Author: Tanner

Reading reviews for a contractor tool is different from reading reviews for a consumer app. The people leaving reviews on Hearth are contractors who have actually used it in the field, on real jobs, with real homeowners. The feedback is blunter and more specific than most software review categories. Here is what the review data actually shows.

Hearth’s Overall Review Profile

As of 2026, Hearth holds a 4.3 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot based on several hundred reviews. The BBB profile is more mixed. Contractor forums and communities like r/Contractors and various trade Facebook groups show a split pattern: contractors who make Hearth a core part of their sales process tend to be enthusiastic advocates, while contractors who signed up and never fully integrated it tend to leave neutral or negative reviews.

That pattern is actually informative. Hearth is not a passive tool. It requires a behavior change, specifically presenting financing at the estimate rather than at billing. Contractors who make that shift report meaningful revenue increases. Contractors who sign up and then present financing the same way they always did (as an afterthought) often feel they did not get value from the subscription.

What Contractors Consistently Praise

Across Trustpilot, BBB, and forum discussions, several themes come up repeatedly from satisfied Hearth users:

The flat fee model. This is the most common reason contractors cite for choosing Hearth over competitors. After running the math against their previous dealer-fee platform, most contractors with any real volume quickly see that the annual subscription costs significantly less than per-job fees at scale. The feedback is almost always some version of: “I financed $X in jobs last year and paid only $1,799 instead of $8,000 in dealer fees.”

The 18-lender network and 550 FICO floor. Contractors working in markets with a broad range of homeowner credit profiles specifically mention the ability to pre-qualify homeowners who would have been declined on a single-lender platform. Getting approvals on homeowners with 580 or 600 FICO scores is a real differentiator in markets where a significant portion of the customer base falls in that range.

The bundled software tools. Hearth’s estimates, digital contracts, and payment collection tools come included in the subscription. Contractors who were previously paying separately for proposal software or payment processing note that the bundle consolidates costs. The software is not enterprise-grade, but for a small operation it handles the basics without additional expense.

Speed of the pre-qualification process. Multiple reviews specifically mention the 60-second pre-qualification as a field-tested selling tool. The ability to send a link at the end of an estimate and get a result before leaving the driveway is cited as a specific deal-closing advantage.

What Contractors Consistently Complain About

The negative reviews are concentrated around a few specific issues that come up repeatedly:

Auto-renewal billing. This is the most common complaint by volume. Contractors who did not actively cancel before the renewal date have found themselves charged for another year they did not intend to use. The subscription auto-renews, and the billing notifications (while sent) are easy to miss if you are not actively watching for them. This issue shows up in BBB complaints and multiple Trustpilot reviews.

Inconsistent customer service. Several reviewers report difficulty reaching support quickly when issues arise during the financing process. For a contractor using Hearth as a real-time sales tool during an estimate appointment, a technical issue with no fast resolution path is a serious problem. This appears to be inconsistent rather than systemic, but it comes up often enough to note.

Pre-qualified homeowners who never funded. Hearth shows pre-qualification results (which involve a soft credit pull), but full approval and funding require a hard credit check and document verification that not every pre-qualified homeowner completes. Some contractors report frustration when homeowners pre-qualified but the loan never funded. This is not unique to Hearth (all lending platforms have a pre-qual to fund conversion gap), but it catches some contractors off guard if they are not aware of the distinction between pre-qualification and final approval.

The Auto-Renewal Issue Explained

The auto-renewal complaints are preventable. Hearth sends renewal notifications in advance, but the default is to auto-renew. If you are evaluating Hearth and plan to cancel before the next billing cycle, set a calendar reminder well before the renewal date (30 days minimum) and initiate cancellation proactively through the account settings or by contacting support directly.

For contractors who intend to stay on Hearth long-term, the auto-renewal is a non-issue. The complaints come almost entirely from contractors who signed up to test it, did not actively use it, and then discovered the charge when the renewal hit.

How Hearth Compares to Competitors on Reviews

Platform	Trustpilot Rating (approx. 2026)	Key Sentiment
Wisetack	4.8 / 5	Consistently positive; per-transaction model, high ease-of-use ratings
Hearth	4.3 / 5	Strong among active users; billing/auto-renewal complaints pull score down
GreenSky	1.6 / 5	Significant volume of negative reviews from both homeowners and contractors

Wisetack’s higher rating reflects its per-transaction model and consumer-friendly application flow. Wisetack charges no annual fee, which means contractors who do not use it frequently have nothing to complain about. Hearth’s lower rating is partly a function of the subscription model: contractors who pay and do not use it leave negative reviews, while contractors who pay and use it actively tend to leave positive ones.

GreenSky’s 1.6 rating reflects a fundamentally different problem set, including regulatory scrutiny and homeowner complaints about deceptive lending practices that are not relevant to the Hearth comparison.

Who Tends to Be Happiest with Hearth

The pattern in positive Hearth reviews is consistent. The contractors who are most satisfied share a few characteristics:

• They finance $40,000 or more per year in projects and have done the math on what the flat fee saves them vs dealer fees
• They have trained their sales team (or themselves) to present financing at the estimate, not at billing
• They use the bundled tools (estimates, contracts, payment collection) and treat Hearth as a business platform, not just a financing link
• They understood going in that pre-qualification and final funding are different stages and set expectations accordingly

Contractors who are unhappy with Hearth typically signed up without a plan for how to integrate financing into the sales conversation, tried it a few times passively, and concluded it did not work.

Bottom Line Verdict

Hearth at 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot is a solid score for a contractor fintech platform. The auto-renewal billing issue is a real complaint that is avoidable with basic calendar management. The customer service inconsistency is worth noting if fast resolution during field sales is critical to your workflow. For contractors who use it actively, present financing at the estimate, and have annual financed volume above $36,000, the reviews are strongly positive and the math backs up the enthusiasm. If you are signing up to test it passively and are not committed to changing when you present financing, you are probably not the right customer for a subscription model.

The most common question homeowners ask when you bring up Hearth financing is some version of: “What is the interest rate?” It is a fair question. Here is the honest answer, what actually determines the rate a homeowner gets, and how to talk about it without letting the rate become a reason to stall.

