WaFd Bank: SBA Lending Profile
WaFd Bank is an FDIC-insured bank, headquartered in Seattle, WA. It is active in 9 states, concentrated around WA, OR, ID. Everything below comes from federal SBA loan records, not from the lender's marketing. This is what it has actually funded.
Loan sizes WaFd Bank actually approves
The median SBA approval at WaFd Bank is $30,000. The middle 80% of its loans fall between $15,000 and $100,000. The smallest funded approval in the available source window is $5,000 and the largest is $2,127,000. If the amount you need sits far outside that range, this is probably not the right first call, no matter what the website says.
Programs
| Program | Loans FY25-26 | Median size | Median rate | Median term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | 200 | $30K | 11.5% | 10 years |
| 504 first mortgage (third party) | 13 | $760K | n/a | 20 years |
Industries it funds most
| Industry | Funded loans in source data | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 13 | 6.5% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 11 | 5.5% |
| General Automotive Repair | 7 | 3.5% |
| Limited-Service Restaurants | 5 | 2.5% |
| Residential Remodelers | 5 | 2.5% |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 5 | 2.5% |
| Landscaping Services | 5 | 2.5% |
| Other Personal Care Services | 4 | 2% |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars | 4 | 2% |
| General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload | 4 | 2% |
| Beauty Salons | 4 | 2% |
| New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 4 | 2% |
How fast WaFd Bank actually funds
Approval is not money in the bank. Across 180 loans where both dates are on record, the typical gap between SBA approval and first disbursement at WaFd Bank is 3 days. Half its loans fund between 1 and 5 days. That is fast. The typical SBA lender takes about 20 days, and many take far longer.
Lending momentum
SBA approvals at WaFd Bank by fiscal year.
Funded approvals by SBA fiscal year (October to September). FY2026 is excluded because it is still in progress.
Borrower profile
- 31.5% of its funded SBA records with known business age went to startups or businesses under two years old.
- Collateral was taken on 20.5% of its recent SBA loans.
- 89% of its SBA lending is revolving lines of credit rather than term loans.
- 7.5% of its loans carry fixed rates; the rest are variable.
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Sources and limits. Figures are derived from U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level records (data as of 2026-06-30, retrieved 2026-08-08) and FDIC public institution data. Funding speed is the median gap between approval date and first disbursement date in SBA records. Some lenders report disbursement at month end, which can round the figure upward. They describe past lending activity only. They are not rate quotes, not current offers, and not an indication that any business will qualify. Lender programs and criteria change. Big Brain Funding is not affiliated with or endorsed by WaFd Bank.