California Commercial Real Estate Loans
Capital for investors who buy, refinance, or build retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use property anywhere in California. We size each loan around the project’s cost, value, and income rather than your tax returns, then move quickly: construction pricing from 9.5%, leverage up to 85% of cost, and closings in as few as 10-20 days.
- Ground-up construction, acquisition, bridge, and refinance financing
- Up to 85% loan-to-cost and up to 75% of completed value
- Retail, medical office, industrial, flex, self-storage, and mixed-use projects
- Underwriting that accounts for CEQA, seismic, wildfire, and Coastal Act requirements
- LLCs, developers & foreign nationals welcome · all 58 California counties
- Describe the propertyLocation, property type, land or purchase price, and total budget.
- Receive a same-day term sheetWe size the loan around cost, value, and expected income.
- Close and get to workYour first draw funds quickly, and later draws follow inspections.
Property types
Commercial properties we finance across California
From a suburban Orange County pad site to a warehouse near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, we evaluate each project on its own economics:
Retail & Shopping Centers
Grocery-anchored strips, neighborhood centers, and pad sites in fast-growing suburbs.Industrial & Flex
Distribution buildings, small-bay flex, and warehouses near ports, rail, and interstates.Office & Medical Office
Professional suites, outpatient clinics, and specialty medical buildings near major hospital systems.Mixed-Use & Multifamily
Ground-floor retail with apartments or offices above, suited to walkable urban districts.Commercial financing
How a California commercial real estate loan works
A commercial real estate loan is secured by property that earns income or houses a business, and lenders judge it mainly by what the asset can produce. That is different from a home mortgage. We review the purchase price or build budget, the likely rents, the location, and the plan, then structure funding to match. A buyer closing on an occupied center needs a different loan than a developer clearing a vacant lot, so we offer several paths instead of one rigid product.
For new construction, funds are released in stages as inspected work is completed, and you pay interest only on the balance already drawn. We lend up to 85 percent of total project cost, which includes land, hard costs, and soft costs, and up to 75 percent of the building’s projected value on completion. When the building is finished, you can sell it, refinance into a long-term loan, or use a one-time-close structure that converts automatically. Because California projects can involve CEQA review, Coastal Commission approvals, seismic and geotechnical requirements, wildfire-zone rules, and city or county entitlements, and because California lien law and preliminary-notice rules shape draw and title procedures, we review those items early so your schedule is not derailed at appraisal or title.
| Collateral | The land and the commercial property being purchased, refinanced, or built (mortgage) |
| Loan amount | $100,000 to $100,000,000 |
| Construction leverage | Up to 85% of total cost · up to 75% of completed value |
| Construction structure | Interest-only · pricing from 9.5% · 12-24 month term · draws against inspected work |
| California factors | CEQA, Coastal Act, seismic (including Alquist-Priolo zones), wildfire, flood, and stormwater rules; mechanic’s lien and preliminary-notice practice; entitlements run through city and county planning departments |
| Borrower | Individual, LLC, or development entity · foreign nationals eligible |
| Coverage | All 58 California counties, from the Pacific coast to the Central Valley, the Sierra foothills, and the desert |
Loan programs
California commercial loan programs
Pick the structure that fits where your property is in its life cycle:
Ground-Up Construction
Interest-only funding for new retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use buildings, released as work is inspected.
Land Plus Construction
Buy the parcel and fund the building together, so you are not arranging separate loans for lot and structure.
Acquisition & Bridge
Short-term capital to secure a property that needs lease-up, repositioning, or renovation before permanent financing.
Refinance & Exit
Take out a construction or bridge loan once the building is complete and leased, including one-time-close options.
Why build commercial in California
Why investors choose to construct, not just buy
- Massive, fast-growing demandCalifornia is the most populous state, with roughly 39 million residents and one of the largest economies in the world, and every household needs shopping, medical care, jobs, and storage.
- Building can beat buyingNew construction lets you design for modern tenants and lock in a cost basis that may deliver a better yield than purchasing a finished, fully priced asset.
- Many distinct marketsThe Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Inland Empire logistics, Silicon Valley technology, San Diego biotech, and Central Valley agriculture each create a different commercial niche.
- A lender that knows the stateCEQA and Coastal Act timelines, seismic and wildfire requirements, California lien rules, and city and county approval timelines are priced into our process from the first conversation.