Hearth’s Rate Range

Hearth’s financing rates for homeowners range from 4.9% APR on the low end to 35.99% APR on the high end, as of 2026. That is a wide range, and the gap between 4.9% and 35.99% is real. The rate a specific homeowner receives is not set by Hearth directly. It is determined by the lending partner that extends the offer. Hearth’s role is to pre-qualify the homeowner across 18 or more lenders simultaneously and surface the best offers available.

The 4.9% end of the range represents homeowners with strong credit (typically 720+ FICO), stable income, and favorable debt-to-income ratios. The 35.99% end represents homeowners with challenged credit who are being served by lenders that specialize in near-prime or subprime lending. Most homeowners fall somewhere in the middle.

What Credit Factors Determine the Rate

When a homeowner pre-qualifies through Hearth, the lenders evaluating the application look at several factors:

• FICO credit score: The single biggest driver of rate. Hearth’s minimum is 550, which is low enough to capture homeowners that most bank lenders turn away.
• Debt-to-income ratio: Lenders want to see that monthly loan payments fit within the homeowner’s income. High existing debt relative to income pushes rates up.
• Payment history: Recent late payments, collections, or derogatory marks will increase the rate or reduce the maximum loan amount available.
• Loan amount and term: Larger loans and longer terms carry different risk profiles. A $50,000 loan at 84 months is priced differently than a $10,000 loan at 36 months.
• State and lender availability: Not every lender serves every state, and competition among lenders in a given market affects which offers appear.

Approximate Rate Ranges by Credit Tier

Credit Tier	Approximate FICO Range	Approximate APR Range (as of 2026)	Typical Loan Availability
Excellent	720 and above	4.9% to 12%	Full range up to $250,000
Good	660 to 719	10% to 22%	Strong availability, most loan amounts
Fair	600 to 659	18% to 30%	Available, may have lower loan caps
Poor to Near-Prime	550 to 599	25% to 35.99%	Limited but available through specialty lenders

These ranges are approximate and will vary based on loan amount, term, income verification, and state. Use them as a conversation tool, not as guaranteed quotes.

How to Frame Rates in the Sales Conversation

The mistake most contractors make when presenting financing is leading with the APR. Do not do that. Lead with the monthly payment.

A homeowner does not really experience a 19% APR. They experience a monthly payment. On a $15,000 kitchen remodel financed over 84 months at 19% APR, the monthly payment is roughly $310. That is less than a car payment. Frame it that way and the rate stops being the conversation.

When a homeowner asks about the interest rate directly, give them an honest range, then pivot: “Rates vary based on credit, but most of our customers see something in the range of 10 to 22 percent depending on their profile. The best way to know is to check right now. It is a soft pull with no impact on your credit score. Takes two minutes. Want to see what comes back?”

That framing does three things: it is honest, it does not make a promise you cannot keep, and it moves the conversation forward instead of stalling on a number that does not exist yet.

Promotional 0% APR Options

Some of Hearth’s lending partners offer promotional 0% APR products. These are typically deferred interest products (meaning the interest accrues during the promotional period but is waived if the balance is paid in full by the deadline) rather than true 0% APR products. The distinction matters. If a homeowner does not pay the balance in full during the promotional window, they may owe back-interest from the start date.

Hearth is transparent about the loan terms it presents, and homeowners see the full terms before accepting an offer. But it is worth understanding this distinction so you can answer clearly if a homeowner asks whether it is “really” 0% interest.

How Hearth Rates Compare to Alternatives

For context, credit card APRs in the US average around 20% to 27% as of 2026 for purchases. Personal loan rates from banks typically range from 7% to 30% for home improvement amounts. Home equity loans are lower (often 7% to 10%) but require equity, take weeks to close, and come with closing costs.

Hearth’s rate range is competitive with unsecured personal loans for homeowners with good to excellent credit. For homeowners in the fair or near-prime range, Hearth’s rates are often better than what they would get from a bank or credit card, and the soft-pull pre-qualification means they can check without any credit score impact.

What to Tell Homeowners Who Push Back on the Rate

If a homeowner says the rate seems high, here is an honest response that does not minimize their concern:

“That is fair to raise. For most people with solid credit, the rates come in pretty reasonable. For someone with a lower score, the rate reflects that risk. But compare it to putting $20,000 on a credit card at 24% APR while you wait to save up. An installment loan with a fixed payoff date is actually a better structure. And if you want to pay it off early, there are no prepayment penalties.”

Do not be defensive about the rate. Be a peer explaining the math honestly.

Bottom Line

Hearth’s rate range (4.9% to 35.99% APR) covers a wide spectrum because it is serving a wide credit range, down to 550 FICO. The rate any specific homeowner gets depends on their credit profile, income, the loan amount, and which lenders are available in their state. Frame financing in monthly payment terms rather than APR in your sales conversation, use the soft-pull pre-qualification to get a real number fast, and let the actual offer do the work. That approach closes more deals than any rate conversation ever will.

FTL Finance is a home improvement consumer lender that has been around for decades and is used by a significant number of HVAC and home improvement contractors across the country. If you have looked into contractor financing options beyond the well-known names, FTL Finance has probably come up. Here is how it compares to Hearth’s flat-fee model for HVAC and other home service contractors.

What FTL Finance Is

FTL Finance is a dedicated home improvement lender that works with contractors through a dealer program model. It offers multiple loan products with different rates, terms, and promotional structures. Contractor enrollment is handled through FTL directly or in some cases through manufacturer dealer programs, particularly in the HVAC space where manufacturers sometimes make FTL financing available through their dealer networks.

FTL does not charge an annual subscription. Instead, it uses a dealer fee model where the contractor pays a percentage of each funded loan. The fee varies by product: standard rate products carry lower fees, while promotional 0% APR or deferred-interest products carry higher fees because the lender is absorbing the cost of the rate incentive.

How It Compares to Hearth

Hearth operates on a flat annual subscription (around $1,799 per year for the Pro plan as of 2026) with zero per-job dealer fees. You pay once and every funded loan after that costs you nothing in per-job fees. Hearth’s 18-lender network shops multiple offers simultaneously, which improves approval rates compared to a single-lender platform.

