Is there a VA loan limit?

Not for buyers with full entitlement. Since 2020, veterans and service members with full entitlement have no VA county loan limit and can borrow as much as a lender approves with zero down. Limits only apply when your entitlement is partial.

What is VA entitlement?

Entitlement is the amount the VA guarantees on your behalf, which is what allows zero-down lending. You have full entitlement if you have never used the benefit or have restored it; you have partial entitlement if some is still tied to another VA loan or a prior claim.

VA Loan Limit Calculator by ZIP Code

VA loan limit calculator

Most buyers are surprised: with full VA entitlement there is no loan limit and $0 down. Limits only appear with partial entitlement — this tool shows the math for both.

$0 downwith full entitlement, there is no county loan limit

Your ZIP code

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We match your ZIP to its county and fill in the 2026 county loan limit — the FHFA conforming limit the VA uses.

VA entitlement already used

Tied up on another VA loan you still hold, or from a prior claim.

Loan amount you want

With full entitlement there is no VA county loan limit. You can borrow as much as a lender will approve with $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance — switch to partial entitlement to model a down payment.

Down payment required

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on the loan amount you entered

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largest $0-down loan

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entitlement still available

Illustrative estimate only, not a commitment to lend. County limits reflect the 2026 FHFA one-unit conforming loan limit for the county your ZIP falls in, which is the limit the VA uses; ZIPs are matched to their primary county using U.S. Census data, so a ZIP that spans two counties resolves to the one covering most of its area. Limits change yearly and a few ZIPs cross county lines — confirm your county on the FHFA look-up table. VA entitlement and down-payment rules are set by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; this tool uses the common one-time-restoration math (25% guaranty, four-times available entitlement) and does not account for every scenario, second-tier entitlement nuance, funding fees, or lender overlays. Veteran Property Network is not a lender and is not affiliated with the VA, DoD, or FHFA. Confirm your entitlement on your Certificate of Eligibility and with a VA-approved lender.

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How entitlement works

Full vs. partial entitlement, in plain terms

The VA doesn’t lend money — it guarantees part of your loan, which is what lets lenders offer $0 down. How much you can borrow with no down payment comes down to your entitlement.

Full entitlement. If you’ve never used your VA loan benefit, or you’ve paid a prior VA loan in full and sold the home, there is no county loan limit — borrow what a lender approves with $0 down.
Partial entitlement. If you still hold another VA loan, or had a prior claim, some entitlement is tied up. A no-down cap then applies, based on the county loan limit.
The 25% guaranty. The VA guarantees a quarter of the loan. Your available entitlement times four is the largest loan you can get with no money down.
Above the cap. Want a larger loan than the cap? You typically put down 25% of the amount above it — still far less than a conventional down payment.

The formula this uses

Available entitlement = (county limit × 25%) − entitlement used.
Largest $0-down loan = available entitlement × 4.
Down payment = 25% of any amount above that.

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Common questions

VA loan limit questions

Not for buyers with full entitlement. Since 2020, veterans and service members with full entitlement have no VA county loan limit — you can borrow as much as a lender approves with $0 down. Limits only apply when your entitlement is partial.

Entitlement is the amount the VA guarantees on your behalf, which is what allows $0-down lending. You have full entitlement if you’ve never used the benefit or have restored it; you have partial entitlement if some is still tied to another VA loan or a prior claim.

Take the county loan limit times 25% to get the maximum guaranty, subtract the entitlement you’ve already used to get available entitlement, then multiply by four for the largest $0-down loan. For any loan above that, you generally put down 25% of the excess.

It’s the conforming loan limit the FHFA sets each year for each county. It only affects VA buyers with partial entitlement — it caps the no-down loan amount. High-cost counties have higher limits.

No. It’s an illustrative educational tool, not a commitment to lend, and it doesn’t cover every scenario or second-tier nuance. Veteran Property Network is not a lender and is not affiliated with the VA. Confirm your entitlement on your Certificate of Eligibility and with a VA-approved lender.

More military home-buying tools:

Assumable loan calculator BAH calculator All resources

Ready to use your VA benefit?

Get matched with a VA-approved, military-fluent lender who can confirm your entitlement and pre-approve you — then browse homes for sale near your installation. Free to get matched.

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