# What is the maximum SBA 504 loan amount?

**Short answer:** The debenture limit is $5,000,000 for standard projects and $5,500,000 per project for small manufacturers and eligible energy projects. The minimum is $25,000. Total project cost can be larger, because the third party loan and your contribution are separate.

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Last checked: 2026-11-08

In this answer, CDC means Certified Development Company.

The maximum 504 debenture is $5,000,000, or $5,500,000 per project for small manufacturers and eligible energy projects. The limit applies to the debenture, not the whole project. SOP 50 10 8.1 caps the gross debenture at $5,000,000 outstanding for each small business and its affiliates (Sec. C, Ch. 1, Para. D.1, p. 241). An Eligible Passive Company and its Operating Company count as one business.

## Who gets the higher limit

Small manufacturers and eligible energy public policy projects qualify, for each project (13 CFR § 120.931(c)).

## What counts toward the limit

- Only 504 loans, committed or outstanding, count (Para. D.1.b).
- Policy Notice 5000-879058: a 7(a) balance up to the maximum loan limit does not reduce the amount available under the 504 program.
- The gross debenture includes eligible administrative costs, so the amount funding the project is slightly less.

## How large a project that supports

Under the standard structure, 50% third party lender, 40% CDC debenture, 10% borrower, a full $5,000,000 debenture implies a project near $12.5 million. That is before administrative costs. The third party loan and your contribution fund the rest.

## More than one project

You can finance several projects at once with separate 504 loans, subject to the debenture limits. Source: Policy Notice 5000-879058 and App. 3.

## The minimum

A 504 loan cannot be less than $25,000 (13 CFR § 120.930(b)).

## Sources

- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. C, Ch. 1, Para. D.1 (p. 241)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 3 (p. 297)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SBA Policy Notice 5000-879058, pp. 1-3 (effective July 4, 2026)](https://legacy.sba.gov/document/policy-notice-5000-879058-coordination-7a-504-maximum-loan-limits)
- [13 CFR § 120.930](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.930)
- [13 CFR § 120.931](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.931)