The comparison between FTL and Hearth comes down to the same fundamental question as with any dealer-fee platform: at what annual financing volume does the per-job model start costing more than the flat subscription?

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	FTL Finance
Fee model	Flat annual subscription (~$1,799/yr)	Per-job dealer fee (varies by product)
Enrollment cost	Annual subscription required	Free enrollment
Per-job dealer fee	$0	Varies by product and promotion
FICO minimum	550	Typically 620+ depending on product
Loan maximum	$250,000	Varies by product (typically up to $65,000)
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Single lender (FTL Finance)
HVAC manufacturer programs	Not manufacturer-integrated	Available through some HVAC manufacturers
Funding speed	2 to 3 business days	Varies by product and documentation
Bundled contractor tools	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No
States available	All 50	Most states (confirm by state)

HVAC Contractor Use Case

HVAC is one of the highest-volume financing trades in home improvement. The average HVAC replacement runs $8,000 to $18,000, and many homeowners do not have that sitting in a checking account. Financing is not a nice-to-have in HVAC. It is a core part of how jobs get closed.

FTL Finance has been used by HVAC contractors long enough that some manufacturers include it in their dealer programs. If you are already using a manufacturer’s financing program and FTL is behind it, you may already have access without realizing it. The advantage there is program consistency: the loan products are built around HVAC project amounts and the terms are familiar to contractors in the space.

The downside is that FTL is a single lender, which means if a homeowner does not qualify through FTL’s credit criteria, there is no fallback within the same platform. Hearth’s 18-lender network means one soft-pull pre-qualification shops multiple offers at once, and the platform will find the best offer available across all of those lenders. For HVAC contractors dealing with a customer base that includes homeowners across a wide range of credit profiles, the multi-lender model catches more approvals.

Volume Break-Even Math for HVAC Contractors

An HVAC contractor with an average financed job of $12,000 and a 5% average dealer fee through FTL pays $600 per funded job. At that rate, three funded jobs per year equals $1,800 in dealer fees, which is slightly above Hearth’s $1,799 Pro annual subscription. In other words, if you finance four or more HVAC replacements per year (a low bar for any active HVAC contractor), Hearth’s flat-fee model saves you money on every job after the break-even.

For an HVAC contractor doing 20 financed jobs per year at $12,000 average and 5% dealer fees, the annual dealer fee cost is $12,000. Compared to Hearth’s $1,799 annual subscription, that is a savings of over $10,000 per year. The numbers compound fast once you are doing consistent volume.

Bottom Line

FTL Finance is a legitimate home improvement lender with a solid track record in the HVAC space. For HVAC contractors who are part of a manufacturer dealer program where FTL is the preferred lender, it may be the path of least resistance. For contractors doing any meaningful annual financing volume (even just four to six HVAC replacements per year), Hearth’s flat annual fee model will almost always come out ahead on total cost. Add in the 550 FICO minimum and 18-lender network for better approval rates, and the case for Hearth gets stronger as volume increases.

Every once in a while, a homeowner will ask if they should just go get a personal loan from their bank instead of using your financing. It is a fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends. But there is a version of that conversation that loses you the deal and a version that keeps it moving. Here is the real comparison and how to handle it.

Why Homeowners Ask This Question

Most homeowners who bring up the personal loan option fall into one of a few categories:

• They already have a relationship with their bank and trust it more than an unfamiliar financing platform
• They want to feel like they are in control of the process and not being pushed into something
• They have heard stories about deferred interest traps and are wary of contractor financing in general
• They genuinely think their bank will give them a better rate

None of these are unreasonable. And the answer is not to talk them out of it. The answer is to give them the honest picture and let the math make the case.

Personal Loan vs Contractor Financing: The Honest Breakdown

Application Time

• Personal loan from a bank: typically 1 to 5 business days from application to funded, sometimes longer if additional documentation is required
• Contractor financing (like Hearth): pre-qualification in under 60 seconds with a soft credit pull, full application and approval same day in most cases

If a homeowner wants to go get a personal loan, that project start date is moving out by at least a week, probably two. That delay alone costs you jobs. Not because homeowners change their mind necessarily, but because they get busy, the urgency fades, and competitor bids show up in the meantime.

Rate Ranges

• Personal loans from banks and credit unions: roughly 7% to 30% APR for home improvement amounts, depending on credit score, income, and the lender
• Contractor financing through Hearth: 4.9% to 35.99% APR depending on credit profile, with multiple lenders competing for the loan

The rate ranges overlap significantly. A homeowner with good credit (700+) might get a slightly better rate from their primary bank because of the existing relationship. A homeowner with fair credit (600 to 680) will often find contractor financing competitive because multi-lender platforms like Hearth shop multiple offers simultaneously.

Loan Limits

• Personal loans: most banks cap unsecured personal loans at $25,000 to $50,000
• Contractor financing (Hearth): up to $250,000, which covers even large whole-home remodels

If the project is over $30,000, personal loans from most banks will not cover it without a home equity component. That matters for large bathroom renovations, kitchen remodels, and full HVAC replacements in older homes.

Soft vs Hard Credit Pull

• Personal loan applications at most banks: hard credit pull, which temporarily lowers the credit score
• Contractor financing pre-qualification (Hearth): soft credit pull only, no score impact

The soft pull point is genuinely valuable. A homeowner who is nervous about applying for financing is much more willing to check their options with zero credit score impact. This is a real objection handler.

Where the Conversation Happens

• Personal loan: happens after the homeowner leaves the estimate appointment, on their own time, at their bank
• Contractor financing: happens during or right after the estimate, on their phone, while you are still there

This last point is the most important one. The personal loan route delays the decision. Contractor financing at the point of estimate captures the decision while motivation is highest.

When Personal Loans Actually Make Sense

There are real situations where a personal loan is the right answer for a homeowner:

• They have a primary bank relationship with pre-approved credit at a rate below 8% APR and they can get funded in a day or two
• The project amount is under $10,000 and they want to consolidate it into an existing personal line of credit
• They prefer not to have a separate loan account and already have a home equity line they can draw from
• They have excellent credit (750+) and their bank can genuinely offer a lower rate than any marketplace lender

In these cases, the right answer is to support the homeowner’s choice, confirm a start date, and move forward. Pushing contractor financing on a homeowner who has a genuinely better option at their bank creates friction and erodes trust.

