Category: Financing

One of the most frustrating things about being a new contractor is that some of the most useful tools have a “2-3 years in business” requirement. GreenSky is one of them. If you are in year 1 or year 2 and you want to offer financing to close bigger jobs, the good news is that the platforms with the largest lender networks do not have a business age requirement. Here is how to start offering financing from day one, what the real requirements are, and how to structure it so the costs make sense at low volume.

The Barrier for New Contractors

GreenSky requires applicants to have been in business for 2-3 years, depending on the program. Some other traditional financing platforms and dealer programs have similar minimums. The logic from the lender’s side is that business longevity is a proxy for stability, the assumption being that a 3-year-old business is less likely to disappear mid-project than a 6-month-old one.

This creates a catch-22 for new contractors: the tool that would help them close bigger jobs and grow faster is unavailable during the years when closing bigger jobs matters most. The workaround is knowing which platforms do not have this barrier.

Platforms Accessible from Day One

Hearth does not have a stated business age requirement. New contractors can apply, and approval is based on verifiable business identity, an active business bank account, and licensing for their trade rather than years of operating history. Hearth’s flat annual fee model (around $1,799 per year as of 2026) gives new contractors access to 18-plus lenders without paying per-job dealer fees. The tradeoff: the annual fee is a meaningful cost before you know what your financed volume will be. More on the math below.

Wisetack similarly has no published minimum business age. The application requires basic business information, a bank account, and trade licensing, but there is no “years in business” gate. Wisetack’s per-job fee model (starting at 3.9%) has no upfront cost and no annual commitment, which makes it the lower-risk starting point for a new contractor who is not yet sure how much volume they will finance.

What Most Platforms Do Require Instead

Even without a business age requirement, most platforms need to verify a few basics:

• Active business bank account. The account needs to have transaction history, not just be newly opened. Some platforms want 3-6 months of bank history to confirm the account is active.
• Business license or contractor license. Valid, current state licensing for your trade. This is typically required by the lender network, not just the platform.
• EIN (Employer Identification Number). If you are operating as a sole proprietor with just a SSN, some platforms will accept it, but an EIN is cleaner and separates your business identity from your personal credit.
• Verifiable business identity. Physical business address, business phone number, and a way to confirm you are a real operating contractor. A Google Business Profile with reviews helps here, even if it is only a few months old.

The Per-Job vs. Subscription Cost Analysis for New Contractors

The crossover point between Wisetack’s per-job model and Hearth’s annual subscription is roughly $46,000 in financed volume per year. Here is the math:

Annual Financed Volume	Wisetack Cost (avg 3.9%)	Hearth Cost ($1,799/yr flat)	Cheaper Option
$10,000	$390	$1,799	Wisetack
$25,000	$975	$1,799	Wisetack
$46,000	$1,794	$1,799	Break even
$75,000	$2,925	$1,799	Hearth
$150,000	$5,850	$1,799	Hearth (saves $4,051)

For a new contractor in year 1 who has no idea yet how much volume they will finance, Wisetack at 3.9% per job is the right starting point. You have no upfront commitment, no annual fee to justify, and you only pay when you use it.

How to Include Financing in Your Pitch from Day One

You can lead with financing from the very first estimate you write, even if you just signed up last week. Homeowners do not know or care how long you have been on the platform. What they care about is whether monthly payment options are available.

The framing that works for new contractors is exactly the same as it is for established ones: introduce it early, before quoting the price, and remove the credit score concern proactively. “We work with a lender network that lets homeowners spread the cost over 12-60 months. Checking your options takes about 2 minutes and does not affect your credit score.”

Having it mentioned in your estimate document is also effective. A line that says “financing available, 0-60 month terms, check your rate with no credit impact” at the top of the proposal normalizes it before the price conversation starts.

What Volume to Expect in Year 1

Contractor financing attach rates in year 1 are typically low, not because the demand is not there, but because it takes a few conversations to get comfortable presenting it. Most contractors who start offering financing in their first year report financing 2-5 jobs before the end of the year. At $10,000-$15,000 average ticket, that is $20,000-$75,000 in financed volume.

At the low end of that range, Wisetack is the cheaper option. At the high end, you are approaching the break-even point where Hearth starts to make sense. Which is a good problem to have in year 1.

The Growth Path

The practical path for most new contractors:

Start with Wisetack because there is no annual fee and no commitment. Use it on every job where financing could help close. Track how many jobs you financed and the total volume. When your annual financed volume crosses $46,000, add Hearth. Use Hearth as your primary platform for its larger lender network and the flat-fee economics. Keep Wisetack active as a backup for customers who do not get approved through Hearth’s network, since the two platforms draw from different lenders and a decline on one does not necessarily mean a decline on both.

Running both platforms adds maybe 5 minutes of setup and costs you nothing extra as long as you are below the Hearth break-even point on whichever platform you are primarily using. Once you are above $46,000 in financed volume, Hearth pays for itself quickly.

For more on how financing works at different business stages, check out our guides on the beginner’s guide to home improvement financing, dealer fees in contractor financing, and the true cost of not offering financing.

The most common objection contractors hear when they introduce financing is some version of “I don’t want to mess up my credit.” It comes up on almost every job where financing is introduced for the first time. The good news is that the honest answer to this objection removes most of the friction, because the actual credit impact is much smaller and more predictable than most homeowners assume. This guide gives you the accurate version of what happens to a homeowner’s credit when they use contractor financing, and how to explain it at the kitchen table without overcomplicating it.

The Two Types of Credit Pulls

There are two fundamentally different types of credit inquiries, and they have completely different effects on a credit score.

Soft pull (soft inquiry). A soft pull accesses credit report information but does not leave a record that other lenders can see and does not affect the credit score. Checking your own credit score is a soft pull. Pre-qualification checks from lenders are soft pulls. The score does not change, and no record of the inquiry appears to future lenders.

Hard pull (hard inquiry). A hard pull is initiated when a lender makes a formal credit decision. It appears on the credit report, other lenders can see it, and it typically causes a temporary score dip of 2-5 points. The effect fades within 12 months and disappears from the report after 2 years.

The distinction matters here because of when each type happens in the contractor financing process.

Which Platforms Use Which Pull

Both Hearth and Wisetack use a soft pull for the pre-qualification step. When a homeowner submits their application to check what they qualify for, that initial check is a soft pull. No score impact, no record visible to other lenders.

The hard pull happens when the homeowner selects a specific loan offer and formally accepts it. At that point, the individual lender whose offer they accepted initiates a hard inquiry as part of finalizing the loan. That is where the 2-5 point temporary dip occurs.

The practical takeaway: checking what you qualify for is free in every meaningful sense. No cost, no score impact, no risk. Only accepting a specific loan triggers any effect on credit.

How to Explain This to a Homeowner

The explanation does not need to be long. Here is a version that works well in a kitchen table conversation:

“Checking your options takes about 2 minutes and it is a soft check, so it does not affect your credit score at all. If you find a payment plan you like and decide to use it, there is a small temporary dip of a few points when you accept, but it is the same thing that happens when you open any credit account and it bounces back within about a year. A lot of our customers go this route because it keeps their savings intact for other things.”

That explanation covers the key facts without getting into FICO mechanics that most homeowners do not care about. Keep it short. The goal is to remove the objection, not to give a lecture on credit scoring.

What Actually Happens to Credit After Accepting a Loan

When a homeowner accepts a financing offer and the loan is opened, a few things happen to their credit profile:

A new account opens. A new installment loan appears on the credit report. This initially has a small negative effect on the “average age of accounts” factor in the FICO model, because it adds a new account that pulls down the average. This effect is usually small (1-3 points) and recovers as the account ages.

Available credit does not change for installment loans. Unlike revolving credit (credit cards), installment loans do not create available credit that affects credit utilization. A $15,000 installment loan does not show up as $15,000 of available credit. It shows up as $15,000 of debt that is being paid down.

Payment history begins. Every on-time payment adds positive payment history, which is the single largest factor in the FICO model (35% of the score). A homeowner who makes 12 on-time payments will typically see their score improve over the course of the loan, not decline.

