HELOC Borrowing Limit Calculator
A HELOC is secured by your home. The CFPB warns: "If you fall behind or can't repay the loan on schedule, you could lose your home."
Key takeaways
- Maximum line = (home value × CLTV limit) minus every loan already secured by the home.
- On a $400,000 home with a $220,000 mortgage, the line is $80,000 at a 75% limit, $100,000 at 80%, $120,000 at 85% and $140,000 at 90%.
- CLTV after the line = (mortgage + other liens + full line) ÷ home value. Lenders count the whole line, drawn or not.
- The value the lender uses comes from its own appraisal or valuation, which can be lower than your estimate.
- The result is an estimate of the most a lender's formula could allow, not an offer or an approval.
This calculator is part of our guide to home equity loans, HELOCs and refinancing and is listed on the loan and debt calculators hub. It answers one question before you apply: how large a line could your equity support at the limits lenders commonly use?
Partner disclosure. Loans Generator may be paid through an affiliate network when you click or submit a request; this does not change what we report.
Estimate your HELOC line
A HELOC is secured by your home. If you fall behind or can't repay the loan on schedule, you could lose your home. Example values: replace with yours. Results update as you type. This calculator runs in your browser and does not send the numbers you enter.
Your estimate, from $50,000 to $10,000,000. The lender uses its own valuation.
From your latest mortgage statement.
Include any existing HELOC at its full credit limit, plus any second mortgage or solar or PACE lien.
Shows your CLTV after a line this size.
A limit a lender quoted you, from 50% to 100%.
Your estimate
This calculator needs JavaScript. The formula and worked example on this page show the same math: home value times the CLTV limit, minus every loan secured by the home.
- Will you meet the credit and DTI rules? HELOC requirements
- Need a lump sum instead? Home equity loan vs HELOC
- Thinking of replacing your mortgage? HELOC vs cash-out refinance
Before you use the link below
The service below sends one request to several lenders, and several of them may call, text or email you. A HELOC is secured by your home: if you cannot repay it, you could lose your home. Loans Generator may be paid through an affiliate network when you click or submit a request; this does not change what we report. No lender has to approve you, and no rate or line amount is promised. If the home is your principal dwelling, you generally have three business days after the line opens to cancel it under Regulation Z, and the lender must return the fees you paid to open it.
How this is calculated
- Every amount you enter is rounded to the cent. The home value can be from $50,000 to $10,000,000, and the result appears once you enter both the home value and the first mortgage balance. Other liens left blank count as $0. The line you want and the custom limit are optional; leave one blank and the part of the result that uses it is left out. A custom limit, from 50% to 100%, is used exactly as you enter it. Dollar amounts are shown without cents when they come to whole dollars.
- Amount owed = first mortgage balance + other liens. Equity = home value minus the amount owed, and equity as a percentage of the home value = equity ÷ home value × 100. Current CLTV = amount owed ÷ home value × 100. Percentages are shown to two decimal places, rounded half up; a negative equity percentage is rounded the same way on its size, then shown with a minus sign. If the amount owed is more than the home value, equity is below $0 and the result says no line is possible at these limits. With a first mortgage balance of $0, a note says the lender may make the HELOC a first lien.
- At each limit, the limit amount = home value × the limit, rounded to the cent, half up, and the maximum line = the limit amount minus the amount owed. This is worked out at 75%, 80%, 85% and 90%, and also at your custom limit if you enter one. If the amount owed is more than the limit amount, the line shows as $0 with a note that your loans already exceed this limit; if the two are exactly equal, the line is $0 with no note.
- If you enter the line you want, CLTV after the line = (amount owed + the line you want) ÷ home value × 100, shown to two decimal places, rounded half up. The line fits under each limit whose limit amount is at least the amount owed plus the line. Those limits are listed from lowest to highest, with a standard limit ahead of an equal custom one, and the room at the first of them = its limit amount minus the amount owed and the line. If the line fits under none of them, the result says so. If the amount owed plus the line is more than the home value, the result also says the line is larger than your equity.
