Veterinary Clinic Feasibility Study in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metro Area

Veterinary clinics in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area borrow big: the $783,350 median is 1.26x the national class median, central loans run from $338,675 to $1.7 million and the 48 approvals between FY2017 and FY2026 total $58.2 million. The area ranks 12 in a field of 485, though in its own ladder the class is 15 of 39, and the location quotient of 0.95x is slightly under parity.

Counties and lenders

San Bernardino County, CA accounts for 26 loans and Riverside County, CA for 22. Live Oak Banking Company leads at 9 loans and $16.5 million, a very large average, followed by United Community Bank (SC) at 6 loans and $9.4 million. A 0.00% franchise share marks these as independent practices, and SBA hides the program split. Both named lenders are shown as holders of loans in SBA's records, and the page says nothing about how either decides a credit.

Sparse yearly rows

Only four years are visible: FY2021 with 7 loans and $13.2 million, FY2022 with 6 loans and $7.4 million, FY2025 with 7 loans and $8.8 million and FY2026 with 8 loans and $1.4 million. The remaining years are hidden. A floor of 15.2% applies to cancellations among approvals from FY2017 to FY2024. Absent are the harsher cancellation measure and the charge-off figure, and absent is not zero. The recent dollar picture is lopsided: FY2026 has more loans than FY2025 yet far fewer dollars, which suggests smaller notes in the latest year.

Practice, doctors, equipment

Because many loans are practice acquisitions, a study should begin with the veterinarian and the practice's history: case volume, revenue per doctor, client retention after a change of owner, and associate retention. For a new clinic, the test is household pet ownership, the competing clinics and emergency hospitals in the trade area, and the sponsor's ability to recruit doctors and technicians in a tight labor market. Equipment, imaging and the building are large cost lines against the $783,350 median. Debt service coverage should assume a transition dip. The appraisal should separate goodwill, equipment and real estate. Counties follow the July 2023 map. Name, besides, the species mix, the number of exam rooms and the doctors needed at maturity, along with how emergency hours will be covered, since those choices drive both revenue per doctor and payroll.