Does Paying Off the Loan Early Affect Credit

Paying off an installment loan early is generally neutral to slightly positive for credit. It removes the debt from the balance sheet, which improves the debt-to-income picture that lenders evaluate. The FICO score itself may see a very small dip when the account closes (because it affects account diversity and age) but this is typically 1-3 points and temporary.

The short answer to tell a homeowner: “Paying it off early is fine. It does not hurt your credit and it gets rid of the monthly payment.”

The Deferred Interest Trap

Some contractor financing products, particularly manufacturer-affiliated 0% APR promotional products like those offered through GreenSky and EnerBank, use deferred interest rather than true 0% APR. This is an important distinction to understand and to communicate to homeowners when relevant.

With deferred interest, the interest is calculated and held during the promotional period. If the homeowner pays off the full balance before the promotional period ends, they owe nothing extra. But if they have even a single dollar remaining at the end of the promo period, all of the accumulated interest from the entire loan balance, going back to day one, is added to the outstanding balance at once.

That sudden large balance increase can significantly affect a homeowner’s credit utilization (if the loan is structured as revolving credit) and their debt profile. More importantly, it can result in a much larger payoff amount than they expected. This does not apply to standard installment loans from Hearth or Wisetack, which are not deferred interest products, but it is worth being aware of when recommending any financing product.

What Not to Say

Never promise a specific credit score outcome to a homeowner. You do not know their full credit profile, and individual results vary based on factors you cannot see. Saying “this won’t affect your score at all” when you mean “the pre-qual check won’t affect your score” is accurate but easy to hear as a guarantee about the full process. Be specific about what stage you are describing.

Also avoid making it sound like financing will improve their credit, even though it sometimes does through payment history. You are a contractor, not a credit counselor, and making that claim creates an expectation you cannot control.

The Script for the Objection

When a homeowner says some version of “I don’t want to hurt my credit,” here is a reliable response:

“Totally fair concern. Just to clarify: checking your options is a soft pull, which means it does not show up on your credit report and does not change your score. You are just looking at what you qualify for. If you decide to use it, accepting the loan does leave a small inquiry, same as any new account, usually just a few points and it recovers fast. The monthly payments actually build positive payment history over time. But there is zero cost or impact just from checking, so it’s worth taking a look.”

For more on handling the full range of financing objections, check out 10 homeowner financing objections and exactly what to say, how to pitch financing at the kitchen table, and Wisetack contractor financing review.

If you have never offered financing before and you are not sure where to start, this guide is written specifically for you. Not for contractors who are switching platforms or optimizing dealer fees, but for the contractor who has never done it and is wondering whether it is worth the effort. The short answer is yes, it is worth it, and it is simpler to set up than most contractors expect.

What Contractor Financing Actually Is

The core concept is simple: the homeowner applies for a loan through a lender in the platform’s network, the lender approves the loan, and you get paid in full within 1-3 business days. The homeowner makes monthly payments to the lender, not to you. You are out of the transaction once you get paid.

You are not lending your own money. You are not taking on credit risk. You are not waiting on the homeowner to pay you. Your cash flow works the same as cash or check, except the money comes from the lender instead of directly from the customer.

What you give up is a small percentage of the job amount in “dealer fees,” depending on which platform you use and which loan product the homeowner selects. This is the cost of the service to you. The tradeoff is that you close jobs you would otherwise lose, and your average ticket often goes up because homeowners stop anchoring to what they have in the bank.

The Three Fee Models

Per-job dealer fees. You pay a percentage of the financed amount for each individual job. The fee typically ranges from 3.9% to 12% depending on the platform, the loan product, and the homeowner’s credit tier. This is the most common model for platforms like Wisetack and GreenSky. It has no upfront cost and no commitment, which makes it the right starting point for lower-volume shops.

Annual subscription. You pay a flat annual fee regardless of how many jobs you finance. Hearth uses this model, charging around $1,799 per year as of 2026. Once you have paid the annual fee, there is no per-job charge. This model becomes significantly cheaper than per-job fees once you cross roughly $36,000-$46,000 in financed volume per year.

Membership or dealer program. Some manufacturer-affiliated programs (like EnerBank through Lennox or Carrier dealers) structure costs into manufacturer program fees rather than direct per-job charges. The costs are still there, they are just built into the dealer agreement differently.

The Top Platforms and One-Line Descriptions

• Hearth: Flat annual fee, 18-plus lenders, best for contractors financing more than $46k per year. See details here.
• Wisetack: Per-job fee starting at 3.9%, no commitment, best entry point for new or lower-volume shops.
• GreenSky: Most recognized brand, high dealer fees on promotional products, widely used in HVAC and home improvement.
• Service Finance Company: HVAC and home improvement specialty lender, 0% promotional products available.
• EnerBank / Regions: Powers most manufacturer seasonal 0% programs, best for dealers with manufacturer relationships.

What You Need to Get Started

Most platforms require roughly the same basic setup. There is typically no credit check on your business for entry-level platforms like Wisetack or Hearth. What you do need:

• An active business bank account where deposits will land
• A valid business license or contractor license for your state and trade
• Basic business information: legal entity name, EIN, years in operation
• A verifiable business address and phone number

The application process takes 20-30 minutes and approval typically comes back within 1-3 business days. Some platforms like Hearth and Wisetack approve within hours.

How to Introduce Financing in Your First Estimate

The single most effective way to introduce financing is early, before you have quoted a price. The question that works best is some version of: “Do you have a preference on how you’d like to handle payment for the project, or would it be helpful to look at some monthly payment options?”

This does two things. It normalizes financing as a normal, expected option rather than something you offer to people who “can’t afford it.” And it gives the homeowner an opening to tell you they are interested in monthly payments before they have anchored to the full project price.

Once they say they are open to payment options, you can present the financing as: “We work with a lender network that lets homeowners spread the cost over 12-60 months. It takes about 2 minutes to check what you qualify for and it does not affect your credit score to check.”

That last sentence, the soft pull no-impact language, removes the biggest hesitation most homeowners have.

What Approval Rate to Expect

Approval rates vary by platform, market, and the credit profile of your customer base. Industry averages for contractor financing platforms generally run 60-75% of applicants getting some offer. On Wisetack and Hearth specifically, contractors commonly report approval rates in the 65-70% range across their customer base.

The customers who are declined are typically below the 540-550 FICO floor, have very high existing debt, or are applying for amounts that exceed what lenders will support at their income level.

What to Do When a Customer Is Declined

A decline on one platform is not necessarily a decline everywhere. The two most practical steps:

First, try a second platform. Hearth and Wisetack draw from different lender networks. A customer declined by Wisetack may get approved through Hearth, and vice versa. Having both active before you need them is the right approach.

Second, ask if a smaller amount would work. A customer declined for $18,000 might get approved for $10,000, which could cover the highest-priority scope of work now and the rest later.

Is It Worth It If You Only Finance 3-5 Jobs a Year

At 3-5 financed jobs per year, the answer depends on your ticket size and which fee model you use. On Wisetack with a 3.9% fee, 5 jobs at $10,000 each costs you about $195 per job in fees, or $975 total for the year. If one of those 5 jobs would have been lost without financing, and that job had a $10,000 ticket, you are ahead by $9,025 even after fees.

The question is not whether the fee is worth it in a vacuum. The question is how many jobs you would lose without offering financing, and what those jobs are worth. For most contractors, even one or two additional closes per year more than pays for the cost of the platform.

The 3 Most Common Mistakes First-Time Contractors Make

Waiting until the end of the estimate to mention financing. By that point, the homeowner has anchored to the full price and mentally started problem-solving around it. Introduce the option early, before the number lands.

Offering it only to customers who seem like they need it. This is the fastest way to make financing feel like a last resort rather than a smart payment option. Present it to every customer as a normal choice, the same way a car dealership mentions lease vs. buy on every deal.

Signing up and then never actually bringing it up. The number one reason financing does not work for a contractor is that they never actually present it. The platform sitting in your email confirmation is not doing anything. You have to bring it up in the sales conversation.

