The SBA packaging fee

What you are paying for

An SBA 7(a) application is a substantial package: spread financials, build projections and a debt-service model, assemble the eligibility documentation, and put it all in the format SBA and the lender require. The packaging fee pays whoever does that work. It can be the lender's own team or a third-party packager, and unlike SBA's guaranty fee it is set by the provider, not by a federal schedule.

That is the key thing to understand: the packaging fee is a service charge, so it is the fee on your loan most open to a question. SBA requires it to be reasonable and customary for the work actually performed, and consistent with what the lender charges on its non-SBA loans of similar size.

What it typically costs

There is no SBA-set amount, so figures come from lenders and packagers themselves. Published 2026 pricing generally lands in these ranges:

• $1,500 to $5,000 for a smaller loan, charged as a flat fee.
• Roughly 0.5% to 1% of the loan amount on larger deals.
• Third-party loan brokers who both source and package tend to charge more, often 1% to 2% or a flat fee in the low thousands.

Treat these as a range to check a quote against, not a benchmark. Ask for the fee in writing and for a plain description of the work it covers before you agree to it.

Ranges are compiled from lender and packager pricing published in 2026 (for example Great Lakes Commercial Finance and StarfieldSmith), not an SBA schedule or an independent survey. Your quote will turn on the provider and the deal.

The disclosure rule that protects you

Fees paid to anyone who helped you obtain the loan are disclosed to SBA on Form 159, the compensation agreement. The common exception is a lender-charged packaging fee at or under $2,500, which does not require the form. Above that, it is documented and visible to SBA.

One more protection worth knowing: SBA's two-master rule bars a referral agent or broker from being paid by both you and the lender for the same service on the same loan. If a broker is collecting from the lender, they should not also be charging you for that same work.

Where it sits among your costs

The packaging fee is one line in a stack of closing costs. SBA's own guaranty fee is set by the loan size and is much larger on most deals; a business valuation and, on bigger acquisitions, a quality of earnings report are separate diligence costs. Several of these, including required diligence, can count toward your equity injection, so they are not always dollars on top of your down payment.