Hearth financing makes sense for siding and exterior contractors who finance roughly $45,000 or more in projects per year, which is about three average siding jobs. The Pro plan runs $1,799 per year with a $99 setup fee and no per-job dealer fees, so on a $20,000 James Hardie job you keep the roughly $780 to $1,200 a per-job platform would take. Below that volume, a pay-per-use option like Wisetack is usually cheaper.
Key takeaways
- Hearth charges a flat annual subscription (Essentials $1,499, Pro $1,799, Elite $4,999, plus a one-time $99 setup fee) and $0 per funded loan.
- Whole-house vinyl siding replacement runs $6,000 to $25,000+ in 2026 with a national average around $12,000, per Fixr and This Old House cost data.
- Against Wisetack's 3.9% per-loan fee, the Pro plan breaks even at about $46,000 in financed volume per year.
- Hearth's lender network approves FICO scores down to 550 and loans from $1,000 to $250,000, per Hearth's own product pages.
- Lenders fund the homeowner directly, typically within 1 to 7 days of approval, and the homeowner pays you like a cash buyer.
What siding jobs actually cost in 2026
Siding ticket sizes are what make financing worth offering in the first place, so anchor on verified numbers rather than gut feel. The ranges below come from published 2026 cost guides, not from a financing company's sales deck.
| Project | Typical installed cost (2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding, whole house | $6,000 to $25,000+ (average about $12,000) | Fixr and This Old House 2026 cost guides |
| Vinyl siding, per sq ft | $3 to $12 installed; insulated vinyl adds 30% to 50% | Fixr 2026 data |
| James Hardie fiber cement, 2,000 sq ft home | $12,000 to $23,000 typical; $25,000 to $32,000 in higher-cost regional markets | This Old House; 2026 regional installer pricing guides |
| James Hardie, per sq ft | $8 to $14 in most markets, up to $22 in some states | This Old House 2026 cost guide |
| LP SmartSide engineered wood, 2,000 sq ft home | $9,000 to $28,000 depending on trim and labor | SidingCosts.com 2026 estimates |
Partial jobs (one elevation, storm damage patches) often land under $5,000 and rarely need financing. The full or near-full exterior replacement is where a monthly payment option decides whether the job closes, and at $12,000 to $30,000 tickets the dealer-fee math gets expensive fast on per-job platforms.
How Hearth works for siding contractors
Hearth is a financing marketplace, not a lender. You send the homeowner a pre-qualification link (text, email, or embedded in a digital quote), they answer a short application, and Hearth shows loan offers from its lender network with a soft credit pull. Hearth's siding contractor page lists 17 lending partners as of mid-2026, while some of its other pages still cite 18, covering loans from $1,000 to $250,000 with terms of 2 to 12 years and advertised APRs starting at 4.99% for strong credit.
One point the old sales pitch often gets wrong: Hearth does not pay you. Once a loan is approved, the lender deposits funds directly into the homeowner's bank account, typically within 1 to 7 days and sometimes within 24 hours, according to Hearth's own FAQ pages. The homeowner then pays you exactly like a cash customer. That means no lien paperwork tied to the loan, but also no completion-based disbursement controls, so keep your normal deposit and progress-payment schedule.
Hearth's subscription also bundles digital quotes, contracts, and invoicing on the Pro plan and up. For a deeper look at how the lender marketplace model gets more applicants approved, see our breakdown of how Hearth's lender network works.
What Hearth costs in 2026
Hearth publishes three annual plans, and every tier carries a one-time $99 setup fee. As of mid-2026 the tiers are Essentials at $1,499 per year, Pro at $1,799 per year, and Elite at $4,999 per year. Essentials covers financing only; Pro adds quotes, contracts, invoicing, and automated reminders, which is why most siding contractors land there. None of the plans charge a per-loan dealer fee.
Our full Hearth fee breakdown covers every tier in detail, and the Pro vs Starter comparison walks through which features actually matter for exterior trades.