For more detail on how to use financing effectively in your sales process, check out our guides on how to pitch financing to homeowners, handling homeowner financing objections, and the true cost of not offering financing.

HVAC is one of the highest-volume industries for contractor financing for a straightforward reason: the ticket size is large, the work is often urgent, and a lot of homeowners do not have $8,000-$15,000 sitting in a checking account when their system fails in July. GreenSky has dominated this space for years, but it is not the best fit for every HVAC shop. Here are the 5 best HVAC contractor financing programs for 2026, including what GreenSky actually costs and where the alternatives win.

Why HVAC Has the Highest Financing Attach Rates of Any Trade

Roofing and HVAC have more in common than most contractors realize. Both are largely emergency-driven (failed system, storm damage), both have average tickets in the $8,000-$20,000 range, and both face homeowners who often say “I wasn’t planning for this.” The difference is that HVAC runs on manufacturer programs and seasonal promotions in a way that roofing typically does not.

Carrier, Lennox, Trane, and other major manufacturers have long-standing dealer financing programs designed to move equipment during slow months. These programs often include 0% for 12 or 18 months promotions that let HVAC dealers run seasonal campaigns around spring and fall tune-up season. Understanding how those dealer programs interact with third-party platforms like GreenSky or Hearth is the key to minimizing what you give up in dealer fees.

GreenSky’s Dominance and Its Problems

GreenSky is the most widely used financing platform in HVAC. A large portion of major HVAC manufacturers have or have had some connection to GreenSky’s dealer network, and many HVAC contractors were introduced to financing through a manufacturer rep who pointed them to GreenSky.

The problems with GreenSky center on three things. First, dealer fees on promotional products (the 0% APR or deferred interest offers) are high, often running 7-12% of the financed amount. On a $12,000 system, a 9% dealer fee is $1,080 you are absorbing. Second, GreenSky’s history with the CFPB (including a 2022 consent order) has made some contractors nervous about long-term platform stability. Third, GreenSky’s annual fee model and program structure can be confusing, with different rates attached to different promotional products.

None of this means GreenSky is a bad option. It has wide consumer brand recognition and a large lender network. But knowing the alternatives is how you avoid overpaying.

The 5 Best HVAC Contractor Financing Programs in 2026

1. Hearth

Hearth is the best fit for high-volume HVAC shops that finance more than $36,000-$46,000 in projects per year. Instead of per-job dealer fees, Hearth charges a flat annual subscription fee (starting around $1,799 per year as of 2026). If you finance $150,000 in HVAC jobs in a year, your effective cost on that volume is roughly 1.2% rather than the 7-10% you would pay in per-job dealer fees on promotional products. Hearth connects homeowners to 18 or more lenders, approval rates are competitive, and there is no per-job charge regardless of ticket size. The math strongly favors Hearth for any shop doing consistent volume. See if Hearth makes sense for your shop here.

2. EnerBank / Regions Bank Same-As-Cash (ZIL)

EnerBank (now part of Regions Bank) runs the manufacturer seasonal programs that power most of the 0% APR offers you see attached to Carrier, Lennox, and similar brands. Their “Same-As-Cash” and deferred interest products are designed specifically for HVAC seasonal promotions. If your shop is a manufacturer dealer with an existing program relationship, EnerBank/Regions is often the cheapest way to offer 0% promotional financing because the dealer fee is built into the manufacturer program rather than charged separately by the platform. Dealer fees on ZIL products typically run 4-7% depending on the term. Best fit: manufacturer dealers running seasonal 0% promotions.

3. Wisetack

Wisetack is the best option for HVAC shops that do lower volume financing (under $46,000 per year) or want a no-commitment entry point. There is no annual fee. Wisetack charges a per-job fee that varies by the loan product the homeowner selects, typically 3.9% to 8% depending on the term and rate. For a shop doing 3-5 financed jobs a year, pay-per-use beats a $1,799 annual subscription every time. Wisetack’s approval floor is around 540-550 FICO. The main limitation is that Wisetack does not offer 0% APR promotional products the way manufacturer programs do.

4. Service Finance Company

Service Finance Company is a specialty HVAC and home improvement lender that runs its own dealer program. It offers both same-as-cash and standard installment products. Dealer fees on same-as-cash products run roughly 6-9%, similar to GreenSky. Where Service Finance differentiates is in its HVAC-specific program structure and the fact that it is a direct lender rather than a marketplace, which gives it more flexibility on approval criteria for some borrower profiles. Best fit: established HVAC dealers looking for a GreenSky alternative with a similar program structure.

5. Synchrony HOME

Synchrony HOME is the consumer brand attached to Synchrony Financial’s home improvement lending network. Many homeowners already have Synchrony credit relationships through retail programs, which can ease the approval process. Synchrony HOME offers revolving credit lines (not just installment loans), which some homeowners prefer because they can use the line for future service calls. Dealer fees are in the same range as GreenSky for promotional products. Brand recognition is a real asset, particularly in markets where homeowners are familiar with Synchrony from other retail contexts. Best fit: HVAC contractors in markets where the Synchrony brand helps with consumer trust.

Comparison Table

Platform	Fee Model	0% APR Promo	Approx. Dealer Cost	Best For
Hearth	Flat annual fee	No	~$1,799/yr flat	High-volume shops ($46k+ financed/yr)
EnerBank / Regions ZIL	Per-job dealer fee	Yes	4-7% per job	Manufacturer dealers running seasonal promos
Wisetack	Per-job fee	No	3.9-8% per job	Lower volume or no-commitment start
Service Finance	Per-job dealer fee	Yes	6-9% per job (promo)	Established dealers wanting GreenSky alternative
Synchrony HOME	Per-job dealer fee	Yes	6-10% per job (promo)	Shops where brand recognition aids conversions

Bottom Line by HVAC Business Size

Solo tech or 1-2 tech shop doing under $500k in installs per year: Start with Wisetack. No annual fee, no commitment, and the 3.9% cost on a $10,000 job is $390, which is well below the dealer fees on promotional products at the same volume level.

3-10 tech shop doing $500k-$2M in installs per year: Hearth is almost certainly cheaper than per-job fees at this volume level. Run the math: if you finance $100,000 in jobs at 7% average dealer fee, that is $7,000 in fees per year versus a $1,799 Hearth subscription. The savings are $5,200 annually.

Manufacturer dealer with active seasonal programs: Keep EnerBank or your manufacturer program for the 0% promotional products. Add Hearth as your non-promotional financing option for homeowners who do not want deferred interest. Running two platforms is not complicated and it covers more homeowner situations.

For more on contractor financing, check out our comparisons of Hearth vs GreenSky, Hearth vs Wisetack, and dealer fees in contractor financing.

One of the most common questions contractors get from homeowners before submitting a financing application is some version of “will this hurt my credit” or “what score do I need to get approved.” The Wisetack version of that question comes up constantly, partly because Wisetack does not publish an official minimum FICO score anywhere on their website. This guide gives you the honest answer you can pass along to customers, plus what to do when someone does not qualify.

Why Wisetack Does Not Publish an Official Minimum

Wisetack operates as a multi-lender marketplace, not a single lender. When a homeowner applies through a contractor’s Wisetack link, the application goes out to multiple lenders simultaneously and the platform presents the best offers that come back. Different lenders in that network have different approval thresholds, different risk models, and different appetite for thin credit files.

Publishing a single minimum FICO score would be misleading because it is not how the system works. A homeowner with a 580 might get approved by one lender in the network and declined by three others. The approval is not a binary yes or no based on one cutoff number; it is a function of which lenders are active in that network at that moment and what their current risk appetite is.

That said, there is a practical floor based on what contractors and industry data consistently report.

The Practical Credit Floor for Wisetack

Based on contractor-reported outcomes and industry data on the platforms Wisetack works with, the practical approval floor sits around 540 to 550 FICO. Applicants in the 540-579 range may see approval from one lender in the network, but likely at higher APRs (in the 25-35.9% range) and with shorter terms. Applicants below 540 are typically declined across the board.

