Service length, entitlement math, and the one document lenders actually need before you can build with zero down.
Eligibility is the first question every veteran asks and the easiest one to answer. Your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the document that settles it, and it usually takes minutes to pull.
Service requirements at a glance
- 90 continuous days of active duty during wartime
- 181 days of active duty during peacetime
- Six years in the National Guard or Reserves, or 90 days under Title 32
- Surviving spouses of service members who died in service or from a service-connected disability
What entitlement means
Entitlement is the amount the VA guarantees to your lender, not a cap on what you can borrow. With full entitlement there is no VA loan limit — the limit becomes what a lender will approve based on income, credit, and the appraised value of the finished home.
Reusing and restoring entitlement
The VA benefit is a lifetime benefit. Pay off a prior VA loan and sell the home, and your full entitlement is restored. Keep the prior home and you may still have partial entitlement available — enough to build in many Central Texas price ranges.
How to get your COE without the paperwork
Bring your DD-214 (or a Statement of Service if you are still serving) and our lender partners retrieve the COE through the VA's automated system, typically on the same call. There is no fee, and it does not commit you to anything.
Build on your lot with $0 down
Legacy Custom Builders builds VA One-Time Close custom homes across Austin, Georgetown, Salado, Killeen, and the Hill Country.
Check eligibility