Man Camp Financing

Remote basin work does not happen without somewhere for the crew to sleep. A Permian pad site forty miles outside Pecos does not have a hotel down the road, and Bakken spreads running night tours in Watford City have the same problem. Man camps, modular workforce housing, or whatever you call the units on your lease, they are not a convenience item. They are an operational requirement, and the cost to deploy them runs well into the six figures by the time you count the modules, generators, sewage systems, and water supply.

We finance man camp assets from $50,000 up, with a sweet spot around $100,000 to $150,000 and larger packages handled on full financials. New units from modular manufacturers and seasoned used camps from prior projects both qualify. If your existing camp has equity in it, a sale-leaseback can convert that iron into working capital without giving up the asset. Decisions typically come back within a week to two weeks of complete submission, which matters when a new pad is ready to mobilize and the operator is asking where your people will be housed.

What Man Camp Financing Actually Covers

Man camp financing is broader than just the sleeping modules. A complete workforce housing package involves several asset categories, and we can structure a single facility that covers the lot:

• Sleeper modules: Individual units or connected banks ranging from basic bunk configurations to private room layouts. New units from manufacturers like Target Lodging, Civeo, or smaller fabricators, and used units from prior projects, both qualify.
• Kitchen and dining units: Galley trailers or full cafeteria modules. These are substantial assets in their own right and are commonly financed alongside the sleeper package.
• Utilities and support infrastructure: Standalone generators, water treatment skids, septic systems, and wiring packages can be included in the same transaction if they are discrete assets with serial numbers or unit identifiers.
• Office and recreation modules: Site trailers serving as project management offices, safety briefing rooms, or crew recreation spaces are eligible within the same facility.

The equipment must have a clear title path. Used camps pulled from a prior E&P project or service company fleet often carry existing liens, and we work through those title situations routinely. A payoff to clear the lien and fund the balance to you is a standard structure on used iron.

Operators and Service Companies Who Use This

The buyers who call us for man camp financing generally fall into a few distinct situations. Understanding which one fits you shapes how we structure the deal.

Oilfield service companies expanding into a new basin: A frac crew or well service company winning work in the Haynesville or DJ Basin needs housing for thirty to sixty hands on short notice. Buying a camp outright ties up capital that could go toward the spread itself. A finance structure preserves that liquidity.

Independent operators running multi-well programs: E&P companies running pad drilling in areas like the Eagle Ford or Uinta Basin sometimes own their own camps rather than renting from a third-party housing provider. It is cheaper per man-night at scale and keeps housing availability within your own control.

Oilfield rental companies adding housing to their fleet: Companies serving oilfield rental operators who want to add man camp inventory to rent out to operators find that financing the acquisition lets them add units without depleting the working capital they need for maintenance and logistics.

Camp operators on a sale-leaseback: If you own a camp already and need capital for another priority, a sale-leaseback on your existing man camp assets turns that equity into cash while you continue operating the equipment under a lease.

New Units vs. Used Camps: What Changes in the Finance

New modular units from a manufacturer come with a known cost basis, warranty, and no title surprises. Lenders generally treat them more favorably on terms, and short-form approvals up to around $400,000 are more common on new equipment. The downside is lead time. A custom-order camp from a fabricator can run six to twelve weeks out, which is not always compatible with a mobilization date that is already on the calendar.

Used camps are where the interesting deals happen. A camp pulled off a divested project in the Haynesville or a Bakken housing provider liquidating inventory can often be acquired at a fraction of replacement cost. Used oilfield equipment financing is squarely in our lane. We require a clean title search and a reasonable appraisal or FMV determination, but we do not require the equipment to be fresh from a factory floor.

Age and condition matter more than vintage alone. A five-year-old camp that has been properly maintained, stored under cover, and retains its systems is a better credit proposition than a three-year-old unit that sat outside through a North Dakota winter without winterization. If you have service records, they help. If you do not, an independent inspection report goes a long way.

How the Process Runs

Man camp transactions run on the same core process as any oilfield equipment deal, with a few extra touches for the multi-unit nature of the asset.

Start with a one-page application and a basic description of the camp package: total unit count, approximate age and condition, total purchase price, and intended deployment location. For deals under around $400,000 with a creditworthy borrower, that application is often all we need to issue a preliminary decision.

Larger deals and used camps typically require the last recent operating statements and a current financial picture of the operating entity. We do not require two years of audited financials for most oilfield service transactions, and the companies that call us are often in a B or C credit band, not prime borrowers. That is a normal part of our book, not a disqualifier.

Once approved, closing involves a purchase agreement, lien search results on used equipment, and the standard finance documents. Funding hits the seller or dealer in about field-ticket review after a complete package. If you are on a tight mobilization schedule, let us know upfront and we push accordingly.

For companies working from the Permian Basin up to the Bakken, we recognize the seasonal and cycle pressures that compress your decision timeline. A window to acquire a used camp at a good price often lasts days, not weeks. We are built to move inside that window.

Other Assets That Often Pair With Man Camp Deals

Workforce housing rarely stands alone as the only capital need when you are mobilizing a new project. The same financing structure that covers your camp often extends to the power and support equipment alongside it.

Generator sets are the most common add-on. A remote camp not connected to a utility grid runs entirely on diesel generation, and those sets are significant assets. Generator set financing can be structured as part of the same facility or as a separate transaction depending on the purchase source and timing.

Light towers are another frequent companion asset, particularly on active drill sites where work continues through the night. Light tower financing sits comfortably at the smaller end of our range and is often handled short-form.

Companies that also operate water infrastructure on remote sites may need water transfer pump financing alongside their housing package. We work with multi-asset requests and can often structure everything through one process rather than separate applications.