Building and remodeling with VA financing
Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties are home to a lot of veterans. If you earned VA benefits, there are real paths to building or improving a home with them, and a couple of rules changed recently in your favor.
You are on the VA page. For every financing path side by side, including the ones that have nothing to do with VA benefits, start at our financing overview.
Using VA benefits
Buying, building, renovating, or adapting a home with VA-backed financing or a VA grant program.
Keep readingRemodeling, no VA involved
Plenty of veterans finance a kitchen or bath the same way everyone else does, and sometimes that is simply faster.
Remodeling financingBuilding new, no VA involved
How construction loans work in general, including draw schedules and what lenders require.
Construction loansWe're your builder. The loan comes from a lender.
We are a licensed Florida building contractor, not a mortgage company and not the VA. What we can do is build your project to the standard VA financing requires and give you the clear written scope and pricing a lender will ask for. Eligibility, rates, and the loan itself come from a VA-approved lender, and you should confirm your specific situation with them.
One thing worth knowing up front: the VA does not lend money. Private lenders make the loans and the VA guarantees a portion, which is why lender rules vary and why two lenders can give you very different answers about the same project.
About that "VA approved builder" requirement
For years, a builder had to register with the VA and receive a builder identification number before a Notice of Value could be issued on new or proposed construction. A lot of websites, lender checklists, and builder pages still say this. It is out of date.
On March 31, 2025, the VA rescinded that procedure for VA-guaranteed loans on new and proposed construction. There is no longer a builder ID to obtain before your Notice of Value is issued, which removed a step that used to hold up appraisals and closings for weeks, especially with smaller builders.
What still matters, and what you should actually be checking a builder for:
How veterans actually get a house built
True VA one-time close construction loans exist on paper, but very few lenders write them, and finding one locally is the single most common place a veteran's build stalls out. There is a well-worn path around it, and the VA's own rules contemplate it.
You finance the construction conventionally, then take out the permanent loan as a VA loan once the house is finished. The VA Lenders Handbook specifically addresses refinancing an interim loan used to construct, alter, or repair a veteran's primary home, and in some cases a veteran can recoup out-of-pocket costs incurred during the build.
Close a conventional construction loan
This funds the build through the normal draw schedule, released in stages as phases are completed and inspected. Conventional construction financing usually requires a down payment.
We build the house
Roughly 9 to 12 months from construction start to certificate of occupancy on a typical custom home, plus 3 to 5 months of design, engineering, and permitting before that.
Refinance into a permanent VA loan
At completion, the VA loan pays off the construction loan and becomes your mortgage. This is where your earned benefit does its work, on the loan you will actually live with for the next thirty years.
We mention Lori because she has been clear with us about exactly what she does and does not offer, which is more useful than a vague referral. PrimeLending does not write VA one-time close construction loans. What they do is finance the construction conventionally and then write the permanent loan as a VA loan. If you are a veteran planning to build, that is the conversation to have.
- Phone
- 352-304-3747
- lori.meaney@primelending.com
- Office
- 3200 SW 34th Avenue, Bldg 100, Ste 102, Ocala, FL 34474
Specially Adapted Housing, and why we bring it up
A significant share of the work we do is aging-in-place and accessibility remodeling: curbless walk-in showers, widened doorways, grab bar blocking set into the wall framing rather than screwed on afterward, ramps, and bathroom layouts that work from a seated position. For veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, VA grant programs may cover part of that cost.
This is grant money rather than a loan, and eligibility is determined by the VA based on your specific disability rating and circumstances, not by us and not by a lender. The application runs through the VA, and there are agents assigned to help veterans through it.
Worth repeating from above: SAH is one of the two programs still using VA builder registration. If you are pursuing a grant, tell us early and we will register rather than have you wait on it.
What we hand your lender
All of it comes standard with our free estimate, at no cost and with no obligation to hire us.
Thank you for your service. Now verify your contractor.
Whatever loan you use, the work should be done by a licensed contractor, and that matters more since the VA stopped doing its own construction compliance inspections. Here is why licensing matters. Verify CBC1268994 on MyFloridaLicense.com before hiring anyone, including us.
Common questions
Are you a VA approved builder?
Yes, we build for veterans using VA financing. The VA rescinded the builder identification number procedure on March 31, 2025, so for standard VA-guaranteed new and proposed construction there is no longer a builder ID to obtain before your Notice of Value is issued. What matters now is a properly licensed and insured builder who provides the required one-year warranty and meets VA minimum property requirements along with your lender's conditions. We are a Florida certified building contractor, license CBC1268994. Specially Adapted Housing grants and Native American Direct Loans still use VA builder registration, so tell us up front if that is your situation and we will get registered.
Does the VA actually lend the money?
No. The VA guarantees a portion of the loan, and a private lender makes it. That is why lender rules vary so much and why two lenders can give you completely different answers about the same project. If one tells you something cannot be done, it is often worth asking a second.
Can I build a new home with a VA loan?
Yes, though usually not the way people expect. True VA one-time close construction loans exist but very few lenders write them. The common path is to finance construction conventionally and then take out the permanent loan as a VA loan once the home is complete. The VA Lenders Handbook specifically addresses refinancing an interim construction loan into permanent financing, so this is a recognized route rather than a workaround.
Can I use a VA loan to remodel my home?
Sometimes. A VA cash-out refinance can free up money for a renovation, and VA guidance allows certain alterations and repairs to be folded into a purchase or refinance loan. Eligibility and terms depend on your entitlement and your lender. For a straightforward kitchen or bath remodel, standard remodeling financing is often faster and leaves your entitlement untouched.
What is a Specially Adapted Housing grant?
It is grant money rather than a loan, available to veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, to help adapt a home for accessibility. The VA determines eligibility based on your disability rating and circumstances. Apply through the VA first, then bring us in to scope and build the work.
Do I need a down payment to build?
For the construction phase, usually yes, because that leg is financed conventionally rather than through your VA benefit. The permanent VA loan that follows is where VA terms apply. Your lender is the right person to walk you through what each stage requires, and it is worth asking early because it shapes what you can afford to build.
What do you need from me for a VA-related loan?
A written scope of work and a firm price, which we provide as part of our proposal, plus our license and insurance documentation. For construction financing we also supply a line-item budget and ongoing draw paperwork. Your lender will tell you what else they need from their side.
Do I have to use the lender you mention?
No. We are not tied to any lender and we do not require you to use a particular one. We will provide the same scope, pricing, license, insurance, and draw documentation to whatever lender you bring, including one writing a true VA one-time close if you find one.
Important disclosures
Florida Legacy Construction LLC is a Florida certified building contractor, license number CBC1268994. We are not a lender, a mortgage broker, a mortgage loan originator, or a financial advisor, and we are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. We do not originate loans, take applications, quote rates or terms, make credit decisions, or determine eligibility for any VA program or benefit.
Descriptions of VA programs on this page are general and current as of July 2026. VA policy changes, and eligibility depends entirely on your individual circumstances, entitlement, and lender. Confirm anything here with a VA-approved lender or directly with the VA before making decisions.
Any lender referenced on this page is an independent third party. All loan products, rates, fees, terms, and eligibility requirements are set by that lender and are subject to credit approval and to change without notice. Nothing here is an offer of credit, a commitment to lend, or a guarantee of approval. PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, NMLS #13649. Equal Housing Lender. For licensing information go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.
You are free to select any lender or financing source you choose. Using a lender mentioned here is not a condition of doing business with Florida Legacy Construction, and our pricing is the same regardless of how you pay.
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