SBA loan calculator, with the guaranty fee actually included
Most SBA calculators give you an amortised payment and stop there. The SBA also charges an upfront guaranty fee — and it is charged on the guaranteed portion of the loan, not the whole loan, which is where the arithmetic usually goes wrong. This one shows both.
SBA 7(a) rates are usually a base rate plus a spread the SBA caps. The caps are in the table below.
This sets the SBA guaranty percentage, which is what the upfront fee is charged on.
Estimated monthly payment
Principal and interest, fully amortised over 120 months
An estimate, not a quote. Guaranty fee calculated on the FY2026 schedule (SBA Information Notice 5000-872051), effective for loans approved 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
The guaranty fee is charged on the guaranteed portion, not on the loan
This is a one-line distinction with a four-figure consequence, and it is the single most common error in SBA payment estimates published online.
The SBA does not lend the money. It guarantees part of a loan a bank makes, and it charges an upfront fee for providing that guarantee. The fee percentage is selected using the gross loan amount, but it is then applied to the guaranteed portion only.
Take a $300,000 standard 7(a) loan. The SBA guarantees 75% of loans above $150,000, so the guaranteed portion is $225,000. The gross amount falls in the $150,001–$700,000 band, where the fee is 3%. The fee is therefore 3% of $225,000 = $6,750. Applying the same 3% to the full $300,000 — which is what a calculator that ignores the distinction does — gives $9,000, overstating the fee by $2,250 on a single loan.
| Gross loan amount | SBA guarantees | Upfront fee, on the guaranteed portion |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 or less | Up to 85% | 2% |
| $150,001 – $700,000 | Up to 75% | 3% |
| $700,001 – $5,000,000 | Up to 75% | 3.5% of the guaranteed portion up to $1,000,000, plus 3.75% above that |
| Any amount, maturity of 12 months or less | As above | 0.25% |
| SBA Express (up to $500,000) | 50% | Fee bands as above, on the smaller 50% guaranteed portion |
FY2026 schedule, from SBA Information Notice 5000-872051, “7(a) Fees Effective October 1, 2025 for Fiscal Year 2026”. The SBA sets these fees annually, so the FY2027 schedule takes effect for loans approved from 1 October 2026. Fee relief applies in cases this calculator does not model, including loans to manufacturers of $950,000 or less and SBA Express loans to veteran-owned businesses, where the upfront fee is currently zero.
One further point, because it is regularly misreported as a borrower cost: the SBA also charges lenders an annual service fee, currently 0.55% of the outstanding guaranteed balance. Lenders are not permitted to pass that fee on to you. If it appears on a quote as a borrower charge, question it.
SBA rates are capped, and the cap depends on how much you borrow
A 7(a) rate is normally a base rate — commonly the prime rate — plus a spread. The lender sets the spread; the SBA sets the ceiling on it. Smaller loans are allowed a wider spread, which is why they price higher.
| Loan amount | Maximum spread over the base rate |
|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | Base rate + 6.5% |
| $50,001 – $250,000 | Base rate + 6.0% |
| $250,001 – $350,000 | Base rate + 4.5% |
| Above $350,000 | Base rate + 3.0% |
Maximum allowable spreads for variable-rate 7(a) loans, published by the SBA for 7(a) lenders. The base rate moves with the market, and the SBA publishes maximum fixed rates separately, so the rate you are quoted will sit at or below the cap rather than at it. Enter the rate you have actually been quoted where you have one.
Two things follow from that table. First, the ceiling narrows sharply as the loan grows — a $40,000 loan may legitimately price more than twice as far above the base rate as a $400,000 one. Second, a quoted rate above the cap for your loan size is not an SBA 7(a) rate, whatever the paperwork is titled. Current rate context is set out on SBA rates and fees.
The same 10.5% rate at three loan sizes
Each row is calculated the way the tool above calculates it: a fully amortised monthly payment, plus the upfront guaranty fee on the guaranteed portion. All three assume a ten-year term.
| Loan | Guaranteed portion | Upfront fee | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 standard 7(a) | $85,000 (85%) | $1,700 | $1,349 | $61,922 |
| $250,000 standard 7(a) | $187,500 (75%) | $5,625 | $3,373 | $154,805 |
| $250,000 SBA Express | $125,000 (50%) | $3,750 | $3,373 | $154,805 |
The third row is the one worth pausing on. The Express loan and the standard 7(a) loan are the same size, at the same rate, over the same term — so the payment and the interest are identical. The fee is $1,875 lower, purely because the SBA guarantees 50% of an Express loan rather than 75%, and the fee is charged on that smaller guaranteed slice.
