Hearth vs Foundation Finance:
Fees, Lenders & Which Fits Your Business
The short answer
Side-by-side
| Hearth | Foundation Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue model (battle card) | — | Net interest |
| What the contractor pays | Flat annual subscription; $0 per financed transaction | FREE to enroll — 'It's FREE to join Foundation Finance Company's dealer network. There are no monthly charges or volume requirements either.' Dealer fees apply per-program: company markets 'low-fee interest rate buydowns' and promo programs (Same-As-Cash, deferred payments) that carry dealer fees; specific fee percentages are not published publicly (rate sheets are dealer-only). Dealer bonus offered for customer ACH signup. |
| Dealer fees | No | No |
| Enrollment fee | Yes | No |
| Contractor paid upfront | Yes | No |
| How financing works | Marketplace — homeowner sees personalized offers from an 18-lender network, soft credit pull | Direct finance company — financings are retail installment contracts (RICs), not bank-originated loans ('Use of the terms Loan, Lender and Borrower is for ease of reference only. Financings are in the form of retail installment contracts'). Second-look financing offered. 13,000+ dealer network. |
| Lending partner | 17 | 1 |
| Apply to multiple lenders at once | Yes | No |
| See application status | Yes | No |
| Credit limit | $250,000 | $100,000 |
| Loan type | Installment | Both |
| Interest-free plans | Yes | Yes |
| Terms | 2–12 years, fixed monthly payments | 12 to 240 months ('Give your customers low payments by splitting the cost over 12 – 240 months') |
| Credit model | Soft-pull prequalification; lenders serve a wide credit spectrum (FICO down to ~550 on some offers) | Soft-pull prequalification available; hard inquiry upon completed credit application and executed contract documents. Approves FICO scores as low as 550; claims up to 69% approval rate on deals other lenders decline; approval tiers (SuperPrime/PrimePlus/Standard) per third-party-indexed program docs. |
| Credit score (FICO) | All | 550+ |
| Soft credit pull | Yes | Yes |
| Trades served | All home-improvement trades | Home improvement dealers/contractors (HVAC, roofing, windows, kitchen remodels per site testimonials and enrollment pages); no prepayment penalties for customers; higher available credit amount for upgrades/change orders. Enrollment approval within 24 hours. |
| Markets served | Home Improvement | Home Improvement |
Every Foundation Finance cell above is sourced (see footer). Rates and terms vary by lender and customer credit.
Where Foundation Finance falls short
- Only one lender
Source: Hearth competitive battle card and sales objection research (internal, reviewed 2026).
Hearth vs Foundation Finance FAQ
How much does Foundation Finance cost contractors?
FREE to enroll — 'It's FREE to join Foundation Finance Company's dealer network. There are no monthly charges or volume requirements either.' Dealer fees apply per-program: company markets 'low-fee interest rate buydowns' and promo programs (Same-As-Cash, deferred payments) that carry dealer fees; specific fee percentages are not published publicly (rate sheets are dealer-only). Dealer bonus offered for customer ACH signup.
Does Hearth charge a dealer fee per loan?
No. Hearth is a flat annual subscription — most companies invest between $2,000–6,000/yr depending on the level of service, plus a one-time $99 setup fee. Financing offers come from third-party lenders and the contractor pays no per-transaction fee.
How do approvals compare between Hearth and Foundation Finance?
Hearth shows soft-pull personalized offers from an 18-lender marketplace serving a wide credit spectrum. Foundation Finance: Soft-pull prequalification available; hard inquiry upon completed credit application and executed contract documents. Approves FICO scores as low as 550; claims up to 69% approval rate on deals other lenders decline; approval tiers (SuperPrime/PrimePlus/Standard) per third-party-indexed program docs.
Which trades does Foundation Finance serve?
Home improvement dealers/contractors (HVAC, roofing, windows, kitchen remodels per site testimonials and enrollment pages); no prepayment penalties for customers; higher available credit amount for upgrades/change orders. Enrollment approval within 24 hours.
Can I switch to Hearth mid-season?
Yes. Onboarding is self-serve; most contractors send their first financed quote the same week. There is no per-loan fee to model — one flat subscription.
See your financing options
Takes 60 seconds. No commitment required.
Start freeNo commitment. No hidden fees. Just more closed jobs.
More than financing — your front office, handled
Harper, your AI assistant
Harper answers the calls you miss, captures leads after hours, and introduces monthly-payment options automatically — so no job inquiry slips through while you're on site.
Concierge onboarding
Hearth's concierge team sets financing up inside your sales process and trains your team, so offering payment options is seamless from day one.