The approval rate climbs meaningfully once a borrower crosses 620. At 620 and above, the borrower starts getting multiple offers at more competitive rates, and above 680 they are typically seeing the better end of Wisetack’s rate range. The full rate window Wisetack advertises runs from 0% (promotional, for select contractors and offers) up to 35.99% depending on creditworthiness.

What Affects Approval Beyond FICO

FICO score is one input, not the whole picture. Lenders in the Wisetack network are also evaluating:

• Debt-to-income ratio (DTI). A homeowner with a 620 score but very high existing monthly debt obligations may get declined or capped at a lower loan amount. Generally, lenders want to see total debt payments (including the new loan) stay under 43% of gross monthly income.
• Recent derogatory marks. A 600 score with a recent collection account or a 30-day late in the past 6 months is treated differently than a 600 score with old, stable derogatory history. Recent activity matters a lot.
• Income verification. Wisetack’s lenders may require proof of income for larger loan amounts. Self-employment income is acceptable but may require additional documentation like bank statements.
• Job stability. Length of current employment or, for self-employed applicants, years in business can affect approval odds at the margin.
• Loan amount relative to income. A homeowner applying for a $25,000 loan on a $40,000 annual income is a different risk profile than the same score applying for $8,000.

Wisetack Rate Range by Credit Tier

Credit Tier	Approximate FICO Range	Likely APR Range	Approval Likelihood
Below floor	Below 540	N/A	Very low, typically declined
Subprime	540-619	25%-35.99%	Low to moderate, 1 lender may approve
Near prime	620-679	12%-25%	Moderate, multiple offers likely
Prime	680-739	6%-15%	Good, competitive offers
Super prime	740+	0%-9%	Strong, best available terms

These are general ranges based on industry reporting as of 2026, not published Wisetack data. Actual outcomes vary by lender and application specifics.

The Soft Pull Explained

Wisetack uses a soft credit pull for the initial pre-qualification check. A soft pull does not affect the homeowner’s credit score and does not appear to other lenders as an inquiry. This is an important point to communicate clearly before a customer applies, because many homeowners have been burned by a hard pull inquiry dropping their score in the past.

The hard pull only happens if the homeowner selects a specific loan offer and accepts it. At that point, the lender whose offer they accepted initiates a hard inquiry. That hard inquiry typically causes a 2-5 point temporary dip in FICO score, which recovers within 12 months with normal credit activity.

The practical message for customers: checking what you qualify for costs nothing and does not touch your score. Only accepting an offer triggers a hard pull.

What to Do When a Customer Is Declined on Wisetack

A Wisetack decline is not the end of the financing conversation. A few options worth knowing:

Try Hearth next. Hearth also works with a multi-lender network and has a similar practical floor around 550 FICO. The lender mix is different, which means a homeowner declined by Wisetack’s network may get an approval through Hearth’s. If you are not already offering both options, you are leaving approvals on the table. Hearth’s affiliate link for contractors is here.

Revisit the loan amount. A declined application on a $20,000 loan might come back approved at $12,000. Ask the homeowner if a partial financing option would help them move forward.

Address the DTI.stomp first. If the customer knows they have high debt-to-income, some lenders will reconsider if the customer can show they are paying down a specific debt. It is worth asking the lender’s decline reason if one is provided.

How to Set Expectations Before the Application

The best time to manage expectations is before the homeowner submits, not after a decline. A few things worth mentioning when you introduce financing:

First, tell them the pre-qualification check is a soft pull that does not affect their score. This removes the biggest objection. Second, tell them approval is based on their full financial picture, not just a single number, so there is nothing to worry about just from checking. Third, let them know that if they do not get the full amount they applied for, partial financing is often available. Fourth, have a second option ready (like Hearth) so a decline does not end the conversation.

For more on how to handle financing objections and credit concerns from homeowners, check out our guides on 10 homeowner financing objections and what to say, FICO scores and contractor financing, and Hearth vs Wisetack comparison.

Most contractors who use Hearth do not advertise it on their website. They offer financing verbally at the consultation, which is better than nothing, but it leaves a lot of opportunity on the table. Homeowners research contractors before they ever pick up the phone. If your website mentions financing and your competitor’s does not, you are already winning the comparison before anyone calls either of you.

This guide covers how to add Hearth financing to your contractor website, where to place it for maximum impact, and what the copy should say to actually convert website visitors into financing applicants.

Why Your Website Should Mention Financing Before the Phone Call

Homeowners doing project research in 2026 are filtering for contractors who will not require them to come up with a large lump sum. They may not search explicitly for “contractor financing,” but they are evaluating whether a project is financially accessible based on what they read before they make contact.

A contractor website that mentions monthly payment options signals three things simultaneously: you are professional, you are easy to work with financially, and you understand that $20,000 projects require more than a handshake and a check. That signal happens before the phone rings, which means it influences whether the phone rings at all.

There is also a practical filtering benefit. The homeowners who see your financing badge and reach out are already open to payment plans. The qualifying conversation is easier because they showed up with financing already on their mind.

What Hearth Provides for Website Marketing

Hearth includes marketing support as part of the Pro plan subscription. Here is what you get:

• A web badge or financing widget: A branded graphic that says something like “Financing Available” or “Monthly Payments Available” that you can place on your site
• A pre-qualification link: A unique URL where homeowners can check their payment options without a hard credit pull
• Marketing materials: Printable materials, email templates, and digital assets for other channels
• Marketing language guidance: Suggested copy and messaging frameworks for presenting financing on the web

Your Hearth dashboard gives you access to these assets once your account is set up. The pre-qualification link is the most important element because it allows homeowners to self-qualify and see monthly payment options on their own, without requiring them to call you first.

Where to Place Financing Information on Your Website

Placement determines whether financing information gets seen or ignored. Here is the priority order:

1. Homepage Hero Section

The hero section is the first thing every visitor sees. If financing is a competitive advantage for your business, it should be visible here. You do not need a full explanation in the hero. A single line beneath your headline is enough: “Financing available. See monthly payment options without affecting your credit score.” Or even simpler: “Monthly payments available on all projects.”

Adding the Hearth badge or a simple “Financing Available” icon near your primary call-to-action button reinforces this without cluttering the design.

2. Services Pages

Each service page should reference financing in context. A roofing services page might include a section like: “Most homeowners finance roof replacements. Ask about monthly payment options starting around $180 per month on a typical $12,000 replacement.” This is where the monthly payment framing really works because you can anchor it to a realistic project cost for that specific service.

3. Pricing or Estimate Page

If your site has a pricing page or a “How It Works” page that mentions costs, this is a natural home for your financing information. A sentence like “All projects include flexible financing options. Get pre-qualified in minutes with no impact to your credit score” directly addresses the question every visitor on this page is asking: “Can I afford this?”

4. Contact and Request a Quote Page

The contact page is where visitors go when they are close to making a decision. Adding financing information here reinforces that accessibility at the moment of highest intent. Something like: “Ask about monthly payment options when you request your estimate. We work with 18 or more lenders to find the best rate for your situation.”

5. Footer

The footer is the worst place to put your primary financing message, but it is not worthless. A small financing badge or line in the footer ensures every page on your site has at least a passive mention. Think of it as reinforcement rather than lead generation.

How to Write the Financing Copy on Your Website

The copy that works does three things: it names the monthly payment, it removes fear about the credit process, and it connects the payment to real project value.

Weak version: “We offer financing options.”

Better version: “Most projects qualify for monthly payment options. A typical $15,000 bathroom remodel can be financed starting around $230 per month. No impact to your credit score to check your rate.”

Even better (when you have a specific service anchor): “Panel upgrades typically run $4,000 to $7,000. With financing, that is $90 to $155 per month for most qualifying customers. Check your options in about 3 minutes with no hard credit pull.”

The specificity of a dollar amount changes how homeowners read the message. “Financing available” sounds like fine print. “$180 per month” sounds like a decision they can make today.

