A VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) confirms to a lender that you qualify for the VA home-loan benefit based on your service history and duty status. You can request one online through VA.gov or eBenefits, ask a lender to pull it through WebLGY, or mail VA Form 26-1880. The COE shows your basic entitlement and any prior VA loans charged against it—details to have before you reserve a San Antonio new-construction home or put down upgrade deposits—and it is not a loan approval or a rate promise.
Brock Bremmer | U.S. Air Force Reserves Veteran | Real Estate Agent | eXp Realty | San Antonio Metro Area
VA Loan & New Construction Specialist
Also see: VA Loans on New Construction | VA Loan Guide for San Antonio | How to Use a VA Loan in San Antonio
What Is a VA Certificate of Eligibility?
VA.gov’s eligibility page explains that a COE shows your lender you qualify for a VA-backed loan or a VA direct loan (the Native American Direct Loan) based on your service history and duty status. You still have to meet VA’s and your lender’s standards for credit, income, and occupancy.
On a purchase loan, VA.gov also states that you must live in the home you are buying with the loan. The COE answers eligibility; it does not replace underwriting, the appraisal, or contract review. See how VA loans work on San Antonio new construction for the rest of that path.
How Do You Request a COE?
You can request a Certificate of Eligibility in three official ways:
- Online through VA.gov or eBenefits. VA’s current pages say you can request a COE online. The older certificate page still points many users to eBenefits, and Form 26-1880 encourages you to start at VA.gov.
- Through your lender (WebLGY). Most lenders can use WebLGY to issue a COE. VA says this can happen in a matter of seconds when VA already has sufficient data—and that not every case can be processed that way.
- By mail using VA Form 26-1880. Mail the form to the regional loan center listed on its last page. VA.gov notes that mail requests may take longer than an online or lender request.
Surviving spouses who qualify often use VA Form 26-1817 (and additional documents if they are not receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation). See how a surviving spouse can use a VA loan on a San Antonio new build.
What Evidence Do You Need?
VA.gov’s how-to-request page tells you to gather documents that match your situation before you start:
- Veterans: A DD Form 214 showing character of service and the narrative reason for separation.
- Active-duty service members: A current statement of service signed by a commander, adjutant, or personnel officer, with the details VA lists (name, Social Security number, date of birth, entry date, lost time, and the command providing the information).
- National Guard and Reserve members: The document set depends on whether you were activated. See VA.gov for the exact list, including statement-of-service, NGB Form 22/23, and six-year service routes on the eligibility page.
If VA already has your service data, a lender pull or online request may not need extra uploads. If the automated request cannot be completed, VA will tell you what to submit. Guard and Reserve buyers can also review how Guard and Reserve members use a VA loan on a new build.
What Does a COE Show About Entitlement?
VA.gov’s entitlement page is direct: your COE shows the amount of your entitlement for a VA home-loan guaranty. A few fields matter before you pick a new-construction price:
- Basic entitlement (first-tier or tier 1): If your COE lists basic entitlement of $36,000, VA says you have full entitlement. For a loan of $144,000 or less, that figure is the maximum VA would pay the lender if you defaulted. For a larger loan, VA generally guarantees 25% of the loan amount when you have full entitlement. The $36,000 figure is not the amount you can borrow.
- Basic entitlement of $0: VA says you do not have remaining basic entitlement, but you may still have bonus (second-tier) entitlement for a loan above $144,000.
- Prior loans charged to entitlement: The prior-loan table lists entitlement already used. You need that number if a prior VA loan is still outstanding or has not been restored.
- Bonus entitlement is not printed as one leftover dollar amount. VA’s math is 25% of the county’s FHFA one-unit conforming loan limit, minus entitlement already used.
Full entitlement does not mean any loan size you want. The lender still approves you based on credit, income, debts, and assets. If remaining entitlement will not support a 25% guaranty, your lender may require a down payment. If you used a VA loan before and still own that home, read how remaining entitlement works when you still own your first home.
Why Get a COE Before You Reserve a New Build?
San Antonio production builders often ask for a pre-approval before you reserve a lot or a quick-move-in home. The COE is the eligibility piece of that file. Getting it early helps you confirm full versus partial entitlement, flag a prior loan that still needs restoration, and leave time if WebLGY cannot issue an automated COE and you must send a DD214, statement of service, or a mailed Form 26-1880.
It also helps you avoid upgrade deposits you cannot support. VA’s escape-clause rules protect earnest money in many purchase contracts signed before the Notice of Value, but deposits paid to a builder for upgrades on new construction are generally not treated as earnest money. Confirm that risk before you spend at the design center.
I walk through the VA new-build process in How to Buy a New Construction Home with a VA Loan in San Antonio. No article can promise approval. See how much the VA funding fee is on a new build.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a VA Certificate of Eligibility?
You can request a COE online through VA.gov or eBenefits, ask a lender to pull it through WebLGY, or mail VA Form 26-1880 to the regional loan center listed on the form. VA notes that mail requests may take longer, and that a lender pull can be issued in seconds when VA already has sufficient data.
What does a VA Certificate of Eligibility show?
VA.gov says the COE shows the amount of your entitlement for a VA home-loan guaranty, including basic entitlement (often $36,000 when you have full entitlement) and any prior loans charged against it. Bonus entitlement is calculated from the county loan limit minus entitlement already used.
Ready to Line Up Your VA New-Build File?
Brock Bremmer with eXp Realty is a U.S. Air Force Reserves veteran with 130+ homes sold across the San Antonio metro and an eXp ICON agent (2023–24). He helps VA buyers compare builders, contracts, and entitlement questions in San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Boerne so the COE is in place before they put non-refundable deposits at risk.
- 📞 Call or text: 210-501-5088
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 📅 Schedule a free consultation
Also see: VA Funding Fee on a New Build | Using Your VA Loan Again | Income Needed for a VA New Build | VA MPRs on New Builds | Builder 2-1 Buydowns With a VA Loan
Sources: VA, How to request a COE; VA, Eligibility for VA home loan programs; VA, Home loan entitlement and limits; VA Home Loans, Certificate of Eligibility; VA Form 26-1880; VA, Purchase loan; VA Home Loans, VA Escape Clause (accessed November 7, 2026).