Business Acquisition Loans
DSCR Requirements for Acquisition Loans
DSCR is the lender’s blunt question: does the business generate enough cash to pay the new debt and still breathe.
If DSCR is thin, the deal can still close, but it usually needs structure, not wishful thinking.
If you are early in the process, start with a commitment letter mindset and build the file around underwriting conditions: commitment letter guide.
1) What DSCR Means in Acquisition Underwriting
DSCR stands for Debt Service Coverage Ratio. In plain terms, it is cash flow divided by required debt payments.
The definitions vary by lender, but the logic is consistent: stronger coverage means more comfort, looser terms, and fewer late-stage surprises.
Important:
DSCR is not a spreadsheet vanity metric. Lenders stress it. They test it under downside cases, not your base case.
2) How Lenders Commonly Calculate It
| Component |
What it is |
Why it becomes a fight |
| Cash flow |
Often EBITDA or a lender-adjusted cash flow measure |
Addbacks and normalization assumptions need proof, not opinions |
| Debt service |
Interest plus scheduled principal, sometimes including seller note payments |
Buyers forget amortization and closing fees that change payment burden |
| Owner compensation |
Some lenders haircut cash flow for replacement management or owner draw |
Underwriting assumes the business needs real management coverage |
| Stress adjustments |
Downside revenue, margin compression, working capital swings |
Seasonality and customer concentration show up here fast |
3) What Weak DSCR Usually Tells a Lender
Price and structure are misaligned
If purchase price is rich relative to stable cash flow, the debt stack needs support: more equity, seller carry, or a staged structure.
The story needs proof
Many deals lean on “growth post-close.” Lenders will ask what is contractual versus aspirational.
4) Practical Ways to Improve DSCR Before Closing
- Reduce senior debt size
with more equity or a seller note that is clearly subordinated.
- Clean up addbacks
with documentation and a consistent narrative tied to bank statements and tax filings.
- Rework working capital
so the deal does not choke the business post-close.
- Address customer concentration
with contracts, renewal history, and realistic downside assumptions.
Common mistake:
trying to “argue” DSCR into existence with aggressive addbacks. If the lender cannot verify the adjustment, it does not count.
5) Where Financely Fits
Financely structures acquisition capital stacks and runs a lender process designed to produce written term sheets and a closing path.
When a deal needs multiple options, we manage lender outreach and term sheet workflow through a controlled process: Lender Introduction and Term Sheet Auction Management.
If the issue is an equity shortfall, this is the reference: gap funding for business acquisitions.
Request Indicative Terms
Share your LOI or purchase agreement, target financial summary, and buyer profile. We will revert with likely DSCR constraints by structure, plus the shortest route to lender readiness.
For process expectations, see How It Works.