The Pre-Qualification Link as a Lead Capture Tool

Hearth’s pre-qualification link is more than just a financing check. It is a low-friction entry point for homeowners who are not ready to pick up the phone but are ready to understand their options. Treat it as a lead capture tool, not just a financing tool.

Add the pre-qual link as a secondary CTA on your homepage, services pages, and contact page. The primary CTA might be “Request a Free Estimate” and the secondary might be “Check Your Monthly Payment Options.” These two CTAs serve different homeowner mindsets: one is ready to talk to you, and one wants to know if they can afford it first. Both are valuable leads.

You can also embed the pre-qualification link directly in email follow-ups after estimates. If a homeowner received a quote and went quiet, sending a follow-up with “You can check your monthly payment options here without any impact to your credit” often restarts the conversation.

Mobile Optimization for the Financing Application

Most homeowners who use your pre-qualification link will do so on a mobile device. Hearth’s application is mobile-optimized, but your website’s presentation of the financing option needs to be too.

Check a few things on mobile:

• Is the financing badge or mention visible above the fold on mobile without scrolling?
• Does the pre-qualification link open correctly in a mobile browser?
• Is the button large enough to tap easily?
• Does the financing mention appear on service pages when viewed on a phone?

If the financing CTA is buried below a long block of text on mobile or the link opens a desktop-formatted page, you are losing applicants to friction.

What Not to Do

A few common mistakes that reduce the effectiveness of financing mentions on contractor websites:

• Putting it only in the footer. The footer is not where buyers make decisions. Put it where eyes go first.
• Using vague language. “Financing available” means nothing. Monthly figures mean something.
• Making it look like fine print. Small gray text at the bottom of a page signals that financing is an afterthought, not a feature. Style it like a benefit, not a disclosure.
• Linking to a dead or broken pre-qual page. Test your Hearth link monthly. If it breaks and you do not notice, every homeowner who clicks it bounces.
• Forgetting to mention it on service pages. The homepage mention is a start, but the most conversion-oriented placement is on the specific service page where the homeowner is already thinking about that job’s cost.

Simple HTML Embed for Financing Mention

If your site is WordPress or a similar CMS, you can add a simple financing callout block to any page with basic HTML. This is a minimal version that works on any site:

<div style="background:#f0f7ff;border:1px solid #2563eb;border-radius:8px;padding:16px 20px;margin:24px 0;">
  <strong>Flexible Financing Available</strong>
  <p>Check your monthly payment options in minutes with no impact to your credit score.</p>
  <a href="YOUR_HEARTH_PREQUALIFICATION_LINK">See Your Options</a>
</div>

Replace the link with your unique Hearth pre-qualification URL from your Hearth dashboard. Place this block on your homepage hero area, each major service page, and your contact/quote page.

Bottom Line

Adding Hearth financing to your website is a 30-minute project with a measurable impact on your close rate. Homeowners who see monthly payment options before they call are better leads. Homeowners who self-qualify through your pre-qual link are ready to move forward. And every competitor who does not have financing on their website is inadvertently sending price-sensitive homeowners your way.

The setup is straightforward. Get your pre-qualification link from your Hearth dashboard, add a line and a button on your homepage and service pages, and let the traffic do the work. For more on how to maximize what Hearth offers, see our breakdown of what not offering financing actually costs you and the financing pitch guide for in-person consultations. If you are still deciding whether the annual subscription makes sense, the full Hearth cost breakdown walks through the fee math at different volume levels.

There is a wide gap between landscaping and hardscaping when it comes to project financing. A lawn care contract or seasonal maintenance plan does not need financing. But an outdoor kitchen, a tiered patio with a fire pit, a pool installation, or a full retaining wall system? Those jobs can run $20,000 to $80,000 and they are almost never in the homeowner’s immediate budget. That gap is where contractor financing earns its keep, and it is why Hearth is worth a close look for hardscape contractors specifically.

This guide breaks down how Hearth financing works for landscaping and hardscape contractors, where the real financing opportunity is in this trade, and why Hearth’s $250,000 loan cap and flat fee structure fit this market better than most alternatives.

Landscaping vs Hardscaping: Ticket Size and Financing Need

The distinction matters because financing strategy is different for each side of the business.

Landscaping (maintenance and soft goods):

• Lawn mowing and maintenance contracts: $500 to $3,000 per year
• Spring cleanup and mulch installation: $800 to $2,500
• Planting, sod, and landscape refresh: $2,000 to $8,000
• Irrigation system installation: $3,000 to $8,000
• Tree removal and stump grinding: $500 to $3,000 per tree

Hardscaping (permanent structures and outdoor living):

• Poured concrete or paver patio (basic): $6,000 to $15,000
• Multi-level paver patio with steps: $12,000 to $28,000
• Retaining wall (segmental block, moderate size): $5,000 to $20,000
• Outdoor kitchen with counters, grill, sink: $15,000 to $50,000
• Pool installation (in-ground, basic): $35,000 to $65,000
• Pool with hardscape surround and outdoor kitchen: $60,000 to $120,000+
• Full outdoor living area (patio, kitchen, fireplace, pergola): $40,000 to $100,000

Landscaping maintenance is largely cash-flow friendly for homeowners. Hardscaping is not. When a homeowner signs up for an $80,000 outdoor living project, they need a financial structure that does not require writing one check.

Why Hardscape Contractors Need Financing More Than Landscapers

Hardscape projects are large, one-time capital expenditures. They are not something homeowners budget for annually. The typical pattern is: a homeowner decides they want to transform their backyard, gets a quote for $35,000 to $55,000, and then has a realistic conversation with their bank account about whether they can actually do this right now.

Without financing, many of those conversations end with “let us wait until next year,” and the following year never comes. With a monthly payment option in hand at the initial consultation, the conversation shifts to “what can we add within that monthly budget?”

There is also a natural upsell dynamic with financing. A homeowner who was planning a $22,000 patio might upgrade to a $35,000 version with an outdoor kitchen add-on when the payment difference is $180 per month rather than $13,000 upfront. Financing expands the average ticket in a way that cash-only conversations cannot.

Hearth’s $250,000 Loan Cap: Why It Matters Here

Most contractor financing platforms cap loans at $25,000. Wisetack, one of the most popular alternatives, caps at $25,000. For hardscape contractors, that cap is a real limitation.

A pool installation with full hardscape surrounds, an outdoor kitchen, and a pergola can easily reach $80,000 to $120,000. Even a well-appointed patio project with seating walls, steps, lighting, and a fire feature often lands at $30,000 to $45,000. A $25,000 cap leaves a meaningful chunk of the project unfinanced, which defeats the purpose of offering financing at all.

Hearth’s $250,000 ceiling covers every realistic outdoor living project, including full backyard transformations and large multi-feature installations. For a hardscape contractor with high-ticket projects, this is not a minor feature. It is a fundamental requirement.

Seasonal Urgency: The Financing Pitch That Works in Outdoor Living

Hardscape projects have a seasonal window. In most markets, you are building patios and outdoor kitchens from April through October. A homeowner who delays a decision until July has already lost two months of outdoor living season. A homeowner who says “let us revisit in spring” has just pushed the entire project a year out.

The seasonal urgency pitch with financing is natural: “If we can get the financing figured out this week, we can have your patio done by the end of May. You would have the full summer to use it. Payments start at $280 a month and you do not pay anything until the project is complete.” That combination of urgency, timing, and a deferred first payment is one of the more effective closes in outdoor contracting.

Hearth’s pre-qualification process is fast enough to support this kind of on-the-spot close. The homeowner can get payment options in minutes at the consultation without a hard credit inquiry. That speed matters when the sales conversation is happening in someone’s backyard with a design plan on the table.

Fee Math at Hardscape Volumes

Hardscape ticket sizes make Hearth’s flat fee math especially attractive compared to per-job alternatives.

