Financing a Do it Best with an SBA loan
Since FY2020, 28 Do it Best locations changed hands on an SBA 7(a) loan. Here is what those deals looked like, what the brand costs to open, which lenders wrote the loans, and where the brand stands with the SBA.
Do it Best franchising: doitbestonline.com
What a Do it Best deal looks like
Do it Best is an established brand in the SBA loan file: 28 acquisitions cleared underwriting in the last five years. The median loan was $284,500 at 7.80 percent. Amortized over 10 years, that is about $3,422 a month, or $41,061 a year in debt service. SBA's 10 percent minimum equity injection on a deal that size is roughly $31,611 of buyer cash, some of which a seller note on standby can sometimes cover.
Illustrative only: the median loan is not a purchase price, and every deal differs. Model your own in the deal analyzer or the DSCR calculator.
7(a) or 504 for a Do it Best?
Do it Best is typically a leasehold business: the value is goodwill, equipment, and the brand, not real estate. That points to an SBA 7(a) loan, usually amortized over 10 years. The 504 program, which finances owner-occupied real estate, is rarely the fit here unless the deal happens to include a building. Model the payment in the 7(a) calculator and check coverage in the DSCR calculator.
What it costs to open a Do it Best
These are Do it Best's own franchise terms, set by the franchisor and separate from the SBA loan. They matter to a buyer because the franchise fee and the build-out are part of the project the loan has to cover, and lenders weigh the net-worth and liquidity minimums when they size a deal.
- Total initial investment
- $852,500 to $1,580,500
- Initial franchise fee
- $8,500
- Ongoing royalty
- No traditional royalty. Do it Best is a member-owned cooperative: members pay no percentage-of-sales royalty and instead receive patronage dividends, plus modest flat monthly service fees (reported roughly $90 basic / $140 enhanced / $195 advanced tiers). The "franchise fee" of $8,500 is effectively a membership/affiliation fee; joining also requires a one-time member stock purchase (about $10,400 at year-end 2024).
- Liquid capital required
- $150,000
Hardware / home improvement retail (member-owned cooperative), figures from the 2025 FDD. Sources: FranDB - Do it Best Corp. 2025 ($852,500-$1,580,500 investment, $8,500 fee, no royalties), FranchiseGrade - Do it Best 2026 (independently confirms $852,500-$1,580,500 range and $8,500 fee), VettedBiz - Do it Best (2024 FDD: min liquid capital $150,000; older investment range $564,500-$1,342,500), Franchimp - Do it Best Corp. Disclosure Document, Oct 24 2024. Franchise economics are drawn from each brand's public Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD Items 5 and 7) and reputable third-party franchise databases, compiled for independent editorial reference. The Closing Binder is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any franchisor listed. Franchise fee, investment, royalty, and net-worth figures are set by the franchisor and change with each FDD; confirm current terms in the brand's latest FDD before relying on them.
Lenders that actually write these
The banks below approved the most Do it Best acquisitions in the file. A lender that has funded this brand before is the fastest path through underwriting.
- Customers Bank5 Do it Best loans
- Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company4 Do it Best loans
- First Financial Bank2 Do it Best loans
- Live Oak Banking Company2 Do it Best loans
- Old National Bank2 Do it Best loans
SBA conditions on this brand
Do it Best is listed in the SBA Franchise Directory with no brand-specific lender conditions on file. A lender still runs the standard franchise review, but there is no special addendum or lease restriction attached to this brand.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to buy a Do it Best franchise?
Opening a Do it Best takes a total initial investment of about $852,500 to $1,580,500, including a $8,500 initial franchise fee, per the brand's FDD. Buying an existing location is priced differently: the median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan for Do it Best was $284,500 in the federal loan file.
Can you buy a Do it Best with an SBA loan?
Yes. 28 Do it Best locations were acquired with SBA 7(a) financing since FY2020, and the brand is listed in the SBA Franchise Directory. A lender runs the standard SBA franchise review as part of underwriting.
How much do you need for a down payment on a Do it Best?
SBA requires a minimum 10 percent equity injection. On the median Do it Best loan of $284,500, that is roughly $31,611 of buyer cash, though a seller note kept on full standby can cover part of it. The rest is financed over about 10 years, around $3,422 a month at the median rate.
Which lenders finance Do it Best acquisitions?
Customers Bank, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company and First Financial Bank wrote the most Do it Best acquisition loans in the federal file. A lender that has funded the brand before knows its franchise agreement and tends to move faster. See the full lender detail above.
Other hardware brands buyers finance
Loan counts, median size, median rate, and lender ranking are computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA file, change of ownership approvals, FY2025 to FY2026 Q3, as of June 30, 2026. Eligibility, the identifier code, and any conditions are from the SBA Franchise Directory, effective August 11, 2026. Franchise cost figures are from Do it Best's public FDD and third-party franchise databases. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Do it Best or its franchisor, and directory listing is not an endorsement of any individual deal. Methodology.