(a) loan SBA guarantees. For loans approved from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, it is 2% of the guaranteed portion up to $150,000, 3% from $150,001 to $700,000, and 3.5% to 3.75% above that. On a $500,000 loan with a 75% guarantee the fee is $11,250. Loans of $700,000 or less to manufacturers, listed food supply chain businesses and rural businesses pay no upfront fee.
Under SOP 50 10 8.1, a 7(a) loan for working capital runs up to 10 years, one for equipment up to 10 (15 when the IRS useful life supports it), and one for real estate up to 25. A 504 debenture runs 10, 20 or 25 years. A microloan must be repaid within 7 years.
A 7(a) loan is one loan from an SBA lender, up to $5,000,000, with SBA guaranteeing part of it. A 504 loan pays for real estate or long-life equipment in three parts: a bank loan of at least 50% of the project, a CDC debenture of up to 40% that SBA guarantees in full, and your down payment of at least 10%. The debenture rate is fixed for the life of the loan.
At 10.00%, the most a lender may charge on a variable-rate 7(a) loan of that size with prime at 7.00%, it comes to about $6,608 a month over 10 years or $4,544 over 25 years. Adding the $11,250 guaranty fee to the loan raises those to $6,756 and $4,646. A lower rate from your lender lowers the payment.
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