Free tool
Commercial construction budget & yield calculator
Estimate total project cost, loan amount, required equity, and interest carry, then compare your expected net operating income to the all-in cost. The interest estimate assumes the outstanding balance averages about half the loan over the build. Illustrative only.
Your project
Illustrative only; not a commitment to lend. Excludes permits, impact fees, insurance, reserves, and closing costs. Interest rate and NOI are example inputs, not a quote or a forecast.
How we compare
CambridgeHomeLoan vs. typical California banks
Community and regional banks can offer good terms to existing customers, but approvals often hinge on a long relationship and a slow committee process. Here is how our approach usually differs, with our advantages highlighted.
| Feature | CambridgeHomeLoan | Typical California Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifies on | Project cost, value & plan | Relationship plus the project |
| Documentation | Streamlined | Full financials, often deposits |
| Time to close | As fast as 10-20 days | Often 45-90+ days |
| Draw turnaround | Typically 3-5 days | Often 1-2 weeks or longer |
| Coastal & floodplain sites | Underwritten routinely | Often restricted |
| Exit options | In-house one-time-close | Usually a separate loan |
Bank column is a generic composite of commonly seen terms as of 2026 and does not describe any specific lender.
Top construction markets
12 California cities where commercial construction makes sense
California is huge and varied, from the Southern California ports and the Inland Empire to Silicon Valley, the Central Valley, and the Pacific coast. Below is a snapshot of twelve active areas for commercial construction loans, with rounded population figures and the employers and centers that shape demand.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the largest city in California and anchors a metro of roughly 13 million people. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, entertainment, USC, and Cedars-Sinai drive demand. Infill industrial, medical office, and adaptive-reuse projects are common, though entitlement, seismic, and hillside-fire rules need early planning.
San Diego
San Diego combines a large biotech cluster around Torrey Pines, major Navy and Marine Corps installations, UC San Diego, and Qualcomm. Life-science flex, medical office, and neighborhood retail fit well, and coastal sites face Coastal Commission review.
San Jose
San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley, with Cisco, Adobe, and eBay among nearby headquarters. Tight land and high rents favor R&D flex, medical office, and mixed-use projects, while construction and entitlement costs are high.
San Francisco
San Francisco has a dense urban core with strong life-science activity around Mission Bay and UCSF alongside finance and technology tenants. Small-format mixed-use, medical, and conversion projects can work, but entitlement timelines are long and office demand is uneven.
Sacramento
Sacramento is the state capital, with government employment, UC Davis Health, and growth driven by Bay Area buyers seeking lower costs. Medical office, grocery-anchored retail, and industrial space in the surrounding suburbs are steady project types, with river-flood review on many sites.
Irvine
Irvine is a master-planned city with UC Irvine, Irvine Spectrum Center, and headquarters such as Broadcom and Edwards Lifesciences nearby. Office, medical, R&D flex, and high-end retail suit the affluent, well-educated base, though much land is held by large master developers.
Ontario
Ontario is a logistics center of the Inland Empire, with Ontario International Airport, major freight rail, and easy freeway access to the ports. Warehouses, cross-dock space, and truck-related industrial are the core projects, alongside Ontario Mills retail.
Fresno
Fresno is the commercial hub of the Central Valley, tied to agriculture, food processing, healthcare, and Fresno State. Distribution, medical office, and neighborhood retail work at a much lower basis than the coast.
Oakland
Oakland has the Port of Oakland, Oakland Airport, Kaiser Permanente’s headquarters, and a growing Jack London Square district. Industrial, life-science, and mixed-use projects are typical, with seismic and Hayward Fault considerations built into design and budget.
Long Beach
Long Beach is home to one of the nation’s busiest container ports, a large university campus, and Molina Healthcare’s headquarters. Industrial, flex, medical, and waterfront mixed-use projects are common, and coastal sites fall under Coastal Act rules.
Riverside
Riverside is a major Inland Empire city with UC Riverside, a large healthcare sector, and close access to March Air Reserve Base and the freeways. Medical office, flex, industrial, and suburban retail projects serve a fast-growing population.
Bakersfield
Bakersfield is the center of Kern County, with oil and gas, agriculture, and distribution along Highway 99 and the Interstate 5 corridor. Industrial, medical office, and retail projects offer a low basis compared with coastal California.
Population figures are rounded and approximate, drawn from recent U.S. Census Bureau and California Department of Finance estimates, and may have changed. Employers and centers are named for market context only and do not imply any relationship with them.