- Value 5% lower: home value × 0.95, rounded to the cent, half up, and the maximum line at 85% worked out again on that value, with the same note if your loans already exceed it.
Example: a $400,000 home with a $220,000 first mortgage balance, no other liens, and $90,000 entered as the line you want.
| Equity | $180,000 (45.00% of the home value) |
|---|---|
| Current CLTV | 55.00% |
| Maximum line at 75% | $80,000 |
| Maximum line at 80% | $100,000 |
| Maximum line at 85% | $120,000 |
| Maximum line at 90% | $140,000 |
| CLTV after a $90,000 line | 77.50%, which fits under 80% with $10,000 of room |
| Maximum line at 85% on a value 5% lower ($380,000) | $103,000 |
These figures cover the equity math only. A lender uses its own valuation of the home and its own limit, and its credit and income rules can lower the line.
Loans Generator may be paid when you click or submit a request through this link. This does not change what we report.
How is the maximum HELOC line calculated?
The CFPB's 2016 booklet on HELOCs describes the method: many lenders take "a percentage (say, 75 percent) of the home's appraised value and subtracting from that the balance owed on the existing mortgage." Its example: a $100,000 home × 75% = $75,000, minus a $40,000 mortgage balance, gives a potential line of $35,000. The calculator generalizes that to any limit and any number of existing liens.
In the examples below, V is the home value, M the first mortgage balance, L the total of other liens (a second mortgage, an existing HELOC's full credit limit, a solar or PACE lien), and R the line you enter.
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide uses two related ratios for first mortgages: CLTV counts "the drawn portion (outstanding principal balance) of a HELOC," and HCLTV counts "the full amount of any HELOCs (whether or not funds have been drawn)." A lender sizing a new line counts all of it. If you already have a HELOC, enter its full credit limit under Other liens.
Ratios are shown to two decimals. Fannie Mae truncates LTV results to two decimals and then rounds up to the next whole percent for delivery; HELOC lenders may round differently, so the calculator shows the two-decimal figure with the note "Your lender may round this up."
Which CLTV limits does the calculator show?
| Limit | Why it is shown | Published example |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | The CFPB booklet's own example percentage | CFPB 2016 booklet |
| 80% | Lower end of the range Freedom Mortgage describes | Freedom Mortgage says many lenders allow you to borrow up to 80% to 85% of your home's value, minus the remaining balance on your mortgage (updated May 1, 2026, checked October 26, 2026) |
| 85% | The upper end of Freedom Mortgage's range, and the figure Bank of America's explainer calls typical | "You can typically borrow up to 85% of the value of your home minus the amount you owe" (Bank of America HELOC explainer, checked October 26, 2026) |
| 90% | Higher limits exist at some lenders | Navy Federal advertises borrowing up to 95% of your home's equity, a share of equity rather than a CLTV limit, and bases its rates partly on CLTV (checked October 26, 2026) |
| Custom | Enter the limit a lender quoted you | Accepts 50% to 100% |
The four standard rows always show together, so you can see how much the limit matters. The tool never names a lender next to a result.
Worked example: a $400,000 home with a $220,000 mortgage
Hypothetical inputs: V = $400,000, M = $220,000, L = $0.
- Equity = $400,000 minus $220,000 = $180,000.
- Current CLTV = $220,000 ÷ $400,000 = 55.00%.
- Line at 75%: $400,000 × 0.75 = $300,000; minus $220,000 = $80,000.
- Line at 80%: $320,000 minus $220,000 = $100,000.
- Line at 85%: $340,000 minus $220,000 = $120,000.
- Line at 90%: $360,000 minus $220,000 = $140,000.
