United States · VA home loans
VA loan entitlement calculator.
Find your remaining entitlement, the largest loan it supports with no down payment, and the down payment a bigger purchase needs.
Entitlement details
Estimate from the VA loan-limits page. The 2026 FHFA baseline limit is $832,750; use your own county figure. Your lender decides.
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
How VA entitlement works
The VA does not lend the money; it guarantees part of a loan made by a lender, and that guarantee is your entitlement. The VA's loan-limits page describes three pieces:
- Basic entitlement (Tier 1). Listed on your Certificate of Eligibility (the VA's example is $36,000). It guarantees the lender up to that amount on a loan of $144,000 or less. On a larger loan the VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount. Basic entitlement is not the maximum you can borrow.
- Full entitlement. If your Certificate of Eligibility shows full basic entitlement, you have no VA loan limit. The lender still decides the loan size from your credit, income, debts and assets, and the most you can borrow on a property is the lower of its appraised value or purchase price.
- Bonus entitlement (Tier 2). Covers loans over $144,000. It is not printed on the certificate, so you calculate it. That is what this tool does.
The calculation, variable by variable
County one-unit limit
Use the FHFA one-unit conforming limit for the property's county. The VA uses that figure even for multi-unit properties. For 2026 FHFA set the baseline at $832,750 and the high-cost ceiling at $1,249,125 (in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands the baseline is $1,249,125 and the ceiling $1,873,675). The field starts at the baseline; replace it with your county's figure.
Entitlement already used
Take it from the Entitlement Charged column under Prior Loans charged to entitlement on your Certificate of Eligibility. Leave it at 0 if you have never used the benefit and tick "full entitlement" instead if that is what your certificate says.
Remaining bonus entitlement and the no-down-payment loan
Remaining bonus entitlement is the county limit x 0.25, minus entitlement used. Multiply by 4 for the largest loan most lenders make without a down payment. Because lenders usually want entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan, the calculator also solves for the smallest down payment that makes remaining entitlement + down payment = 25% of the loan for the purchase price you enter (the lower of price and appraisal).
Worked examples
- The VA's own example: $900,000 county limit, $50,000 used. $900,000 x 0.25 = $225,000; less $50,000 = $175,000 remaining; x 4 = $700,000. Enter those figures and the calculator returns the same numbers.
- Our extension, an $800,000 purchase with the same entitlement (hypothetical): 25% of the loan must be covered. With a $20,000 down payment the loan is $780,000, 25% is $195,000, and $175,000 + $20,000 = $195,000. The down payment is 2.5% of the price.
- A 2026 baseline county, $60,000 used (hypothetical): $832,750 x 0.25 = $208,187.50; less $60,000 = $148,187.50 remaining; x 4 = $592,750. On a $700,000 purchase the down payment is $21,450 (3.06%) and the loan $678,550.
- A veteran with nothing used at the baseline limit: $208,187.50 remaining and a no-down-payment ceiling of $832,750, equal to the limit itself.
Edge cases and common mistakes
Common mix-ups and edge cases
- Mistaking basic entitlement for the loan limit. The COE amount covers loans of $144,000 or less; it says nothing about the largest loan you can get.
- Using the multi-unit limit. The VA uses the one-unit limit for duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.
- Forgetting entitlement still tied to an earlier loan. It stays in the Entitlement Charged column, which is why the used figure matters. This page does not model restoring entitlement, because the VA pages read for it do not describe that process.
- Ignoring the appraisal. A purchase price above appraised value does not raise the loan.
- Forgetting the funding fee. It is separate; see the VA funding fee calculator.
Who this is for, and what it does not cover
Veterans who have used their VA home loan before and want to know how much loan their remaining entitlement supports. Loans of $144,000 or less, which basic entitlement covers, are not modelled, and neither are Native American Direct Loans, lender overlays or eligibility itself. For the refinance side see the VA IRRRL recoupment calculator; for limits see FHFA conforming loan limits and the FHA loan limits.
Sources
- VA.gov: VA home loan limits — basic, full and bonus entitlement; formula and worked example
- FHFA: 2026 conforming loan limit values — $832,750 baseline and $1,249,125 ceiling
- VA.gov: request a Certificate of Eligibility — online, through your lender, or VA Form 26-1880
Every source above was opened on 20 October 2026 (retrieved October 2026). Agencies revise rates and forms, so confirm anything that affects a closing against the current official page.
Frequently asked questions
What is VA loan entitlement?
Entitlement is the amount the VA will guarantee a lender if you default. The Certificate of Eligibility shows your basic entitlement, which guarantees the lender up to that amount, such as $36,000 in the VA's example, on a loan of $144,000 or less. On a larger loan the VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount.
How do I calculate my remaining VA entitlement?