What to Say When a Customer Says “I’ll Just Get a Loan from My Bank”

Here is a practical response that is honest, not pushy, and keeps the deal moving:

“Totally reasonable. Most banks can do it in a week or two, which is fine. The one thing I’d mention is that this link right here does a soft check with no impact to your credit score and shows you rates from a bunch of lenders at once. Takes about two minutes. If your bank beats what comes back, go with your bank. If not, you’ll know right away and we can lock in a start date today.”

You are not arguing. You are adding information and making the comparison easy. Most homeowners will take the two minutes. And once they see their pre-qual offers, the contractor financing conversation becomes concrete instead of abstract.

The Core Advantage of Contractor Financing

The biggest advantage of contractor financing over personal loans has nothing to do with rates. It is about the moment. When financing is presented at the point of estimate, it turns “let me think about it” into “okay let’s do it.” That is the entire value proposition. The personal loan route separates the decision to buy from the financing step, and that gap is where deals die.

Bottom Line

Personal loans are a legitimate option and you should never lie to a homeowner about that. But contractor financing at the point of estimate closes more deals because it collapses the decision timeline. Hearth’s soft pull pre-qual, 550 FICO floor, and multi-lender structure mean most homeowners will get real, competitive offers in under two minutes. That is a different conversation than “call your bank and come back to us.”

Acorn Finance and Hearth both connect homeowners to multiple lenders through a single application. On the surface, they look like competitors. But the way contractors interact with each platform is fundamentally different, and that difference has real implications for how you close jobs and how much control you have over the financing conversation.

Here is the full breakdown of how Acorn Finance and Hearth compare and which one gives you more leverage in the sales process.

The Core Difference: Consumer-Facing vs Contractor-Controlled

Acorn Finance (acornfinance.com) is a consumer-facing multi-lender marketplace. Homeowners can go to Acorn Finance directly, without any involvement from a contractor, and apply for a personal loan or home improvement loan. There is no contractor enrollment required. The homeowner applies, gets offers from multiple lending partners, and picks one. The contractor has no role in that process until the homeowner decides to bring it to the table.

Hearth is a contractor-facing platform. The contractor enrolls, pays the annual subscription, and controls when and how homeowners are presented with financing. You send the pre-qualification link at the moment of the estimate. You know when the homeowner pre-qualifies. You can frame the financing as part of your proposal. The entire flow is designed around you controlling the offer moment, not waiting to see if the homeowner did their own research.

This is not a minor distinction. Where in the sales conversation the financing offer appears is one of the biggest variables in whether financing actually closes deals. Contractors who present financing at the estimate have significantly higher adoption than those who mention it as an afterthought at billing.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	Acorn Finance
Primary user	Contractor (controls the offer)	Consumer (applies directly)
Fee to contractor	~$1,499 to $1,799/yr flat subscription	No dealer fees (consumer-direct model)
Contractor enrollment	Required (paid subscription)	Not required
Financing initiation	Contractor sends pre-qual link at estimate	Homeowner initiates independently
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Multiple lending partners
FICO minimum	550	Varies by lender (some as low as 580)
Loan maximum	$250,000	Up to $100,000 for home improvement
Contractor visibility into pre-qual	Yes (contractor dashboard)	No (homeowner applies independently)
Designed for field sales	Yes (mobile link, point-of-estimate flow)	No (consumer applies on their own time)
Bundled contractor tools	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No

The Timing Problem with Consumer-Direct Financing

When a homeowner goes to Acorn Finance on their own to get pre-qualified before hiring a contractor, that can actually be useful. They show up to estimates knowing they have financing available, which can reduce friction. But this scenario is the exception. Most homeowners do not self-research financing before calling a contractor for an estimate.

More commonly, what happens is the homeowner gets an estimate, says they will think about it, and then either shops it against other contractors or never follows through. The financing conversation never happened at the right moment.

Hearth is designed to solve that specific problem. When you send a pre-qualification link at the end of the estimate appointment, while the homeowner is still engaged and the project is fresh in their mind, the conversion rate is meaningfully higher than when financing comes up later in the process.

When Acorn Finance Makes Sense for Contractors

Acorn Finance is genuinely useful in one contractor scenario: referring customers who are shopping around and want to understand their financing options independently. Some contractors put an Acorn Finance link on their website or quote documents so homeowners can check their options without involving the contractor in the conversation. This works as a passive lead-capture play rather than an active sales tool.

There is also no cost to the contractor. If you are in a situation where you want homeowners to have a financing resource but you are not ready to invest in a contractor platform subscription, Acorn Finance is a zero-cost option to reference.

Who Hearth Is Designed For

Hearth is built for contractors who want to control the financing offer in the sales conversation. If you want to say “let me send you a quick link right now to see what you qualify for” during the estimate appointment, and have the homeowner pre-qualified before you leave the driveway, Hearth is built for that workflow. The $1,799 annual subscription pays for itself quickly for any contractor financing more than $30,000 to $35,000 in projects per year.

Bottom Line

Acorn Finance is a consumer-facing tool that homeowners can use independently without any contractor involvement. It is free for contractors to reference, but it does not give you control over the financing moment in your sales process. Hearth is a contractor subscription that puts the pre-qualification link in your hands and lets you present financing at the exact moment a homeowner is deciding whether to move forward. For contractors who want financing to actually close more jobs (not just be available as an option homeowners discover on their own), Hearth’s model is built around that goal.

GoodLeap started as a solar financing company and built one of the largest solar lending platforms in the country before expanding into general home improvement. Hearth was built from the start for residential home improvement contractors across all trades. If you are evaluating both, the comparison depends heavily on what trade you are in and what kind of projects you finance.

Here is a full breakdown of how Hearth and GoodLeap compare on fees, approval, trade coverage, and a few things worth knowing about GoodLeap’s background before you sign up.

GoodLeap’s Background and Expansion

GoodLeap launched as a solar-specific financing platform and grew quickly by partnering with solar installers across the country. Its core business was (and still is) solar panel system financing, where loan amounts tend to be large ($20,000 to $50,000+) and the borrower profile is somewhat different from general home improvement.