Annual Financed Volume	Hearth ($1,799/yr flat)	Per-Job at 4% Dealer Fee	Per-Job at 6% Dealer Fee	Hearth Saves
$36,000 (1-2 large patio jobs)	$1,799	$1,440	$2,160	Breakeven / +$361
$80,000 (2-3 hardscape projects)	$1,799	$3,200	$4,800	$1,401 to $3,001
$150,000 (4-5 outdoor living jobs)	$1,799	$6,000	$9,000	$4,201 to $7,201
$300,000 (8-10 large projects)	$1,799	$12,000	$18,000	$10,201 to $16,201
$500,000 (13-15 large projects)	$1,799	$20,000	$30,000	$18,201 to $28,201

At $150,000 in financed hardscape volume, Hearth saves $4,000 to $7,000 per year versus a per-job platform. That is real money, and it compounds every year you maintain consistent volume. Hardscape contractors who finance just 3 to 5 projects per year often blow past that threshold quickly given the average ticket sizes involved.

Wisetack’s $25,000 Cap as a Limiting Factor for This Trade

To be clear: Wisetack is a good platform. It works well for many trades and integrates cleanly with popular FSM tools. But its $25,000 loan cap is a structural limitation for hardscape and outdoor living contractors that cannot be worked around.

If your average financed project is $35,000 to $60,000, a $25,000 cap means you are either leaving a significant portion of the project unfinanced, or you are splitting the project into phases in a way that complicates the sales conversation. Neither is ideal.

Hearth’s $250,000 cap is simply better suited for this trade. It does not require any workaround and it lets you present financing on the full project scope without artificial limits.

Who Should Use Hearth in Landscaping and Hardscaping

Hearth is clearly the right fit for:

• Hardscape contractors whose average financed project exceeds $25,000
• Outdoor living contractors doing pool installations, large patio systems, or full backyard transformations
• Any landscaping company whose revenue mix is 50% or more hardscape
• Contractors financing more than $40,000 per year in projects
• Operations targeting homeowners who may have equity-rich homes but moderate credit (550 to 620 FICO range)

For pure landscaping maintenance companies without a hardscape division, a per-job platform with no subscription fee is likely more cost-efficient since financing is used rarely and at lower amounts.

Bottom Line for Landscaping and Hardscape Contractors

Outdoor living is one of the strongest markets for contractor financing because the projects are large, aspirational, and seasonal. Homeowners want the transformation but rarely have $50,000 sitting idle. Monthly payments make large outdoor projects accessible and close jobs that would otherwise stall at the estimate stage.

Hearth’s $250,000 loan cap, flat annual fee, and 18-plus lender network make it one of the best-fit financing platforms for hardscape and outdoor living contractors specifically. The flat fee pays for itself after two or three financed projects per year at typical hardscape volumes, and it eliminates the compounding dealer fee cost that per-job platforms charge as your business scales.

For a full comparison of how Hearth stacks up against other platforms, see our Hearth vs Wisetack breakdown and the complete four-platform contractor financing comparison. If you are thinking about how to pitch large outdoor living projects with financing, the contractor financing pitch guide has the scripts and framing that work at the kitchen table.

Electrical work has a financing problem that most electricians do not talk about openly. The jobs that really need to get done, the ones that are urgent and expensive and genuinely improve the home, are exactly the jobs that catch homeowners off-guard financially. Panel upgrades. EV charger installations. Whole-home rewires. Generator installs. These are not impulse purchases. They are capital decisions that most homeowners did not plan for until they had to.

This guide covers how Hearth financing works for electrical contractors, which job types benefit most, and what the fee math looks like at realistic electrical volumes in 2026.

Electrical Job Types That Are Real Financing Candidates

Not every electrical call is a financing job. A $200 outlet replacement or a $400 ceiling fan install does not need a payment plan. But the high-ticket electrical scope of work creates multiple financing opportunities per customer if you approach it correctly.

• Panel upgrade (100A to 200A): $3,000 to $8,000 depending on location and panel brand
• Panel upgrade (200A to 400A for larger homes): $6,000 to $14,000
• EV charger installation (Level 2, single car): $1,500 to $3,500 including panel work if needed
• EV charger installation with panel upgrade required: $4,000 to $10,000 total
• Whole-home rewire (older home, knob and tube or aluminum): $12,000 to $25,000+
• Generator installation (standby, 10-22kW): $7,000 to $20,000 installed
• Smart home wiring and automation retrofit: $5,000 to $18,000
• Subpanel addition for garage or ADU: $2,000 to $5,000

The sweet spot for financing is everything in the $3,000 to $20,000 range. Below $3,000, homeowners are less likely to finance. Above $20,000 for a whole-home rewire, the financing conversation is nearly unavoidable.

The EV Charger Financing Opportunity in 2026

EV charger installation is the fastest-growing financing opportunity for electricians right now. Homeowners are buying EVs in growing numbers, they want Level 2 charging at home, and they frequently discover that their 100-amp panel needs an upgrade before a charger can be properly installed. That turns a $1,200 charger job into a $5,000 to $9,000 project.

The financing pitch for EV charger work is one of the clearest value propositions in residential electrical. The homeowner already committed to an EV, often a $35,000 to $80,000 vehicle. They are not going to balk at $250 a month for the electrical infrastructure that makes it work. The math is obvious: without Level 2 charging at home, they are adding hours of charge time on a 120V outlet or paying for commercial charging constantly.

A natural financing conversation: “Your panel needs an upgrade to support the charger safely, and we can do both at once for $6,800. Monthly payments start around $115. Most customers who go this route tell me it pays for itself in commercial charging costs within two years.” That is a pitch that closes.

Panel Upgrades and the Financing Argument

Panel upgrades are often non-negotiable. A homeowner adding a home office, converting to an all-electric appliance setup, or getting code-compliant for a home sale needs the panel. The question is not whether to do it but how to pay for it without disrupting their budget.

The financing framing for panel work is about future-proofing: “A 200-amp panel supports everything you have plus whatever comes next. EVs, heat pumps, hot tubs, whatever you add in the next 20 years. At $180 a month over 48 months, you are locking in modern electrical capacity now and spreading the cost across years.” Homeowners who are already planning to add an EV or are thinking about solar hear that message clearly.

How Hearth Works for Electrical Contractors

Hearth’s core structure is a flat annual subscription with no per-job dealer fees. For electrical contractors:

• Annual cost: Approximately $1,799 per year (as of 2026)
• Per-job dealer fee: $0
• Lender network: 18 or more lenders
• Minimum FICO: 550
• Maximum loan amount: $250,000 (no electrical job will hit this ceiling)
• Payout timeline: 2 to 3 business days

You send the homeowner a pre-qualification link or hand them a tablet at the table. They get monthly payment options typically within minutes. No hard credit pull for pre-qualification. Once they accept a loan offer, you do the work and get paid within 2 to 3 days of completion.

Fee Math: Hearth vs Wisetack for Electrical Contractors

The most common comparison for electrical contractors is Hearth versus Wisetack. Both are legitimate platforms but they are built for different volume profiles.

Annual Financed Volume	Hearth ($1,799/yr flat)	Wisetack (3% to 8% dealer fee)	Hearth Advantage
$25,000 (3-4 panel/EV jobs)	$1,799	$750 to $2,000	Even / slight Wisetack edge
$50,000 (6-8 large jobs)	$1,799	$1,500 to $4,000	$0 to $2,201 in savings
$80,000 (10-12 large jobs)	$1,799	$2,400 to $6,400	$601 to $4,601 in savings
$120,000 (15-18 large jobs)	$1,799	$3,600 to $9,600	$1,801 to $7,801 in savings
$200,000 (25+ large jobs)	$1,799	$6,000 to $16,000	$4,201 to $14,201 in savings

The second limitation worth noting: Wisetack caps loans at $25,000. Most residential electrical jobs fall under that, but a large whole-home rewire in an expensive market or a complex generator installation with transfer switch and wiring can approach or exceed $25,000. Hearth’s $250,000 cap never becomes a constraint.

Hearth vs Wisetack for Electricians: Honest Comparison

Wisetack is genuinely competitive for electricians whose financed volume is under $30,000 to $40,000 per year. It has no subscription fee, integrates with Jobber and Housecall Pro, and works well for individual jobs in the $2,000 to $15,000 range.