Without full entitlement: take the county one-unit limit from FHFA, multiply by 0.25, and subtract the entitlement you have already used, shown in the Entitlement Charged column of the Prior Loans charged to entitlement section of your Certificate of Eligibility. In the VA's example, $900,000 x 0.25 = $225,000, less $50,000 used, leaves $175,000.
How much can I borrow with remaining entitlement and no down payment?
Lenders usually require entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan, so multiplying remaining bonus entitlement by 4 gives the largest loan most lenders make without a down payment. The VA's example is $175,000 x 4 = $700,000. A larger down payment may allow a loan above the county limit.
Is there a VA loan limit in 2026?
If your Certificate of Eligibility shows full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit, although the lender still sets the loan size from your credit, income, debts and assets. Without full entitlement, the county one-unit limit applies. FHFA's 2026 baseline one-unit limit is $832,750, with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125.
Where do I find the entitlement I have already used?
On your Certificate of Eligibility, in the Entitlement Charged column under Prior Loans charged to entitlement. The VA says you can request a Certificate of Eligibility online, through your lender, or by mail with VA Form 26-1880.
Does the multi-unit conforming limit apply to a duplex?
No. The VA says it uses the county's one-unit limit from FHFA even for multi-unit properties.
How much of a purchase can VA lend if the appraisal is low?
The most you can borrow on a property is the lower of its appraised value or purchase price. In the VA's example, a $400,000 purchase with a $375,000 appraisal caps the loan at $375,000.
Why does the calculator show a down payment when the VA page does not?
The VA says lenders usually require entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan. The calculator solves that statement for the purchase price you enter. It is an estimate of the usual lender test, not a VA rule, and your lender decides.
Who this is for, and what it does not cover
Veterans who have used their VA home loan before and want to know how much loan their remaining entitlement supports. Loans of $144,000 or less, which basic entitlement covers, are not modelled, and neither are Native American Direct Loans, lender overlays or eligibility itself. For the refinance side see the VA IRRRL recoupment calculator; for limits see FHFA conforming loan limits and the FHA loan limits.
Frequently asked questions
What is VA loan entitlement?
Entitlement is the amount the VA will guarantee a lender if you default. The Certificate of Eligibility shows your basic entitlement, which guarantees the lender up to that amount, such as $36,000 in the VA's example, on a loan of $144,000 or less. On a larger loan the VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount.
How do I calculate my remaining VA entitlement?
Without full entitlement: take the county one-unit limit from FHFA, multiply by 0.25, and subtract the entitlement you have already used, shown in the Entitlement Charged column of the Prior Loans charged to entitlement section of your Certificate of Eligibility. In the VA's example, $900,000 x 0.25 = $225,000, less $50,000 used, leaves $175,000.
How much can I borrow with remaining entitlement and no down payment?
Lenders usually require entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan, so multiplying remaining bonus entitlement by 4 gives the largest loan most lenders make without a down payment. The VA's example is $175,000 x 4 = $700,000. A larger down payment may allow a loan above the county limit.
Is there a VA loan limit in 2026?
If your Certificate of Eligibility shows full entitlement, there is no VA loan limit, although the lender still sets the loan size from your credit, income, debts and assets. Without full entitlement, the county one-unit limit applies. FHFA's 2026 baseline one-unit limit is $832,750, with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125.
Where do I find the entitlement I have already used?
On your Certificate of Eligibility, in the Entitlement Charged column under Prior Loans charged to entitlement. The VA says you can request a Certificate of Eligibility online, through your lender, or by mail with VA Form 26-1880.
Does the multi-unit conforming limit apply to a duplex?
No. The VA says it uses the county's one-unit limit from FHFA even for multi-unit properties.
How much of a purchase can VA lend if the appraisal is low?
The most you can borrow on a property is the lower of its appraised value or purchase price. In the VA's example, a $400,000 purchase with a $375,000 appraisal caps the loan at $375,000.
Why does the calculator show a down payment when the VA page does not?
The VA says lenders usually require entitlement, a down payment, or both to cover at least 25% of the loan. The calculator solves that statement for the purchase price you enter. It is an estimate of the usual lender test, not a VA rule, and your lender decides.
Sources
- VA.gov: VA home loan limits — basic, full and bonus entitlement; formula and worked example
- FHFA: 2026 conforming loan limit values — $832,750 baseline and $1,249,125 ceiling
- VA.gov: request a Certificate of Eligibility — online, through your lender, or VA Form 26-1880
Every source above was opened on 20 October 2026 (retrieved October 2026). Agencies revise rates and forms, so confirm anything that affects a closing against the current official page.
Estimate only
Educational estimate, not a loan offer or VA determination. Your lender and your Certificate of Eligibility control.