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Home Equity Calculator

Find out how much of your home you actually own, and roughly how much of that a lender will let you borrow against. Set the CLTV cap to match your lender.

Your home

Home value ($)

Mortgage balance owed ($)

Lender CLTV limit (%)

A combined loan-to-value (CLTV) limit of 80 to 85 percent is common. Lower it to be conservative.

Your equity

Total home equity--

Equity as % of value--

Max borrowable (at CLTV)--

Equity that stays untapped--

Estimate only, not a loan offer. Lenders verify value with an appraisal.

By Jessica Martinez, Contributing Writer, Business & Finance
Updated June 21, 2026

How home equity is calculated

Equity is the part of your home you have actually paid for. Take what the home is worth today, subtract the balance left on your mortgage, and what remains is your equity. It grows two ways: as you pay down the loan, and as the home appreciates.

Borrowing against it is where the CLTV cap comes in. Combined loan-to-value adds your existing mortgage to any new HELOC or home equity loan, then divides by the home value. Most lenders want that combined figure to land at or below roughly 85 percent, which leaves a safety cushion in case prices dip. So your borrowable amount is the CLTV percentage times the home value, minus the mortgage you already owe.

Worked example: a $400,000 home with a $250,000 mortgage has $150,000 in equity. At an 85 percent CLTV cap the lender allows $340,000 of total debt, so the most you could borrow is about $90,000, not the full $150,000.

Treat the result as a starting point. Your real limit also rides on your credit score, income and debt load, and the lender will order its own appraisal rather than take your value at face value.

Ready to size the payment?

Once you know how much you can borrow, estimate what it costs each month.

Open the HELOC Payment Calculator →

Good to know

FAQs

How much equity do I have?

Your equity is your home value minus everything you still owe on it. If your home is worth $400,000 and you owe $250,000, you have $150,000 in equity.

What is CLTV and why does it cap my borrowing?

Combined loan-to-value is your total mortgage debt divided by your home value. Many lenders limit a HELOC or home equity loan so that your first mortgage plus the new line stays at or below about 85 percent of the home value.

Can I borrow my full equity?

Usually not. Lenders keep a cushion, so your borrowable amount is the CLTV cap times your home value, minus your current mortgage. The leftover equity stays untapped.

Is this number a guarantee?

No. It is an estimate, not a loan offer. Your actual limit depends on the lender's CLTV rules, your credit, income and a current appraisal.