The options side by side
| Option | How much | Terms | Who qualifies | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FHA Title I property improvement loan | Up to $25,000 (single-family) | Up to 20 years 32 days; fixed rate set with the lender; no prepayment penalty; secured by the home above $7,500 | Creditworthy owner; home occupied 90+ days | Work that "substantially protect[s] or improve[s] the basic livability or utility of the property" |
| FHA Limited 203(k) | Up to $75,000 added to the mortgage | Part of an FHA mortgage | Homebuyers and homeowners with an FHA loan | Minor remodeling and non-structural repairs |
| FHA Standard 203(k) | Rehab of at least $5,000, within FHA loan limits | Part of an FHA mortgage; HUD consultant required | Same | Major renovations and structural work |
| USDA Section 504 loan | Up to $40,000 | 1% fixed, 20 years | Owner-occupant, low income, eligible rural area | Repair, improve or modernize; remove hazards |
| USDA Section 504 grant | Up to $10,000 (lifetime) | Grant | Age 62+, very low income, rural | Health and safety hazards only |
| PACE (where offered) | Set by the local program | Repaid on the property tax bill; senior lien | Owners in a participating county | Energy measures |
| California GoGreen Home | Up to $50,000; $75,000 with solar and battery | Up to 20 years for solar (lender's discretion) | Customers of the state's investor-owned utilities | Measures on its eligible list; solar only with a battery |
Sources: HUD Title I page and Programs of HUD 2025; HUD 203(k) program types; USDA Rural Development; Department of Energy (December 2024); California State Treasurer.
The Department of Energy's 2024 review also lists on-bill financing, "repaid through regular payments on an existing utility bill" with "low-to-zero interest rates", and state programs such as the Michigan Saves Home Energy Loan Program (150+ approved upgrades through authorized contractors and lenders) and the Connecticut Green Bank Smart-E Loan ("no money down"). Ask your utility whether it offers on-bill repayment.
Match the loan to the job
| Job | Usual filed value | Options to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement, Minneapolis | $13,000 | Title I; Limited 203(k) |
| Roof replacement, San Francisco | $15,275 | Title I; Limited 203(k) |
| Roof replacement, Miami | $16,250 | Title I; Limited 203(k) |
| HVAC replacement, Cary | $9,891 | Title I; on-bill or state programs |
| HVAC replacement, Sacramento County | $15,268 | Title I; GoGreen Home |
| Heat pump, Seattle | $8,000 | Title I; on-bill or state programs |
| Solar, Sacramento County | $25,200 | Title I (to $25,000); GoGreen Home if paired with a battery |
| Solar, Miami | $31,827 | Title I (to $25,000); Limited 203(k) (to $75,000) |
These are the usual filed values, so half of jobs are above them. In Sacramento County the middle half of HVAC firms usually file $10,000 to $15,950; a quote far above that range is the first thing to fix before borrowing.
Contractor financing and PACE: read before signing
If a contractor offers financing, ask who the lender is and compare the rate with a Title I lender's quote. PACE needs more care: DOE notes it "has not been adopted widely due to concerns related to the senior-lien structure", and because the assessment is a lien, missed payments can put the home at risk. Repayment "is tied to the property instead of the individual" (DOE), so ask how a remaining balance is handled if you sell.
Do this in five minutes
- Find your job's usual filed value on your city's cost page (for example San Francisco roofing or Sacramento County HVAC).
- If it is under $25,000, ask a lender on HUD's approved Title I list about a property improvement loan.
- If you live in a rural area and are 62 or older, check your address on USDA's eligibility site before paying for a roof yourself.
- Check the contractor's permit record on your city's compare page before any money changes hands.
See every San Francisco roofer's permit record →
What this does not tell you
We do not see loan terms, interest rates or how a job was paid for; the permit file only records what the contractor said the work cost. Program limits are quoted from the agencies' pages as read on 22 October 2026 and change. HUD's Programs of HUD 2025 lists the Limited 203(k) at $35,000; HUD's current program page says $75,000, which we use.
How we know this
Filed values are the median of permits that carry one, for each city's roofing, HVAC, heat pump and solar work types in its three-year window ending September 2026; the middle-half range uses firms with three or more permits. Loan limits and terms are quoted from HUD, USDA Rural Development, the Department of Energy, the California State Treasurer and the IRS, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file; Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Seattle (SDCI) building, trade and electrical permits on single-family and duplex homes (the city's open-data exports); City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS); City of Miami building permits (since 2014); Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Can you finance a heat pump?
Yes. An FHA Title I property improvement loan covers up to $25,000 on a single-family home through approved lenders; Michigan Saves and the Connecticut Green Bank run state home-energy loan programs, and California's GoGreen Home finances measures on its eligible list up to $50,000. In Seattle the usual heat pump permit was filed at $8,000.
- How to finance a roof replacement in SF?
The usual San Francisco roof replacement was filed at $15,275, inside an FHA Title I loan's $25,000 limit. A Limited 203(k) adds up to $75,000 of repairs to an FHA mortgage. California's GoGreen Home finances roofing only as a cool roof for PG&E, SCE or SDG&E electric customers, or as repairs made during a solar install.
- How do most people afford a new roof?
We have no survey of how owners pay. The options with published federal terms: an FHA Title I loan up to $25,000 for up to 20 years, a Limited 203(k) of up to $75,000 inside an FHA mortgage, and USDA repair loans of up to $40,000 at 1% for low-income rural owners. A roof was usually filed at $13,000 in Minneapolis and $16,250 in Miami.
- How to get a new roof for free?
The one federal grant we found is USDA's Section 504: up to $10,000 (a lifetime limit) for homeowners aged 62 or older with very low income in an eligible rural area, and only to remove health and safety hazards, which a failing roof can be. Apply through your state's Rural Development office.
- How should you pay for solar?
Cash, a loan or a lease. The federal 25D credit ended for systems whose installation was completed after December 31, 2025 (IRS), so the price is now the price. In California, GoGreen Home finances solar only with a battery, up to $75,000 over 20 years at the lender's discretion. Our lease vs buy guide compares owning and leasing.
- What is PACE financing?
Property Assessed Clean Energy: a loan repaid through a special assessment on your property tax bill, tied to the property rather than to you. The Department of Energy notes it is a senior lien, so missed payments can put the home at risk.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Seattle contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- The best month to start electrical, HVAC and solar work (by city)
- How to check a contractor's license in California
- What's a good completion rate for a contractor? The benchmarks from 12 trades and cities
- 10 questions to ask a contractor, and how to check each answer yourself
For one city
- Title I Insured Programs — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Programs of HUD 2025 (Property Improvement Loan Insurance, Title I) — HUD (2025; accessed 2026-10-22)
- 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program Types — HUD (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants — USDA Rural Development (2026-10-01; accessed 2026-10-22)
- Financing Opportunities for State and Local Governments To Improve Efficiency Across the Residential Sector (DOE/GO-102024-6598) — U.S. Department of Energy (2024-12; accessed 2026-10-22)
- GoGreen Home: Project Eligibility Requirements — California State Treasurer (CAEATFA) (rev. 2026-03-06; accessed 2026-10-22)
- FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W, and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (FS-2025-05) — IRS (2025-08-21; accessed 2026-10-22)