Hearth becomes the better financial choice when:

• You are financing consistently across panel upgrades, generator installs, and rewires
• Your financed volume is above $40,000 to $50,000 per year
• You have customers in the 550 to 619 FICO range (Wisetack has a higher effective minimum for better loan terms)
• You want the ability to present the financing pitch at the table without worrying about per-job cost affecting your margin

Many established electrical contractors use both: Wisetack for lower-ticket service work and Hearth for larger panel, generator, and rewire jobs. If you are just starting with contractor financing and volume is not yet proven, starting with Wisetack and adding Hearth later is a reasonable path.

The FICO Floor: Why 550 Matters for Electrical Customers

Panel upgrades and generator installs often happen in older homes where the owners have lived for decades, sometimes with complicated financial histories. The 550 FICO floor on Hearth captures customers who have real equity in their homes but credit profiles that rule them out on platforms requiring 620 or higher.

For electrical contractors working in older neighborhoods or more rural markets, this is meaningful. A 70-year-old homeowner with a paid-off house and a 580 credit score is not a credit risk in any real sense. Hearth’s broader lender network is built to serve that customer in a way that tighter platforms cannot.

Bottom Line for Electrical Contractors

If your business does panel upgrades, EV charger installs, generator work, or whole-home rewires at any real volume, contractor financing is not optional anymore. Homeowners in 2026 expect a monthly payment option for anything over $3,000 to $5,000. Giving them that option closes jobs that otherwise go to a competitor or get postponed indefinitely.

Hearth’s flat annual fee makes the most sense for electrical contractors financing $40,000 or more per year. Below that threshold, Wisetack’s no-subscription model is worth considering first. But for electrical contractors doing consistent large-ticket work, Hearth pays for itself many times over by eliminating per-job dealer fees.

For a detailed comparison of the two platforms, see our Hearth vs Wisetack guide. For the full cost breakdown on Hearth specifically, see how much Hearth costs contractors in 2026. And if FICO scores and customer approvals are a concern for your market, our guide to FICO scores and contractor financing breaks down what you need to know.

Most plumbing calls are not financing candidates. A $350 drain clearing or a $600 toilet replacement does not need a payment plan. But plumbing also has a second category of work, the kind of job where the homeowner goes pale when you quote it. Whole-home repiping. Main sewer line replacement. Full bathroom rough-in for an addition. These jobs run $8,000 to $20,000 and they land on homeowners who did not plan for them.

This is an honest look at whether Hearth’s $1,799 annual subscription makes financial sense for plumbers, which job types actually benefit from financing, and where a per-job platform like Wisetack might be a better fit depending on your mix of work.

Plumbing Job Size Breakdown: Where Financing Actually Applies

Plumbing covers a wide range of ticket sizes. Here is a realistic breakdown by job type, as of 2026:

• Service calls and drain clearing: $150 to $500. No financing needed.
• Fixture installations (toilet, faucet, garbage disposal): $200 to $800. Borderline.
• Water heater replacement (standard tank): $800 to $1,800. Low financing uptake.
• Tankless water heater installation: $2,500 to $5,000. Reasonable financing candidate.
• Full bathroom plumbing rough-in: $3,500 to $8,000. Good financing candidate.
• Sewer line repair or partial replacement: $4,000 to $10,000. Strong financing use case.
• Whole-home repipe (copper or PEX): $8,000 to $20,000. This is where financing closes deals.
• Full sewer line replacement: $6,000 to $15,000. Same as above.
• Water damage restoration plumbing scope: $5,000 to $25,000+. Insurance gaps often require financing.

The key takeaway: financing is relevant on roughly the top third of your revenue-generating jobs, but it is not a daily need for most plumbing businesses. That changes the math on Hearth versus per-job alternatives.

Where Financing Closes Plumbing Jobs

The most common scenario where financing changes a plumbing outcome is the whole-home repipe. A homeowner with galvanized pipes from the 1960s is dealing with brown water, low pressure, and slow leaks. They know the pipes need to go. The quote comes back at $12,000 to $16,000 for a full copper or PEX repipe and they go quiet.

This is not a decision they can put off forever. Bad pipes get worse. But $14,000 out of pocket is a lot when it was not in the budget. Monthly payment framing flips that conversation. “It is $220 a month for 72 months” is a different answer than “$14,000 due at project completion.”

The same pattern applies to sewer line replacement. Homeowners do not budget for sewer work. They find out they need it when something backs up or a camera inspection reveals serious root intrusion or collapse. The urgency is real but the money is not ready. Financing bridges that gap and lets you close the job on the same call rather than losing the customer to a competitor who accepts payment plans.

Fee Math: Hearth vs Per-Job Platforms for Plumbers

Hearth charges approximately $1,799 per year with zero per-job fees. Per-job platforms like Wisetack and GreenSky charge dealer fees ranging from 2.9% to 8% of the financed amount, depending on the loan product.

Annual Financed Volume	Hearth ($1,799/yr flat)	Wisetack/Per-Job at 3.5%	Per-Job at 6%	Hearth Saves
$20,000 (2-3 repiping jobs)	$1,799	$700	$1,200	Hearth costs MORE
$36,000 (breakeven)	$1,799	$1,260	$2,160	Breakeven at ~$1,799
$60,000 (5-6 large jobs)	$1,799	$2,100	$3,600	$301 to $1,801
$100,000 (8-10 large jobs)	$1,799	$3,500	$6,000	$1,701 to $4,201
$150,000 (12-15 large jobs)	$1,799	$5,250	$9,000	$3,451 to $7,201

The breakeven is around $36,000 to $50,000 in financed plumbing volume per year, depending on which per-job platform you compare against. Below that volume, a no-subscription per-job platform costs less. Above it, Hearth wins on cost.

Wisetack as a Better Fit for Lower-Ticket Plumbing Work

Wisetack caps loans at $25,000 and has no annual subscription. You pay a dealer fee per financed job but nothing upfront. For plumbers whose financing activity is mostly in the $2,000 to $10,000 range (tankless water heaters, bathroom rough-ins, partial sewer repairs), Wisetack’s model often makes more financial sense.

Wisetack also integrates directly with several field service management platforms including Jobber, Housecall Pro, and ServiceTitan, which makes it easier to weave into existing workflows without a separate login or process.

The trade-off is the cap. Wisetack’s $25,000 maximum is fine for most plumbing jobs but gets tight on large whole-home repipes in expensive markets or multi-unit buildings. Hearth’s $250,000 cap is never a constraint for any realistic residential plumbing job.

When Hearth Makes Sense for Plumbers

Hearth is the right call for plumbers who:

• Do consistent high-ticket work: repiping, sewer replacement, water damage scopes
• Finance $40,000 or more in plumbing work per year
• Work in markets with customers in the 550 to 620 FICO range who get declined on other platforms
• Want one financing tool that covers everything from a $3,000 tankless install to a $20,000 repipe
• Are currently eating 4% to 6% dealer fees on jobs that Hearth would cover for free above the subscription threshold

For service-heavy plumbers whose average ticket is under $1,500 and who rarely finance jobs, Hearth’s $1,799 annual fee is hard to justify. The math does not work until financing volume is there.

The Hearth Application Experience for Plumbing Customers

Plumbing financing often happens in a high-stress moment. The homeowner just found out their sewer needs $10,000 of work. They are not relaxed and deliberate about a purchase decision. They want a quick answer on whether they can afford to fix this without wiping out their savings.

Hearth’s pre-qualification is non-binding and does not hit the customer’s credit score. You text them a link, they fill out a short form, and they get monthly payment options back in a few minutes. That speed matters for plumbing. You are often on-site with a camera in the ground or a scope in the wall. Getting the financing answer fast means you can close the job the same day rather than scheduling a follow-up after the customer “thinks about it.”

Bottom Line for Plumbers

Hearth is not an automatic yes for every plumber. If your business is built on service work with occasional larger jobs, a per-job platform with no annual fee is probably the right starting point. But if you are doing repiping, sewer replacement, and water damage restoration plumbing at any meaningful volume, Hearth’s flat fee structure starts paying for itself quickly.

