What Credit Score Do You Need for a HELOC?

Typical tiers

• 760+ — best pricing and the highest CLTV caps.
• 700–759 — approved comfortably at standard rates.
• 660–699 — approved by most lenders, often with a lower cap.
• 620–659 — a smaller pool of lenders, higher margins, more documentation.

What lenders weigh alongside the score

Debt-to-income ratio below about 43%, verifiable income, two years of stable employment, and enough equity after the new line to stay under the CLTV cap.

Strong equity can offset a mediocre score more often than a strong score offsets thin equity.

Raising your odds before you apply

• Pay revolving balances below 30% of their limits, ideally below 10%.
• Do not open or close accounts in the 90 days before applying.
• Dispute reporting errors early — corrections take a full cycle to appear.