Learn how Hearth financing works for Design Builders projects and whether it fits your outdoor living budget.

What Hearth financing is and how it fits Design Builders projects

When you first start talking with Design Builders about a custom screened porch, deck, or outdoor kitchen, one of the earliest and most practical questions is, “How are we going to pay for this?” High-quality outdoor living spaces in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia area are major investments. Between structural engineering, premium low-maintenance materials, and the additional labor that goes into building four-season-ready spaces, it’s common for projects to cost far more than the quick online “average porch” calculators would suggest. For many homeowners, waiting to save the full amount in cash could mean postponing the project for years. In the meantime, you’re living with a yard that doesn’t function the way your family needs it to, or you’re missing out on valuable time entertaining outdoors. That’s why an increasing number of DMV families ask about financing options, including Hearth. Hearth is a platform that connects homeowners with home improvement lenders. Instead of offering loans directly, Hearth helps you shop multiple lending partners with a single, streamlined application. You can prequalify without impacting your credit score, see estimated monthly payments, and compare loan terms side by side. This is particularly useful if you’re trying to decide between a modest upgrade and a more comprehensive outdoor living project—you’ll be able to see how different project costs translate into monthly obligations. Using Hearth financing, many homeowners in Maryland and Northern Virginia choose to move forward with the best version of their project rather than scaling back. For example, rather than building a small, uncovered deck now and hoping to add a roof or screens later, you can design the screened porch you truly want from the beginning. Similarly, you might opt to include features like Infratech heaters, Sunspace WeatherMaster windows, or composite decking that reduce maintenance and extend usability across more months of the year. The ability to fold these long-term improvements into a financed payment can make them far more accessible. Of course, financing is never one-size-fits-all. Not every homeowner will be comfortable with or qualified for a loan, and not every project scope calls for this kind of solution. A Hearth loan is typically an unsecured personal loan, so approval and terms are based on your creditworthiness, income, and existing debts. This makes it essential to approach the process with clear eyes and a realistic understanding of your financial picture. Used thoughtfully, though, Hearth can be a tool that helps you align your outdoor living investment with the way you actually live in your home today.

Pros, cons, and real-world examples of Hearth for screened porches, decks, and outdoor kitchens

When you start pricing out a custom screened porch, elevated deck, or fully outfitted outdoor kitchen in Maryland or Northern Virginia, the numbers can feel intimidating. It’s common for a properly engineered, code-compliant screened porch in the DMV to land in the $60,000 to $90,000 range once you factor in design, permitting, foundations, and the kinds of premium materials Design Builders recommends for long-term durability. That level of investment doesn’t always line up neatly with cash on hand—even for high-earning households. This is where third-party lending platforms such as Hearth come into the conversation. Hearth connects homeowners with a network of lenders that specialize in home improvement loans. Instead of pulling together cash or leaning on high-interest credit cards, you submit a single application, get matched with loan offers, and—if you accept one—use that funding to pay for your project. Design Builders gets paid according to the construction schedule, and you make predictable monthly payments to the lender. For many DMV homeowners, the main appeal of a Hearth-style loan is the ability to move forward with the “right” project instead of scaling back to the bare minimum. Rather than cutting square footage, dropping from composite to basic pressure-treated lumber, or eliminating features like Infratech heaters or Sunspace windows that dramatically improve year-round usability, financing lets you spread the cost over several years. This can make it easier to choose long-lasting, low-maintenance solutions that protect resale value and daily enjoyment. It’s important, though, to weigh those benefits against the true cost of borrowing. Personal loans for home improvement typically come with fixed interest rates and set repayment terms—often anywhere from two to twelve years. A lower monthly payment might require a longer term, which increases total interest paid. Before you sign, compare the offers you receive through Hearth to alternatives from your existing bank or credit union, and evaluate how they fit alongside other financial goals like retirement savings, college funds, or paying down higher-interest debt. You’ll also want to think strategically about scope. If you know you’ll eventually want an outdoor kitchen, for example, but your immediate budget only supports a screened porch, talk with Design Builders about planning the project in phases. With thoughtful upfront design, electrical rough-ins, gas lines, and structural support can be included in phase one, even if cabinetry and appliances come later. Using Hearth to fund a well-planned first phase can be smarter than financing a piecemeal project that requires costly rework. Finally, remember that financing doesn’t change permitting timelines or construction realities in the DMV. Counties still treat most screened porches and covered outdoor rooms as additions, requiring architectural plans, engineering, and multiple inspections. What Hearth can do is reduce the stress around timing your project with bonus cycles, home sales, or other big expenses. If you decide to move forward, get prequalified early in the design process so that as soon as permits are in hand and your start date is set, funding is already lined up.

Next steps and how to apply with Hearth for your DMV project

If you’re considering Hearth for a Design Builders project, start by looking at your big-picture budget. List your existing monthly obligations—mortgage or rent, car payments, student loans, childcare, and recurring expenses. From there, determine a comfortable range for an additional fixed payment. A lender may approve you for more than you truly want to take on; your own comfort level and long-term plans should set the ceiling. Once you have that target payment, you can work backward with your design consultant. For example, if a $500 to $700 monthly payment over seven to ten years feels manageable, your total project budget might fall into a range that fully supports a high-end screened porch with composite decking, low-maintenance railings, and integrated heating. Your Design Builders team can help you prioritize which elements offer the greatest return on daily comfort and resale value, and which upgrades could wait for a later phase if you prefer to keep your financed amount lower. Take time to review the specific terms in any Hearth loan offer. Look at the interest rate, origination fees (if any), whether the rate is fixed, and whether there are prepayment penalties. A fixed-rate loan with no prepayment penalty can be attractive if you anticipate paying extra toward principal when bonuses or commissions come in. This flexibility can significantly reduce your total interest cost while still giving you the security of a predictable monthly payment. As you compare offers, remember that Hearth is just one financing option. Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), home equity loans, or even a cash-out refinance may be available, depending on your current equity and credit profile. Each comes with its own risks and benefits. Unsecured personal loans, such as those you might see through Hearth’s lending partners, won’t put your home at direct risk of foreclosure, but they may carry higher interest rates than equity-backed products. On the other hand, they can often be funded quickly and require less documentation. Whichever route you choose, make sure financing supports, rather than undermines, the core reason you’re investing in outdoor living: to improve your daily life. A well-designed screened porch, deck, or outdoor kitchen built with proper foundations—such as helical piers or advanced steel framing systems—can provide decades of low-maintenance use, additional entertaining space, and stronger resale appeal. When the loan is structured wisely, the value of that added living space can far outlast the repayment period. If you’re ready to explore how financing could fit into your project, you can begin by reviewing Design Builders’ resources about screened porch ROI at Increase Screened Porch ROI and cost expectations at What’s My Dream Screen Porch Going to Cost? These guides will help you clarify your priorities before you look at loan options. From there, your design consultant can walk you through how Hearth might pair with your specific scope, schedule, and budget.