Free calculator
Estimate remaining VA entitlement, available guaranty, and a potential down payment for partial entitlement.
Use your current Certificate of Eligibility for entitlement charged and status. Results update as values change.
Used only for partial entitlement. Enter the current one-unit limit for the property county from FHFA. The 2026 baseline is prefilled; high-cost areas may be higher.
Minimum entitlement-based down payment
$0.00
Full entitlement is not subject to a VA county loan limit. No entitlement-based down payment is estimated, but lender approval and appraisal requirements still apply.
Rule set 2026.1. This is not an official COE determination or loan approval.
Estimate remaining VA entitlement, the guaranty available for a proposed purchase, and whether partial entitlement may create a down-payment requirement. It can help explore a second VA loan or unrestored entitlement scenario, but only VA's Certificate of Eligibility establishes official entitlement.
No county conforming limit is applied. For this purchase estimate, the available guaranty is shown as 25% of the proposed price and no entitlement-based down payment is calculated. Affordability, appraisal, occupancy, and lender approval still apply.
For proposed loans over $144,000, remaining entitlement equals 25% of the property county's one-unit conforming loan limit minus unrestored entitlement charged. At $144,000 or less, the Handbook uses $36,000 of basic entitlement minus unrestored entitlement. Results cannot fall below zero.
The estimated no-down-payment amount is remaining entitlement multiplied by four. For a proposed purchase above that amount, estimated minimum down payment equals 25% of the purchase price minus the guaranty available. This models the general lender benchmark described by VA; an individual lender may make a different credit decision.
Rule version 2026.1. Uses 2026 FHFA limits where entered. Last verified August 24, 2026.
Explains full entitlement, remaining bonus entitlement, the one-unit county limit calculation, and the 25% entitlement-plus-down-payment benchmark.
Provides the maximum-guaranty rules for borrowers with full and partial or unrestored entitlement. Topic 4 was updated May 14, 2024.
Describes circumstances in which previously used entitlement may be restored and directs borrowers to request an updated Certificate of Eligibility.
Publishes the applicable one-unit conforming loan limit by county. The 2026 national baseline is $832,750; high-cost and special statutory areas may be higher.
Your current Certificate of Eligibility lists entitlement already charged. For partial entitlement on a proposed loan over $144,000, VA calculates the maximum available guaranty as 25% of the applicable one-unit county conforming loan limit minus unrestored entitlement already used.
VA states that borrowers with full entitlement do not have a VA county loan limit. A lender must still approve the loan, and the loan generally cannot exceed the lower of the purchase price or appraised value.
Potentially. If entitlement remains while another VA loan is active, partial-entitlement rules may apply. Eligibility, occupancy, credit, income, appraisal, and lender requirements still must be satisfied.
For partial entitlement, this calculator compares the remaining VA guaranty with 25% of the proposed purchase price. When the guaranty is short, the difference is shown as the estimated minimum down payment. VA notes that most lenders use a 25% combination of entitlement and down payment.
VA describes several restoration paths, including after disposing of a property and paying the prior VA loan in full. Some one-time restoration circumstances may apply. Request an updated Certificate of Eligibility from VA before treating entitlement as restored.