We fund projects all over California. If your city is not listed, call us or submit your application and we will confirm.
How it works
Get your California commercial loan in three steps
Send the project details
Share the location, property type, plans, total budget, and whether you plan to sell, lease, or hold.
Receive a same-day term sheet
We review cost, expected value, and your experience, then return clear terms with minimal paperwork.
Close and start drawing
We close, fund your first draw, and release later draws promptly as each stage passes inspection.
Requirements
California commercial loan requirements
| Equity | As little as 15-20% of total project cost, depending on experience and the project |
| Credit | 640+ FICO typical; deal-first, with exceptions considered |
| Income documents | Streamlined and asset-based; personal income is not the main driver |
| Plans & permits | Approved plans, entitlements (including CEQA clearance where required), and permits (or in process), building-code compliance, and geotechnical and seismic, fire-hazard, flood, and stormwater documentation where applicable |
| Vesting | Individual, LLC, or development entity · foreign nationals eligible |
| Exit | Sale on completion, or refinance into a long-term loan |
Answers
California commercial real estate loan FAQ
What is a California commercial real estate loan?
A California commercial real estate loan finances income-producing or business-use property such as retail centers, office and medical buildings, industrial and flex space, and mixed-use projects. Instead of leaning on personal income, we look at the property, its cost or value, its projected or actual rents, and your plan for it. Funding can cover a purchase, a refinance, bridge capital, or a ground-up build, and we lend in all 58 California counties.
How much can I borrow for ground-up commercial construction?
Construction loans run from $100,000 to $100,000,000. Leverage reaches up to 85 percent of total project cost and up to 75 percent of the completed value, and we size the loan to whichever measure is more conservative. Pricing starts at 9.5 percent on an interest-only term of 12 to 24 months.
Do you lend on coastal, hillside, and seismic or wildfire-zone sites?
Yes. Coastal, hillside, and seismic or wildfire-zone sites are a normal part of California lending, and we underwrite them with that in mind. We review geotechnical and seismic reports, Alquist-Priolo and fire-hazard designations, Coastal Commission approvals, flood designation, and CEQA status, along with local permits. Your design team will usually already be building to these rules; we simply need the documentation in your file.
How do construction draws work?
You receive an initial draw at closing to start work, then request additional draws as each phase, such as site work, foundation, structure, and interior build-out, is finished. We inspect the completed work before releasing funds and typically turn draws around in about three to five days. Because interest accrues only on money already drawn, carrying costs stay lower early in the project. Retainage and lien waivers follow California construction practice.
Can I buy land and build in a single loan?
Yes. Our land-plus-construction structure can fund the lot purchase and the vertical build together in one transaction. If you already own the land, its value generally counts toward your required equity in the project.
What happens when the building is finished?
After the certificate of occupancy, you can sell the property and repay the loan from proceeds, refinance into a long-term commercial loan, or convert automatically if you chose a one-time-close structure. Many investors lease up the building first so the long-term lender underwrites a stabilized income stream.
Do you finance projects in cities that are not listed on this page?
Yes. The cities above are a sample of the most active California commercial markets, not a limit. If your project is somewhere else in the state, call us or submit an application and we will confirm the details.
Keep exploring
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© 2026 CambridgeHomeLoan.com · NMLS #1826020 · 4830 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609 · (800) 826-5077 · Equal Housing Lender. Commercial real estate and construction loans are business-purpose loans and are not available for primary residences. Rates, points, loan-to-cost, loan-to-value, terms, draw schedules, and closing timelines are illustrative, subject to change without notice, and subject to borrower, property, and project qualification and underwriting approval. “Rates from 9.5%,” “up to 85% loan-to-cost,” and other maximums reflect the strongest profiles and are not a quote or commitment to lend. Completed values are estimates confirmed by appraisal. Calculator results are illustrative and exclude permits, impact fees, insurance, reserves, and closing costs. Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau, are rounded and approximate, and may have changed. Employer and shopping-center names are used only to describe local markets and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. City descriptions are general observations, not property-specific or investment advice. Comparison figures are generic composites and do not describe any specific lender. Borrowers must confirm applicable building code, CEQA, Coastal Act, seismic, fire-hazard, flood, stormwater, zoning, lien, and permitting requirements with licensed professionals. This page is informational and is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.