Your Customer Base Isn't
One Credit Score.
Every contractor sells into a mix of credit profiles. The mix — not your best customer — is what decides how many lenders you need on the wall.
100 Homeowners in Your Market
Roughly how a typical American homeowner base splits by credit score band. The gold portion is the part a single prime lender does not underwrite.
- Prime — 680+
- Near prime — 640–679
- Subprime — 550–639
- Deep subprime — under 550
Illustrative market mix, consistent with the widely cited figure that 38% of American homeowners carry a credit score below 680. Your own mix shifts with your trade, your ticket size and your lead source.
62 of every 100
Approved by your primary lender on the first submission. This is the only slice a single-lender contractor actually sells to.
12 of every 100
Homeowners who pay their bills and carry the payment comfortably — and still land just under a prime cutoff.
18 of every 100
The core second look band. Damaged credit history, real income, and a job they want done now.
8 of every 100
Thin file or heavy derogatory history. Lease-to-own or a secured product is usually the only path to a sold job.
What Each Band Costs You
With One Lender
| Score Band | Share of Homeowners | Who Approves It | What Happens With One Lender |
|---|---|---|---|
| 680+ | 62% | Your prime lender | Approved — job sold |
| 640–679 | 12% | Near-prime or a strong second look lender | Declined for a handful of points |
| 550–639 | 18% | A true subprime second look lender | Declined — and rarely resubmitted |
| Under 550 | 8% | Lease-to-own or secured products | Declined — no offer made at all |
Cover only the first row and you are underwriting 62% of the doors you knock on.
Run 100 Applications
Through Your Current Stack
Approved by your prime lender. Clean files, fast decisions, lowest rate to the homeowner.
Declined. Your team already ran the lead, drove to the house and built the estimate.
Recoverable on a second look. A strong subprime lender approves up to 40% of those 38 declines.
Fifteen jobs, at whatever your average ticket is, on leads you have already paid for. That is the entire argument for a second look lender — and the reason to know your credit mix before you build the stack.
Build a lender stack that approves more of your customers
A free 30-minute review of your current lenders, your trades and your market — no cost, no obligation.
Request a Free Consultation