Free calculator
VA funding fee calculator
Work out the VA funding fee on your loan at the current rates, see what the loan looks like with the fee rolled in, and, if you already have a VA loan, how much you could borrow with no down payment using your remaining entitlement.
Estimated VA funding fee
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Enter your numbers to see the estimate.
- Funding fee rate
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- Down payment
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- Base loan amount
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- Total loan with the fee
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- Cash due at closing for the fee
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Maximum loan with no down payment
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Enter your entitlement in use to see the estimate.
- Remaining entitlement
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- Estimated minimum down payment for your price
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Estimates only, for planning. Your lender and your Certificate of Eligibility determine the actual fee, exemption and entitlement. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How the VA funding fee works
The funding fee is a one-time charge on most VA-backed loans. It goes to VA, not the lender, and it keeps the program running for future borrowers. It is a percentage of the loan amount, set by the type of loan, whether you have used the benefit before, and, on a purchase, how much you put down.
Rates since April 7, 2023
- Purchase or construction, less than 5% down: 2.15% on first use, 3.3% after first use.
- Purchase or construction, 5% to less than 10% down: 1.5%.
- Purchase or construction, 10% or more down: 1.25%.
- Cash-out refinance: 2.15% on first use, 3.3% after first use.
- Interest rate reduction refinance (IRRRL): 0.5%. Loan assumption: 0.5%. Manufactured home not permanently affixed: 1%.
Veterans, active-duty service members, and National Guard and Reserve members pay the same rates. On a first-use purchase with no money down, a $900,000 loan carries a fee of $19,350 (2.15%). Putting 5% down drops the rate to 1.5%, which on a $950,000 home means a $902,500 loan and a $13,538 fee. That difference is one reason some buyers who have the cash put exactly 5% or 10% down.
Exemptions
You don't pay the fee if you receive VA disability compensation, are eligible for it but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead, are a surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, have a proposed or memorandum rating before closing for a pre-discharge claim, or are on active duty and show evidence of a Purple Heart by closing. Check your Certificate of Eligibility: the lender relies on it, and a missing exemption is easier to fix before closing than after.
Remaining entitlement and Orange County's loan limit
With full entitlement there is no VA loan limit; the lender decides how much you qualify for and the appraisal has to support the price. If you still have a VA loan on another home, or lost entitlement to a foreclosure, VA uses the county's one-unit loan limit to work out what is left: 25% of the limit, minus the entitlement already charged on your Certificate of Eligibility. Most lenders will lend up to four times that remaining entitlement with no down payment. Above that, they want your entitlement and down payment together to cover at least 25% of the loan, and the calculator shows the smallest down payment that meets that test.
Orange County's 2026 one-unit limit is $1,249,125, the national high-cost ceiling set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Buying in Los Angeles, Riverside or another county? Replace it with that county's limit. If you sell the other home and pay off its VA loan, you can usually have that entitlement restored. Ask your lender before you make offers, because it changes the numbers here.
This is general information, not lending advice. Your lender confirms the fee, the exemption and your entitlement. For the rest of the process, see our VA loan guide or ask a Realtor.
Sources: VA, funding fee and loan closing costs; VA, home loan limits and entitlement; FHFA, conforming loan limit values for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the VA funding fee in 2026?
For a purchase or construction loan it is 2.15% of the loan amount on first use with less than 5% down, and 3.3% if you have used a VA loan before. With 5% or more down it is 1.5%, and with 10% or more down it is 1.25%, whether or not it is your first use. A cash-out refinance is 2.15% (first use) or 3.3% (after first use), an interest rate reduction refinance (IRRRL) is 0.5%, and a loan assumption is 0.5%. These rates have applied since April 7, 2023.
Who doesn't have to pay the VA funding fee?
You are exempt if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, are eligible for it but receive retirement or active-duty pay instead, are a surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, have a proposed or memorandum rating before closing for a pre-discharge claim, or are an active-duty service member who shows evidence of a Purple Heart on or before closing. The exemption appears on your Certificate of Eligibility.
Can I roll the funding fee into my VA loan?
Yes. You can pay it at closing or add it to the loan amount. On a purchase or construction loan, the funding fee is the only closing cost you can finance; the seller may also pay it as part of negotiated concessions.
Is there a VA loan limit in Orange County?
Not if you have full entitlement: VA sets no loan limit, though the lender still has to approve the amount and the appraisal has to support the price. If part of your entitlement is tied up in another VA loan, the county limit matters. Orange County's 2026 one-unit limit is $1,249,125, and the Remaining entitlement tab shows how much you could borrow with no down payment.
Can I get the funding fee refunded?
If VA later awards you compensation for a service-connected disability with an effective date before your loan closed, you may be due a refund. Contact your VA regional loan center. A proposed or memorandum rating issued after closing does not qualify.