A commercial bridging loan uses commercial property as security — an office, retail unit, industrial building, mixed-use block, or land with commercial use. The mechanics are the same as residential bridging: short-term, asset-backed, with a defined exit strategy. But the lender panel is smaller, the LTV limits are tighter, and what counts as a credible exit is assessed differently.

This article explains what commercial bridging actually covers, when it is the right tool, what rates to expect in 2026, and what lenders need to see before they will proceed.

What Counts as "Commercial" in Bridging Finance

Not all non-residential property is treated the same. Bridging lenders typically classify security into three tiers:

Standard commercial — single-use commercial property with vacant possession or a tenanted income stream: retail units, offices, industrial sheds, warehouses, garages. Lenders are most comfortable here; the resale market is established.
Semi-commercial (mixed-use) — a property with both residential and commercial elements, typically a flat above a shop, or a commercial unit attached to a residential conversion. Most mainstream bridging lenders will consider this; a smaller subset will lend at competitive rates.
Specialist commercial — pubs, hotels, care homes, petrol stations, agricultural land, development land. A narrow specialist panel; higher rate premium; exit assessment is more detailed because resale is less liquid.

The key lender question is always: if this loan defaults and we need to enforce, how quickly and at what value can the security be sold? Standard commercial gives a clearer answer than specialist commercial, which is why the rate premium is not flat across the category.

When Commercial Bridging Is the Right Tool

Commercial bridging is not the default for every commercial property transaction. It is the right tool when:

Speed is the driver. A commercial mortgage takes 8–14 weeks to arrange. A commercial bridge can complete in 10–28 days. For an auction purchase, a time-pressured deal, or a seller who will not wait for a mortgage, bridging is the mechanism.
The property is unmortgageable in its current state. A vacant commercial unit, a property with a short lease, a building that needs refurbishment before a commercial mortgage lender will consider it — these are classic bridge-to-mortgage cases.
The exit is a sale. A developer buying a commercial site to refurbish and sell has no holding income; the exit is the sale, not a refinance. Bridging is priced for this.
The borrower needs to unlock equity quickly. An owner-occupier with equity in their commercial building can bridge against it to fund a business or acquisition, with a refinance back to a term facility as the planned exit.

When commercial bridging is not the right tool: if the property will be owner-occupied long-term with a serviceable mortgage available, the additional cost of bridging (and the time pressure of a defined exit) is not justified. A commercial mortgage at a 6–12 week timeline is almost always cheaper than bridging followed by a refinance.

Commercial Bridging Rates — What to Expect in 2026

Commercial bridging is priced at a premium to equivalent residential bridging because the lender panel is smaller (less competition on individual cases), resale risk on enforcement is higher (thinner buyer pool for commercial stock), and legal and valuation costs are greater (commercial RICS valuations are more involved).

Current benchmarks from the panel on /rates/:

Security type	LTV	Indicative rate range
Standard commercial	up to 65%	0.65–0.85% pm
Semi-commercial	up to 65%	0.60–0.80% pm
Specialist commercial	up to 55–60%	0.80–1.20% pm

These are indicative ranges only — actual placement depends on exit quality, borrower profile, and which lenders are competing on a given case. A well-packaged commercial case with a confirmed sale exit and clean credit can price at or near the bottom of these ranges. A specialist asset with an unconfirmed exit prices at the top.

The LTV limits are tighter than residential: 65% is the common ceiling for standard commercial (versus 70–75% for residential). Above 65% commercial, the panel narrows sharply. For live rates by product: rates page.

What Lenders Need for a Commercial Bridge

The core assessment is the same as residential — security value, exit clarity, and borrower profile — but each has commercial-specific dimensions.

Security assessment

A RICS commercial valuation (Red Book) is required by all lenders. These take longer and cost more than residential valuations — typically £1,500–£4,000 depending on property type and size. Budget for this before instructing.
Lenders want to see the existing use class and any planning conditions. A change-of-use bridge (A1 shop to residential) requires a lender who understands and accepts the planning risk.
Tenancy: a tenanted commercial property is valued on its income yield, not just its bricks value. Short leases, break clauses, and weak covenant strength all affect the valuation and the lender's appetite.

Exit assessment

For a sale exit, the lender assesses the commercial property market in that location and sector — not just the RICS value. A £500,000 RICS valuation on a rural retail unit with no active comparable sales is assessed differently from the same value on a Manchester city-centre office.
For a refinance exit, the receiving lender must be identified and capable. Not all commercial mortgage lenders will refinance from a bridge; an Agreement in Principle from a named commercial lender is the standard requirement.
See the exit strategy article for the four tests lenders apply to every exit.

Borrower profile

Most commercial bridging is unregulated — the security is not a borrower's home — so affordability is not assessed the same way as regulated residential lending. Lenders look at the exit, not income. See regulated vs unregulated for the full distinction.
Adverse credit is considered on the same terms as residential: at 65% LTV on strong commercial security, most CCJs and defaults can be placed. At higher LTV or specialist security, the panel narrows.

What Commercial Bridging Actually Costs

Worked example: £400,000 commercial bridge, 65% LTV (security value £615,000), 6-month term, standard retail unit, refinance exit with AIP in place.

Cost item	Basis	Amount
Arrangement fee (1.5%)	1.5% × £400,000	£6,000
Interest (0.75% pm, retained, 6 months)	0.75% × £400,000 × 6	£18,000
Commercial RICS valuation	Estimate	£2,500
Lender legal costs	Estimate	£2,000
Broker fee (1%)	1% × £400,000	£4,000
Total cost of borrowing		£32,500
Net advance (after retained items)	£400,000 − £6,000 − £18,000	£376,000

Effective cost over 6 months: approximately 8.1% of gross loan. The commercial premium versus an equivalent residential bridge (same term, same LTV) is approximately 20–30% of total cost — meaningful, and the reason to only use commercial bridging when the speed or access justification is real. You can run the numbers on your specific deal using the calculator.

For the full cost mechanics — retained vs rolled interest, arrangement fee vs exit fee — see the bridging loan costs article.

What to Do Next

Check live commercial rates by security type: rates page
Run the numbers on your deal (loan size, LTV, term): calculator
Discuss your commercial property case with the panel: arrange a call

Commercial Bridging Loans: Rates, Uses and What Lenders Need in 2026