How Much Can You Borrow With a HELOC?

Lenders cap your combined loan-to-value (CLTV) — mortgage plus new HELOC — at a percentage of your home's value, commonly 80% to 90%. Available credit is that capped total minus your current mortgage. On a $500,000 home with a $300,000 mortgage and an 85% cap, that's $425,000 of allowed debt minus $300,000 = about $125,000 of available credit.

Combined loan-to-value is all the debt secured by your home — your first mortgage plus any HELOC or second mortgage — divided by the home's appraised value. Lenders set a maximum CLTV (often 80–90%) that limits how much total debt they'll allow, which in turn caps your HELOC size.

Yes — an 80% cap is common and more conservative. It leaves less available credit than a 90% cap, so if your mortgage already puts you near 80% of the home's value, there may be little room. Try different CLTV caps above to see how the limit changes your available line.

Yes. The CLTV cap sets the ceiling, but lenders also weigh your credit score, income, and debt-to-income ratio, and may offer a lower limit or higher rate than the maximum. This calculator estimates the equity-based ceiling; your actual approved line can be lower.