GoodLeap has since expanded into broader home improvement categories, including HVAC, roofing, windows, and other trades, through its general home improvement lending products and its acquisition of Rosie, a home improvement marketplace. The expansion is real, but GoodLeap’s roots and deepest product expertise are still in solar.

How Each Platform Charges You

GoodLeap uses a dealer fee model. Contractor enrollment is free, and you pay a percentage of each funded loan. The fee varies by product. Solar-focused products often carry lower dealer fees because of the loan size and investor appetite for solar paper. General home improvement products may carry different fee structures. The specific fees depend on your dealer agreement and the products you activate.

Hearth charges a flat annual subscription. As of 2026, the Pro plan (the most popular for active contractors) runs around $1,799 per year. You pay once and all funded loans through Hearth’s platform carry zero per-job dealer fees. The subscription also includes contractor business tools: estimates, contracts, and payment collection.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	GoodLeap
Fee model	Flat annual subscription (~$1,799/yr)	Dealer fee per funded loan (varies by product)
Original focus	Home improvement contractors (all trades)	Solar financing (expanding to home improvement)
FICO minimum	550	Varies by product (typically 600+)
Loan maximum	$250,000	Up to $100,000+ (varies by product)
Lender network	18+ lending partners	GoodLeap as direct lender plus partners
Solar-specific products	Not a solar-focused platform	Strong solar financing portfolio
Funding speed	2 to 3 business days	Varies by product and milestone
Contractor tools bundled	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	Dealer portal, project management
Regulatory history	No material regulatory issues reported	Named in Minnesota AG lawsuit (March 2024)

GoodLeap and the Minnesota AG Lawsuit

In March 2024, the Minnesota Attorney General filed a lawsuit naming GoodLeap alongside Mosaic, Sunlight Financial, and Dividend Solar. The core allegation was that these companies charged homeowners hidden fees totaling approximately $35 million. The AG’s position was that loan origination fees were embedded in solar panel pricing without adequate disclosure to consumers.

This is worth understanding if you are considering GoodLeap for home improvement work. The lawsuit is a regulatory action against practices in the solar lending segment, not necessarily against GoodLeap’s home improvement products specifically. But the regulatory attention is real and the lawsuit was ongoing as of early 2026. If your business includes solar or solar-adjacent products, it is worth reviewing the current status of that action before enrolling.

For traditional home improvement contractors (roofing, HVAC, windows, bath, kitchen), the lawsuit is less directly relevant since it stems from the solar sales model. That said, understanding a lender’s regulatory track record is reasonable due diligence before building a business relationship.

Which Trades Each Platform Serves Best

GoodLeap is the clear leader in solar financing. If you are a solar installer or you offer solar as part of a broader home improvement package, GoodLeap’s product depth in that category is hard to match. The company has relationships with solar manufacturers, handles system-specific loan structures, and understands the milestone-based funding that solar installations require.

For non-solar trades, Hearth is purpose-built for the way residential contractors sell and present financing in the field. The mobile pre-qualification flow, the 550 FICO floor, and the flat annual fee model are all designed around a contractor who is presenting an estimate at a kitchen table and wants to turn a “let me think about it” into a signed contract the same day.

Bottom Line

If you are a solar installer, GoodLeap’s depth in solar lending makes it worth evaluating despite the ongoing regulatory attention. For general home improvement contractors doing roofing, HVAC, windows, bath, or remodeling work, Hearth is more purpose-built for your sales process. The flat annual fee structure saves you money above a modest volume threshold, the 550 FICO minimum qualifies more homeowners, and the entire platform was designed around how field-based contractors actually sell.

Synchrony HOME is one of the largest consumer financing networks operating in the home improvement space in the United States. If you have ever been in a flooring showroom or a major appliance store and seen a financing offer at the register, there is a reasonable chance Synchrony was behind it. For home improvement contractors, Synchrony HOME operates through a merchant enrollment program that lets you offer Synchrony credit products directly to your customers.

Hearth is a different kind of platform. It is a contractor-specific multi-lender marketplace built around a flat annual subscription and a mobile-first application flow. Here is how the two compare and which one makes more sense depending on your trade and volume.

What Synchrony HOME Actually Is

Synchrony HOME is not a single loan product. It is a credit network. Synchrony is one of the largest consumer finance companies in the US, and Synchrony HOME is its home improvement vertical. Through the merchant program, contractors gain access to a suite of promotional credit products they can offer homeowners. These include deferred interest (same-as-cash) promotions, reduced APR offers, and standard revolving credit.

Homeowners who are approved get a Synchrony HOME credit card or account. The brand is widely recognized by consumers, which reduces hesitation compared to applying through a less familiar fintech. That brand recognition is a real advantage in the sales conversation.

Merchant enrollment through synchrony.com/financing/home/partners typically takes 3 to 4 business days. Once enrolled, you access the Contractor Toolbox portal for applications, reporting, and product management.

How Hearth Differs

Hearth is built around a direct lending marketplace model. One pre-qualification check shops 18 or more lending partners simultaneously, and the homeowner receives loan offers (not a revolving credit line) for the specific project amount. Hearth charges a flat annual subscription (around $1,799 for the Pro plan as of 2026) with zero dealer fees on funded loans. The entire application flow is mobile-first and designed to work at the point of estimate, not at a store register.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	Synchrony HOME
Fee model	Flat annual subscription (~$1,799/yr)	Merchant fees (per transaction, varies by product)
Product type	Installment loans (fixed monthly payment)	Revolving credit card / promotional credit
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Synchrony Bank (single issuer)
FICO minimum	550	Typically 620+ depending on product
Merchant enrollment time	Typically 1 to 2 business days	3 to 4 business days
Loan maximum	$250,000	Varies by credit limit (typically up to $50,000)
Consumer brand recognition	Limited (contractor-facing brand)	High (widely recognized consumer brand)
Application experience	Mobile link at point of estimate	Contractor Toolbox portal or physical card app
Industries served	All home improvement trades	HVAC, flooring, appliances, windows, home improvement broadly
Bundled contractor tools	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No

The Brand Recognition Factor

One legitimate advantage Synchrony has over most contractor financing platforms is that homeowners already know the name. Synchrony powers credit programs at retailers like Lowe’s, Amazon, and dozens of national brands. When a homeowner sees a Synchrony application, there is a level of trust and familiarity that a fintech-branded application does not always get.