- Requested line R = $90,000: CLTV after = ($220,000 + $90,000) ÷ $400,000 = $310,000 ÷ $400,000 = 77.50%. That fits under the 80% limit and leaves $10,000 of room there.
Second example: an existing lien
Same home, plus a $15,000 second mortgage (L = $15,000). Line at 85% = $340,000 minus $220,000 minus $15,000 = $105,000. Current CLTV = $235,000 ÷ $400,000 = 58.75%.
Your value is not the lender's value. If the lender's appraisal comes in 5% lower than your estimate, every line shrinks. In the main example, a $380,000 valuation cuts the 85% line from $120,000 to $323,000 minus $220,000 = $103,000. The calculator shows this "value 5% lower" line under the results by default.
Who this is for
You own a home with a mortgage, you are thinking about a HELOC, and you want to know whether your equity supports the size of line you need before you share any information with a lender.
What to do next
- Enter a realistic home value, based on recent nearby sales.
- Use your latest mortgage statement for the balance.
- If the line you need fits only at 90%, expect fewer lenders and stricter terms.
- Check the credit score and DTI rules on HELOC requirements before you apply.
Common questions
How much can I borrow with a HELOC?
Multiply your home value by the lender's CLTV limit and subtract what you owe. At 85% on a $400,000 home with a $220,000 mortgage, that is $120,000. The lender's valuation and its credit and income rules can lower it.
What is CLTV?
The combined loan-to-value ratio: all loans secured by the home, divided by its value. Fannie Mae's guide adds the first mortgage and any second loans and divides by the property's value.
Does an unused HELOC count toward CLTV?
For a new line, lenders count the full line you are asking for. Fannie Mae's HCLTV ratio counts "the full amount of any HELOCs (whether or not funds have been drawn)."
Why does my bank say I can borrow less than this calculator?
Its valuation may be lower, its limit may be lower, or your credit score or DTI may cap the line. This tool shows only the equity math.
Can I lose my home with a HELOC?
Yes. The CFPB warns that if you fall behind or cannot repay on schedule, you could lose your home.
How we researched this
We read the CFPB's 2016 HELOC booklet and its HELOC explainer, Fannie Mae Selling Guide sections B2-1.2-01 to B2-1.2-03, and the HELOC pages of Bank of America, Freedom Mortgage and Navy Federal Credit Union, most recently on October 26, 2026. Every figure on this page was computed with the method described on this page.
Related: HELOC requirements · HELOC debt-to-income limits · DTI calculator · Next step: home equity hub
Sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "What you should know about home equity lines of credit" (2016 booklet), accessed October 26, 2026.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "What is a home equity line of credit (HELOC)?", last reviewed August 28, 2026, accessed October 26, 2026.
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.2-01, Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratios (06/01/2022), accessed October 26, 2026.
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.2-02, Combined Loan-to-Value (CLTV) Ratios (12/04/2018), accessed October 26, 2026.
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.2-03, Home Equity Combined Loan-to-Value (HCLTV) Ratios (02/23/2016), accessed October 26, 2026.
- Bank of America, "What is a home equity line of credit (HELOC)?", accessed October 26, 2026.
- Freedom Mortgage, "HELOC Requirements: How To Qualify", updated May 1, 2026, accessed October 26, 2026.
- Navy Federal Credit Union, "Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)", accessed October 26, 2026.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, “What you should know about home equity lines of credit (2016 booklet)”
- Freedom Mortgage, “HELOC Requirements: How To Qualify (updated May 1, 2026)”
Loans Generator is not a lender or mortgage broker and does not make credit decisions. Links on this page may lead to third-party comparison or matching services. A request on a comparison or matching site may be shared with several lenders, who may contact you and may check your credit. If you continue with a lender, you are applying for credit. We cannot guarantee approval, a line amount, a rate or any terms. A HELOC is secured by your home; if you cannot repay it, you could lose your home. This calculator shows equity math only. Lender limits quoted here were checked on October 26, 2026 and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.