Home / HELOC / The installer's financing is a loan. Price it like one.
Updated September 2026
HELOC guide
The installer's financing is a loan. Price it like one.
Contractor financing can be fast and can show 0% for a year. The job price is often where the cost hides. A HELOC uses your equity, leaves the first mortgage alone, and lets you hire whoever you want. It is slower than a same-day store account and it puts a lien on the house. Get the contractor's cash price and the financed price. If the financed price is higher, the 0% is not 0%. Then compare that gap to HELOC interest and fees. Pick the smaller real number.
Sending a file is not an approval and not a credit pull. We text the same business day. We do not call. If we can structure it, we name the door. If we cannot, we say so.
The screen
| Contractor plan | HELOC | |
|---|---|---|
| Collateral | Sometimes none, sometimes the job | The house |
| Who you hire | Usually their crew | Anyone |
| Speed | Fast | Appraisal and title |
| Real cost | Marked-up contract plus interest | Fees plus interest |
What we fund
- A written cash bid and a financed bid
- Projects bigger than a store card
- Owners who do not want the contractor to be the lender
What we still need. Short list.
- The first mortgage balance, rate, and whether it can stay.
- A value we can support, and the cash you actually want.
- The property state. HELOC is only GA, FL, TN, AL, NC, and SC.
- Income path: full doc, bank statements, or rent on a DSCR HELOC.
Questions
Is 0% for 18 months free?
Only if the price did not go up and you pay it off before the deferred interest hits. Read that clause.
Can I HELOC and still use their crew?
Yes. The HELOC does not pick the contractor.
What if I am declined for the HELOC?
Then their financing may be the available path. Know that before you tear out the kitchen.
Related
These are the guidelines we screen. They are not a promise that your file hits the maximum. Credit-event seasoning, occupancy, and property condition still have to be confirmed. Not a commitment to lend. We text. We do not call.