The honest answer: run the math on your own numbers. Add up the plumbing jobs you financed or could have financed last year. Multiply that volume by 4% to 6%. If that number is above $1,800, Hearth is worth the subscription. If it is well below, start with Wisetack and upgrade when volume justifies it.

For a side-by-side comparison of the two platforms, see our Hearth vs Wisetack breakdown. For a full look at how dealer fees work across platforms, read our contractor financing dealer fee guide. And if you are thinking about how to pitch financing at the table, the kitchen table financing pitch guide has the exact scripts that work.

Siding is one of the most expensive exterior projects a homeowner will ever undertake. A whole-home vinyl siding replacement runs $8,000 to $15,000. Fiber cement or James Hardie? You are talking $15,000 to $35,000 depending on home size and complexity. At those ticket sizes, the homeowner almost always needs time to think about money, which is code for “I need to figure out how to pay for this.” If you are not handing them a financing option at the table, you are handing the job to someone who does.

This guide breaks down how Hearth financing works specifically for siding and exterior contractors, what the fee math looks like at realistic siding volumes, and whether Hearth’s flat annual subscription makes sense for your business.

The Siding Market in 2026: What Jobs Actually Cost

Before running the fee math, it helps to anchor on real ticket ranges. Siding jobs vary significantly by material, home size, and whether the job includes trim, soffits, and fascia.

• Vinyl siding, average home (1,500 to 2,000 sq ft): $8,000 to $15,000
• Vinyl siding, larger home (2,500 to 3,500 sq ft): $12,000 to $22,000
• Fiber cement (HardiePlank), average home: $14,000 to $25,000
• James Hardie whole-home, larger home: $20,000 to $35,000+
• Engineered wood (LP SmartSide), average home: $11,000 to $20,000
• Insulated vinyl with full trim package: $16,000 to $28,000

Partial siding jobs (one or two sides, storm damage patches) run $3,000 to $8,000 and are less likely to require financing. The bread-and-butter financing opportunity is the full or near-full exterior replacement, which is where Hearth earns its keep.

Why Siding Customers Specifically Need Financing Options

Siding is often a reactive purchase. The homeowner did not wake up planning to spend $18,000 on the exterior of their house. They got hit with a hail storm, noticed rot spreading from a window, or finally had enough of the faded, cracked 30-year-old vinyl their house has been wearing. The decision timeline is fast, but the money is not necessarily sitting there.

Unlike a kitchen remodel, which homeowners plan and save for over years, siding jobs often land in the “I know I need to do this but I was not planning to spend this money right now” category. That gap between urgency and liquidity is exactly where financing closes deals.

There is also a curb appeal and energy efficiency angle that makes financing easier to justify. Newer insulated vinyl and fiber cement products cut drafts and improve energy efficiency, which gives homeowners a real, ongoing return on their investment. Monthly payment framing works well here: “Your energy bill goes down, the house looks 20 years newer, and you are paying $180 a month instead of writing a $16,000 check today.”

How Hearth Works for Siding Contractors

Hearth is a contractor financing platform built around a flat annual subscription rather than per-job dealer fees. Here is the core model:

• Cost: Approximately $1,799 per year for the Pro plan (as of 2026)
• Per-job fee: $0. You pay nothing extra when a homeowner finances a job.
• Lender network: 18 or more lenders, which means multiple approval chances per customer
• Minimum FICO: 550, which captures a meaningful chunk of customers who would be declined elsewhere
• Maximum loan amount: $250,000, well above any realistic siding job
• Payout timeline: 2 to 3 business days after job completion or customer acceptance
• Customer experience: Homeowner applies via a link you send or a tablet at the table, gets a decision typically within minutes

You send the homeowner a pre-qualification link, they fill out a short application, and Hearth shops their profile across its lender network. The homeowner sees what monthly payments look like without a hard credit pull for pre-qual. Once they accept an offer, you proceed with the job and get paid in 2 to 3 days.

Fee Math: Hearth vs Per-Job Financing Platforms at Siding Volumes

The comparison that matters most for siding contractors is Hearth’s flat fee versus per-job dealer fee platforms. Per-job platforms typically charge 3% to 8% of the financed amount as a dealer fee, paid by the contractor.

Here is what that looks like at realistic siding financing volumes:

Annual Financed Volume	Hearth Cost (flat $1,799/yr)	Per-Job Platform at 4% Dealer Fee	Per-Job Platform at 6% Dealer Fee	Hearth Saves You
$36,000 (breakeven)	$1,799	$1,440	$2,160	Breakeven / +$361
$60,000 (4 jobs)	$1,799	$2,400	$3,600	$601 to $1,801
$100,000 (6-7 jobs)	$1,799	$4,000	$6,000	$2,201 to $4,201
$180,000 (10-12 jobs)	$1,799	$7,200	$10,800	$5,401 to $9,001
$300,000 (18-20 jobs)	$1,799	$12,000	$18,000	$10,201 to $16,201

The breakeven point is roughly $36,000 in financed projects per year at a 5% blended dealer fee. For a siding contractor financing even 4 or 5 jobs a year at average ticket sizes, you pass breakeven easily.

The 550 FICO Minimum and What It Means for Siding Customers

Siding customers skew toward homeowners in the 40 to 65 age range who have owned their homes for years. Many have strong equity but variable credit scores, especially if they have been carrying balances or had any financial disruptions in recent years.

Hearth’s 550 FICO minimum is genuinely meaningful here. Most traditional financing platforms require 620 or higher. Dropping the floor to 550 captures a real segment of homeowners who would otherwise be declined and who need the job done as much as the customer with a 720 score.

This is not a small detail. In a typical siding market, a platform that accepts 550 FICO will approve a meaningfully higher percentage of your applicants than one with a 620 minimum. Those extra approvals are jobs you close instead of lose.

Energy Efficiency and the Financing Pitch

Insulated vinyl siding and fiber cement both have legitimate energy efficiency stories. Insulated vinyl (with a foam backer) reduces thermal bridging, helps with drafts, and can modestly reduce heating and cooling costs. For homeowners in colder climates, this is a real selling point.

The financing pitch that works in siding is built around total cost of ownership rather than monthly payment alone. The framing goes something like: “You are looking at $190 a month for 84 months. Your energy bill probably drops $30 to $50 a month with insulated vinyl. The house value goes up. And you are not staring at peeling siding every time you pull into your driveway.”

That pitch lands differently than “we have financing available.” It connects the monthly payment to real, ongoing value. Hearth’s pre-qualification tool makes it easy to drop that exact monthly figure into your estimate before the homeowner even applies.

When Hearth Makes Sense for Siding Contractors

Hearth is the right fit for siding and exterior contractors who:

• Do at least 5 to 7 financed jobs per year with average tickets above $10,000
• Are regularly losing jobs because homeowners cannot write the full check upfront
• Want to stop losing money to per-job dealer fees when volume is already there
• Work in markets with lower-credit homeowners who need a 550 FICO option
• Want to offer financing on the spot at the table without a complicated multi-platform setup

If you are only occasionally financing one or two small jobs a year, a per-job platform with no subscription fee (like Wisetack) might make more sense until volume justifies the annual fee. But if you are regularly pitching $12,000 to $25,000 jobs, the math on Hearth becomes compelling quickly.

Bottom Line for Siding Contractors

Siding is one of the best trades for contractor financing because the ticket sizes are large enough to matter and the jobs are often urgent enough to close fast when the money question is answered. Hearth’s flat fee, 18-plus lender network, and 550 FICO minimum make it well-suited for siding contractors doing consistent volume.

If you are financing more than $36,000 in siding work per year, Hearth almost certainly saves you money versus per-job platforms. At $100,000 in financed volume, the savings are $2,000 to $4,000 per year compared to a 4% to 6% dealer fee structure. That is real money that stays in your pocket instead of going to the financing platform.

For more context on how Hearth compares to other platforms, see our Hearth vs Wisetack comparison and our breakdown of contractor financing dealer fees. If you are weighing the subscription cost, the full Hearth fee breakdown for 2026 walks through the math in detail.