Fee math: Hearth vs per-job platforms at siding volumes
Per-job platforms charge you a percentage of every financed job. Wisetack publishes a flat 3.9% per funded loan on standard terms, with 0% APR promos costing more. GreenSky's standard installment products run roughly 3% to 6%, and its promotional products can run 8% to 15% or higher depending on terms. Here is what that means at realistic siding volumes, using Hearth Pro at $1,799 per year:
| Annual financed volume | Hearth Pro (flat) | Wisetack at 3.9% | Per-job platform at 6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 (about 2 jobs) | $1,799 | $1,170 | $1,800 |
| $46,000 (about 3 jobs) | $1,799 | $1,794 | $2,760 |
| $90,000 (5 to 7 jobs) | $1,799 | $3,510 | $5,400 |
| $150,000 (8 to 12 jobs) | $1,799 | $5,850 | $9,000 |
| $300,000 (15 to 25 jobs) | $1,799 | $11,700 | $18,000 |
The honest breakeven against Wisetack's 3.9% is about $46,000 in financed volume per year, or roughly $30,000 against a 6% dealer fee. At average 2026 siding tickets, that is three financed jobs. Everything past breakeven is margin you keep instead of handing to a platform: at $150,000 financed, Hearth saves you about $4,000 versus Wisetack and about $7,200 versus a 6% fee structure. The dealer fee breakdown shows how those percentages quietly eat siding margins, and the head-to-head Hearth vs Wisetack comparison goes deeper on which model fits which volume.
The 550 FICO floor and why it matters on exteriors
Siding is frequently a reactive purchase: hail damage, spreading rot, or 30-year-old vinyl that finally cracked. Homeowners in that spot did not plan the spend, and a meaningful share carry mid-tier credit. Hearth's network includes lenders that consider FICO scores down to 550, per Hearth's product pages, while many single-lender programs cut off around 620 or higher.
A lower floor does not mean everyone gets prime rates. Sub-620 approvals typically come back with higher APRs and smaller amounts, so set expectations before the homeowner applies. Still, an approval at a workable payment beats a decline, and on storm-driven work those extra approvals are jobs you close instead of lose. Our guide to FICO scores and Hearth's 550 minimum covers what approval odds look like by credit band.
Pitching monthly payments on a siding estimate
The pitch that works on exteriors ties the payment to ongoing value, not just affordability. A $16,000 insulated vinyl job at 84 months lands somewhere near $250 to $280 a month depending on rate, and insulated products carry a real energy story: foam-backed vinyl reduces thermal bridging and drafts, which offsets part of the payment in colder climates. Put the estimated monthly figure directly on the quote (Hearth's Pro plan embeds it automatically) so the homeowner is comparing a monthly number to their problem, not a five-figure check to their savings account.
Present financing on every estimate over $8,000, not only when someone flinches at the total. For scripts and sequencing, see how to pitch financing at the kitchen table.
When Hearth makes sense, and when it does not
Hearth fits siding and exterior contractors who finance three or more full replacements a year, want a 550 FICO option for storm-driven customers, and will actually use the quoting and invoicing tools bundled into Pro. It is a weak fit if you finance one or two jobs a year (Wisetack's pay-per-use 3.9% costs you less until roughly $46,000 in volume) or if you expect hands-on deal support: Hearth's Trustpilot profile sits around 4 stars across roughly 1,100 reviews as of mid-2026, with praise for the financing team alongside recurring complaints about slow support responses and auto-renewal billing. Read the renewal terms before you sign, and calendar the renewal date.
Window and door contractors face nearly identical math at similar ticket sizes; our Hearth guide for window and door contractors covers that adjacent case.
How we put this together
We compared Hearth's published 2026 plan pricing and lender terms (gethearth.com pricing and product pages) against Wisetack's published 3.9% standard fee and reported GreenSky dealer-fee ranges, then ran breakeven math at siding ticket sizes from Fixr, This Old House, and SidingCosts.com 2026 cost guides. User sentiment comes from Trustpilot. Figures were last verified in July 2026; plan prices and lender counts change, so confirm current terms with Hearth before signing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Hearth cost a siding contractor per year?
Hearth costs $1,499 to $4,999 per year depending on plan, plus a one-time $99 setup fee, with the $1,799 Pro plan being the common choice. There are no per-loan dealer fees on any tier.
Does Hearth pay the contractor directly after the job?
No, Hearth's lenders deposit approved funds into the homeowner's bank account, usually within 1 to 7 days of approval, and the homeowner pays you like a cash customer. Keep your normal deposit and progress-payment schedule.
What credit score do homeowners need for Hearth financing?
Hearth's lender network considers FICO scores as low as 550, though sub-620 approvals usually carry higher APRs and smaller loan amounts. Pre-qualification uses a soft pull, so checking options does not hurt the homeowner's score.
What size siding jobs can be financed through Hearth?
Hearth's lenders cover loans from $1,000 to $250,000, which spans everything from a single-elevation repair to a whole-home James Hardie replacement. Typical 2026 full-replacement tickets of $12,000 to $30,000 sit comfortably inside that range.
Is Hearth worth it for a small siding company?
Hearth is worth it once you finance about $46,000 a year, roughly three average siding jobs, because the flat $1,799 Pro fee then undercuts Wisetack's 3.9% per-loan cost. Below that volume, a pay-per-use platform is the cheaper way to offer payments.