In practice, this matters most with older homeowners or in markets where consumer trust in digital financial apps runs lower. If you work in a demographic where homeowners are more comfortable with an established bank name, Synchrony’s brand can reduce the friction of saying yes to financing.

The Revolving Credit vs Installment Loan Difference

Synchrony HOME typically issues revolving credit (similar to a store card) rather than fixed installment loans. For homeowners, revolving credit can feel less defined: the monthly payment fluctuates, the balance can be reused, and promotional periods require attention to avoid interest charges. Installment loans (what Hearth offers) have a fixed monthly payment, a fixed payoff date, and no revolving balance. Many homeowners find installment loans easier to understand and more comfortable to commit to.

This is not necessarily a disadvantage for Synchrony, but it is a difference worth understanding when you are presenting financing at the point of sale. Fixed monthly payment conversations tend to close faster because the homeowner knows exactly what they are signing up for.

Volume Break-Even

Synchrony HOME’s merchant fees vary by product and promotional structure. For deferred interest (same-as-cash) products, merchant fees are typically in the 3% to 7% range. At 5% average merchant fees against Hearth’s $1,799 Pro annual subscription, the break-even sits around $36,000 in annual financed volume. Above that, Hearth’s flat fee starts saving you money on every job.

Who Synchrony HOME Is Best For

Synchrony HOME is a strong fit for contractors who serve an older or more brand-aware homeowner demographic where the Synchrony name reduces friction. It also works well for contractors who are already embedded in a retail ecosystem where Synchrony is the preferred financing partner, such as flooring showrooms or appliance dealers with a Synchrony merchant relationship.

For contractors who do lower annual financing volume (under $25,000 per year) or who run a showroom-based business model where revolving credit makes operational sense, Synchrony HOME’s merchant program can be cost-competitive.

Who Hearth Is Best For

Hearth is built for contractors who work in the field, not in a showroom. The mobile link sent to a homeowner’s phone during or after an estimate is designed to close the deal on the spot. The 550 FICO minimum means more homeowners qualify across a wider credit range. And once you clear the annual break-even in financed volume, every additional job costs zero in per-job fees.

If you want to offer financing as a true sales tool at the point of estimate (not as an afterthought at billing), Hearth’s workflow is built for that moment.

Bottom Line

Synchrony HOME brings consumer brand recognition and a broad product suite to the table. For showroom-based businesses or contractors whose customer base responds strongly to familiar financial brands, it is a legitimate option. For field-based contractors who want to close jobs at the estimate stage, minimize per-job costs at volume, and qualify a wider range of homeowners starting at 550 FICO, Hearth’s model is more purpose-built for how residential contractors actually sell.

EnerBank USA was one of the most widely used home improvement lenders in the country before Regions Bank acquired it and rebranded it as Regions Home Improvement Financing. If you have been in the trades for more than a few years, you probably know it as EnerBank. The name changed, but the products and the model largely carried over.

Hearth and EnerBank (now Regions Home Improvement Financing) take completely different approaches to contractor financing. Hearth is a multi-lender marketplace that charges a flat annual fee with no per-job costs. EnerBank is a direct bank lender with a per-job dealer fee structure. The big differentiator that makes EnerBank worth considering is its Zero Interest Loan product. Here is how the two platforms compare and when each one makes more sense.

Two Different Business Models

Hearth connects homeowners to 18 or more lending partners through a single application. You pay a flat annual subscription (around $1,499 to $1,799 per year as of 2026) and every funded job through Hearth after that costs you zero in dealer fees. The subscription includes contractor business tools: estimates, contracts, and payment collection.

EnerBank (Regions Home Improvement Financing) is a single direct lender backed by Regions Bank, one of the top 10 banks in the United States. EnerBank has approved over one million home improvement loans. It does not charge an annual subscription. Instead, it charges a dealer fee on each funded loan, ranging from 0% on certain products up to around 16.4% on the most aggressive promotional offers. The actual fee depends on which loan product the homeowner uses.

The Zero Interest Loan: EnerBank’s Key Differentiator

EnerBank’s Zero Interest Loan (ZIL) is genuinely different from most 0% promotional offers in the market. Most deferred-interest or same-as-cash products look like 0% APR but hit the homeowner with all the back-interest if they do not pay the balance in full by the promotional deadline. EnerBank’s ZIL is a true 0% APR loan. No deferred interest. No back-interest trap. The homeowner pays a fixed monthly payment and the balance goes to zero over the loan term with no surprise charges.

For storm restoration work and large emergency repair jobs where homeowners are stressed about unexpected costs, the true 0% offer can close deals that standard financing options would not. It eliminates the fine-print fear that makes many homeowners hesitant to finance.

The trade-off: EnerBank’s dealer fee on the ZIL product is at the higher end of its range. You are absorbing the cost of offering a genuinely interest-free loan. Whether that is worth it depends on how much the 0% offer helps you close.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	EnerBank (Regions Home Improvement Financing)
Fee model	Flat annual subscription	Per-job dealer fee (0% to ~16.4%)
Annual cost to contractor	~$1,499 to $1,799/yr	$0 (fees only on funded jobs)
True 0% APR product	Available through some lenders	Yes, Zero Interest Loan (no deferred interest)
FICO minimum	550	Varies by product (typically 600+)
Reported approval rate	70% to 85%	~80% reported
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Single direct lender (Regions Bank)
Loan maximum	$250,000	Varies by product
Contractor referral bonus	Referral incentives available	$300 gift card per referred contractor
Bank backing	Multiple bank partners	Regions Bank (top-10 US bank)
Bundled contractor tools	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No

Storm Restoration and the ZIL Use Case

Storm restoration contractors have a specific sales dynamic: homeowners are dealing with unexpected damage, uncertain insurance outcomes, and stress. In that environment, a true 0% APR loan with no fine print catches attention. The homeowner does not have to worry about what happens if the insurance check is delayed or if they cannot pay the full balance before a promotional period ends.