That is a genuine saving, and it is not free: a smaller guarantee means the lender carries more of the risk, which affects who will approve the loan and on what terms. Express also caps at $500,000 against $5 million for standard 7(a). What Express is and is not is covered on the SBA Express page.
Interest figures are the total interest paid over 120 monthly payments on a fully amortising loan at 10.5% annual nominal rate, rounded to the nearest dollar. Fees use the FY2026 schedule. Illustrative only; not an offer of credit.
Four things this calculator cannot tell you
Whether you would be approved
Every figure here assumes the loan happens. SBA eligibility covers business size, industry, use of proceeds, owner status and the requirement that credit is not available elsewhere on reasonable terms, none of which is arithmetic. The SBA requirements page covers what is actually assessed.
Your actual rate
The rate box is an input, not a prediction. Your rate depends on the base rate on the day, the spread the lender applies within the SBA cap, whether it is fixed or variable, and your credit profile. On a variable-rate loan the payment will move over the term, and this tool models a constant rate.
Closing and third-party costs
The guaranty fee is the SBA’s fee. It is not the only cost of closing an SBA loan — appraisals, environmental reports on property, title work, legal fees and lender packaging fees can all apply, and they vary by deal rather than by formula.
Whether SBA is the right route at all
SBA financing is usually the cheapest money a small business can get, and among the slowest to arrange. If the need is immediate, the trade-off is set out on funding speed. If you are weighing structures rather than programmes, start with the financing options overview.
Fundur is a financing marketplace, not a lender. This calculator produces estimates for comparison only. It is not a loan offer, a quote, or a commitment to lend, and actual terms are set by the lender.
SBA loan calculator FAQs
How is an SBA loan payment calculated?
As a standard fully amortising loan. The monthly payment is fixed so that principal and interest are cleared exactly over the term, using the monthly rate and the number of months. Early payments are mostly interest and later ones mostly principal. The upfront SBA guaranty fee sits outside that calculation and is a separate cost.
What is the SBA guaranty fee and who pays it?
It is an upfront fee the SBA charges for guaranteeing part of the loan. The borrower ultimately bears it, and it is commonly financed into the loan rather than paid in cash at closing. It is charged on the guaranteed portion of the loan rather than on the full amount, which is why it is smaller than most estimates suggest.
What percentage of an SBA 7(a) loan does the SBA guarantee?
Up to 85% for loans of $150,000 or less and up to 75% for loans above $150,000 on standard 7(a) loans. SBA Express loans carry a 50% guarantee. The guarantee protects the lender if the loan defaults; it does not reduce what the borrower owes.
Are SBA guaranty fees the same every year?
No. The SBA reviews and publishes the fee schedule each fiscal year in an Information Notice, and it changes. The figures used here are the FY2026 schedule, which applies to loans approved between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026. Check the current notice for loans approved after that date.
What interest rate should I put in?
Use a rate you have actually been quoted if you have one. If you are estimating, note that 7(a) rates are typically a base rate plus a spread the SBA caps by loan size — base plus 6.5% on loans of $50,000 or less, down to base plus 3.0% above $350,000. The rate you are offered will normally be at or below that ceiling.
Is the SBA Express fee lower than a standard 7(a) fee?
For the same loan size, usually yes, because the SBA guarantees 50% of an Express loan against 75% of a standard 7(a) loan and the fee is charged on the guaranteed portion. On a $250,000 loan that is $3,750 rather than $5,625. The trade-off is that the lender carries more risk on an Express loan, and Express caps at $500,000.
Does this calculator include closing costs?
No. It includes the SBA upfront guaranty fee and the interest cost of the loan. Appraisals, environmental reports, title work, legal fees and lender packaging fees are deal-specific and are not modelled here.
Can I use this for an SBA 504 loan?
No. This calculator models 7(a) loans, including SBA Express. The 504 programme has a different structure — it combines a bank loan with a separate debenture through a Certified Development Company, each with its own rate and term, so a single amortisation does not represent it.
An estimate is a starting point. See what a lender would actually put in writing.
One application, compared across lenders — SBA and non-SBA side by side, so you can see what the extra weeks of SBA process actually buy you.
Fundur is a financing marketplace, not a lender. Checking your options uses a soft credit pull and does not affect your credit score.