EnerBank’s ZIL was built with this kind of situation in mind. If you do wind, hail, or water damage restoration work, the ZIL product is worth evaluating as a specific tool for that segment of your business. You will pay a higher dealer fee for it, but if it closes deals that would otherwise stall, the math can work in your favor.

High-Volume General Remodeling and Hearth

For general remodeling contractors who finance a consistent volume of $30,000 or more per year across kitchen, bath, and whole-home projects, Hearth’s flat subscription model typically wins on cost. At $1,799 per year with zero per-job fees, every funded loan above the break-even threshold is pure cost savings compared to any dealer fee model.

The 550 FICO floor also matters here. More homeowners qualify, which means higher approval rates across your full customer base. EnerBank’s approval rate is strong at around 80%, but Hearth’s multi-lender network can catch approvals that a single lender would decline.

Can You Run Both?

Yes, and some contractors do. Using EnerBank specifically for ZIL storm restoration jobs while running Hearth as the primary platform for standard remodeling financing is a workable setup. The two platforms do not compete for the same use case in that scenario. The question is whether managing two systems and two dealer relationships is worth the operational overhead for your team.

Bottom Line

EnerBank (Regions Home Improvement Financing) has one product that stands out from almost every other contractor financing option in the market: a true 0% APR loan with no deferred interest trap. If your business includes storm restoration work or any sales context where a genuine no-interest offer is a meaningful closer, EnerBank deserves a serious look. For high-volume general remodeling work where you want to minimize per-job costs and maximize approval rates across a wide FICO range, Hearth’s flat subscription model and 18-lender network tend to win on both cost and coverage.

Foundation Finance Company and Hearth are both popular contractor financing options, and they both serve residential home improvement contractors. But the way each one charges you is fundamentally different. Foundation Finance is free to enroll with dealer fees on each job. Hearth charges a flat annual subscription with zero per-job fees. Depending on your volume and the types of projects you finance, one of these models will cost you significantly more than the other over the course of a year.

Here is a full cost comparison and breakdown of where each platform makes the most sense.

How Each Platform Charges You

Foundation Finance Company operates on a dealer fee model. Enrollment is free, and there are no monthly minimums. When a homeowner’s loan funds, Foundation Finance charges you a dealer fee as a percentage of the funded amount. That fee varies depending on the loan product, the APR offered to the homeowner, and the term length. For standard products, fees tend to fall in the 3% to 9% range. Promotional low-rate products carry higher fees.

Hearth operates on a subscription model. As of 2026, plans start around $1,499 per year for Starter and $1,799 per year for the Pro plan, which is the most popular option for active contractors. Once you are on the subscription, every funded job through Hearth costs zero additional dealer fees. You also get access to Hearth’s bundled contractor tools (estimates, contracts, payment collection) as part of the subscription.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	Foundation Finance Company
Fee model	Flat annual subscription	Per-job dealer fee (varies by product)
Enrollment cost	~$1,499 to $1,799/yr	Free
Per-job dealer fee	$0	Varies by product (typically 3% to 9%)
Loan maximum	$250,000	$100,000
Maximum term	Varies by lender (typically up to 120 months)	Up to 240 months (20 years)
FICO minimum	550	Typically 600+ depending on product
Approval speed	Typically under 60 seconds	Often within 48 hours
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Single lender (Foundation Finance)
Contractor referral program	Referral incentives available	Yes, referral program for contractors
Primary trades served	All home improvement trades	Bath, kitchen, windows, siding, roofing
Bundled contractor tools	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No

The Loan Term Difference Matters for Your Customers

One area where Foundation Finance stands out is term length. Loans up to 240 months (that is 20 years) give homeowners significantly lower monthly payments on large remodeling projects. On a $50,000 whole-home remodel, a 240-month loan at a reasonable rate could cut the monthly payment down to a level that barely registers in a homeowner’s budget. That is a real selling tool, especially for high-ticket bath and kitchen jobs where the scope often surprises homeowners.

Hearth’s loan maximum of $250,000 is higher than Foundation Finance’s $100,000 cap, but most residential home improvement jobs fall under $100,000 anyway. For the majority of bathroom remodels, kitchen renovations, and window replacement projects, Foundation Finance’s loan ceiling is not a limiting factor.

Break-Even Volume Calculation

At a 6% average dealer fee with Foundation Finance (a reasonable blended estimate for a mix of standard and promotional products), here is what your break-even looks like against Hearth’s $1,799 Pro plan:

• $1,799 divided by 6% = $29,983 in financed volume
• At roughly $30,000 in annual financed projects, both platforms cost the same
• Above $30,000 per year, Hearth saves you money on every dollar financed

If your dealer fee average is closer to 8% because you use a lot of promotional products, the break-even drops to about $22,500. Two mid-size bathroom remodels or a couple of window replacement jobs would clear that threshold.

Who Foundation Finance Is Best For

Foundation Finance Company is a natural fit for contractors who specialize in bath, kitchen, window, and siding work. It has deep relationships in those trades and products designed around those project types. The free enrollment also makes it a good starting point if you are new to offering financing and want to test homeowner uptake before committing to an annual fee.

The 240-month maximum term is a genuine differentiator for contractors who do large remodeling projects. If your average job is $40,000 to $75,000 and you want to give homeowners very low monthly payment options, Foundation Finance’s term flexibility is hard to match.

For contractors doing under $25,000 in financed volume per year, Foundation Finance’s dealer fee model will typically cost less than Hearth’s annual subscription.

Who Hearth Is Best For

Hearth makes the most sense once your annual financed volume clears the break-even threshold, which for most contractors falls between $22,000 and $35,000 per year depending on which dealer fee rates you are comparing. Above that threshold, every additional financed job costs you nothing in per-job fees, which compounds fast over a full year.

The 550 FICO minimum is another meaningful edge. Foundation Finance generally requires a higher FICO floor depending on the product, which means some homeowners who would get approved through Hearth’s 18-lender network will not qualify through Foundation Finance. In practical terms, that means more closed deals from the same homeowner pool.

If you also want estimates, contracts, and payment tools bundled with your financing platform, Hearth’s subscription covers all of that at no additional cost.

Can You Use Both?

There is no exclusivity requirement on either side. Some contractors keep Foundation Finance for its long terms on large kitchen and bath jobs while using Hearth as their primary platform for everything else. Whether running two platforms is worth the added complexity depends on your volume in each segment.

Bottom Line

Foundation Finance Company is a strong dealer-fee option with genuine advantages in term length and trade specialization. For bath, kitchen, window, and siding contractors doing low to moderate financing volume, it is a competitive choice with no upfront cost. Once your annual financed volume pushes above $25,000 to $30,000 per year, Hearth’s flat subscription model starts saving you money, and the gap widens with every additional job. The 550 FICO minimum and 18-lender network give Hearth a consistent edge on approval rates that adds up to real revenue over a full season.

If you have been researching contractor financing programs, you have probably run across both Hearth and Service Finance Company. They both let contractors offer financing to homeowners. They both fund you quickly after a job is complete. But the way they charge you is completely different, and that difference determines which one actually saves you money at your volume.

Hearth vs Service Finance Company comes down to one core question: do you want to pay a flat annual fee or a per-job dealer fee? Here is the full breakdown so you can run the math on your own numbers.

The Core Difference: Subscription vs Per-Transaction

Hearth charges a flat annual subscription. As of 2026, that runs around $1,499 per year for the Starter plan, $1,799 for the Pro plan (the most popular tier), and $4,999 for Enterprise. You pay once a year and every funded job after that has zero dealer fees. The $1,799 annual cost breaks down to roughly $150 per month, regardless of how many jobs you finance.

Service Finance Company uses a dealer fee model. Enrollment is free. There are no monthly minimums. But when a homeowner’s loan funds, Service Finance takes a percentage of the loan amount as a dealer fee. That fee varies by product and loan structure, with ranges from 0% on certain products up to around 10% on promotional low-rate or deferred-interest products. The typical range contractors report in the HVAC and roofing space is 3% to 8% depending on the offer.

Neither model is inherently better. The right answer depends almost entirely on how much financing volume you run per year.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Hearth	Service Finance Company
Fee model	Flat annual subscription	Per-job dealer fee (varies by product)
Annual cost	~$1,499 to $1,799/yr (most contractors)	$0 enrollment, fees on each funded loan
Dealer fee range	$0 per job	0% to ~10% depending on product
FICO minimum	550	Typically 620+ (varies by product)
Loan maximum	$250,000	Varies by product (typically up to $100,000)
Lender network	18+ lending partners	Single lender (Service Finance)
Funding speed	2 to 3 business days	24 to 48 hours via ACH
FHA Title I lender	No	Yes
States available	All 50	All 50
Soft credit pull pre-qual	Yes	Yes
Primary trades served	All home improvement trades	HVAC, roofing, windows, siding, solar
Bundled contractor software	Yes (estimates, contracts, payments)	No

The Break-Even Math

This is the only number that actually matters when choosing between the two. At what annual financing volume does Hearth’s flat fee become cheaper than Service Finance’s per-job dealer fees?

If you use Service Finance with an average dealer fee of 5% (a reasonable midpoint for a mix of standard and promotional products), and you pay $1,799 for Hearth’s Pro plan, the break-even point looks like this:

• $1,799 divided by 5% = $35,980 in financed volume
• At $36,000 in annual financed projects, both platforms cost roughly the same
• Every dollar above $36,000 means Hearth is saving you money

If your average dealer fee with Service Finance is closer to 8% (because you use a lot of promotional 0% APR products to close jobs), the break-even drops to about $22,500.

Most contractors doing any real volume in HVAC or remodeling are well above these thresholds. A single $15,000 HVAC replacement financed at 8% costs $1,200 in dealer fees alone. Two of those jobs and you have already paid for Hearth’s Pro annual subscription.

Who Service Finance Company Is Best For

Service Finance is a strong fit in specific situations. If you are just starting to offer financing and are not sure how much volume you will run, the zero-enrollment cost removes the upfront risk. You only pay when jobs actually fund. For a contractor doing $15,000 to $20,000 in financed volume per year, the dealer fees will be lower than Hearth’s annual subscription.

Service Finance is also worth considering if you work heavily in HVAC, roofing, or windows, where it has deep lender relationships and manufacturer tie-ins. Its FHA Title I approval also opens financing access to homeowners in certain government-backed loan programs that Hearth does not participate in.

If your average dealer fee stays low (under 3%) because you mostly use standard rate products rather than promotional ones, the per-job model can remain cost-effective at moderate volume. The key is knowing your actual blended fee rate across all the products you use.

Who Hearth Is Best For

Hearth wins on volume. If you are financing $40,000 or more per year in projects, the flat annual fee almost always comes out ahead. The break-even threshold is low enough that most mid-size contractors clear it within their first two or three financed jobs of the year.

The 550 FICO minimum is also a real advantage. Service Finance typically requires 620 or higher depending on the product, which means some homeowners who would qualify through Hearth’s lender network will get turned down through Service Finance. In the real world, that translates to closed deals you would have otherwise lost.

Hearth’s multi-lender network (18+ partners) also means one pre-qual check shops multiple offers simultaneously, which increases overall approval rates. Service Finance is a single lender, so if that lender declines the homeowner, there is no fallback within the same platform.

Finally, Hearth bundles contractor business tools (estimates, contracts, payment collection) into the subscription. For contractors who want a financing tool and a lightweight business management platform in one, that bundle has real value.

Can You Run Both?

Yes. Some contractors use Service Finance for HVAC-specific manufacturer programs or FHA Title I situations and keep Hearth as their primary multi-lender platform for everything else. There is no exclusivity requirement on either side. The practical question is whether managing two platforms and two sets of homeowner paperwork is worth the added complexity at your volume.

Bottom Line

If you are brand new to contractor financing or running very low annual volume (under $25,000 per year financed), Service Finance Company’s free enrollment removes the upfront risk. If you are doing consistent volume above $36,000 per year in financed projects, Hearth’s flat-fee model saves you money on every job above that break-even threshold. The FICO floor at 550 and the 18-lender network also give Hearth a meaningful edge on approval rates, which matters when every declined homeowner is a lost job.