The two names hearth and greensky pop up constantly when homeowners search for ways to fund a renovation or ground-up build. Both platforms promise quick approval, soft-pull credit checks, and promotional rates—exactly the perks that make projects move from “dream” to “demo day.” Yet residential contractors often struggle to explain the differences while juggling measurements, material lead times, and labor schedules.
That is where CountBricks changes the conversation. Our AI estimating engine not only produces accurate takeoffs in real time, it also embeds side-by-side financing scenarios so your client sees how monthly payment, interest rate, and total project cost shift under each lender. The result: fewer back-and-forth calls, faster signatures, and a build calendar that stays on track.
• Hearth: Often advertises decisions in 60–120 seconds once the full application is submitted
• GreenSky: Typically provides an approval code in under two minutes, with a separate verification call for larger loans
CountBricks Difference: Our voice-to-estimate workflow captures the homeowner’s scope, surfaces both offers instantly, and highlights which one aligns with desired start dates displayed on your CountBricks scheduling dashboard.
• Hearth: Personal loans up to $250,000, terms ranging from 2–12 years
• GreenSky: Lines of credit up to $65,000 per agreement, renewable for additional phases
CountBricks Insight: Because our AI takeoff calculates phased material drops, we flag when a revolving line (GreenSky-style) could reduce interest paid on unused funds compared with a lump-sum personal loan (Hearth-style).
• Hearth: No promotional APRs but advertises competitive fixed rates
• GreenSky: 0% interest plans for 6–24 months on select credit tiers, then variable APR
CountBricks Clarity: The platform converts every offer into a true cost of capital line embedded beneath each CSI division in your estimate, so homeowners see how a 0% teaser compares to a flat fixed rate on total spend for roofing, mechanical, and finish packages.
Keyword research shows homeowners and contractors alike want two things: transparency and simplicity. They are not loyal to a lender name; they are loyal to whoever demystifies dollars and days. People evaluate:
• Monthly payment impact on household cash flow
• Likelihood of approval with mid-range credit scores
• Fees, prepayment penalties, and surprise charges
• How quickly funds land so construction can start
CountBricks addresses every question inside one living estimate instead of dozens of tabs and PDFs.
1. Capture scope via voice: Contractor speaks room dimensions, finishes, and upgrades into the CountBricks mobile app.
2. AI generates material list, labor hours, and timeline: Seconds later the homeowner sees cost breakdowns tagged to our live supplier pricing database.
3. Financing engine compares hearth vs greensky: Real-time APIs pull soft-quote offers and display them beside “cash” and “draw schedule” columns.
4. Homeowner selects a plan: Digital signature locks the loan and the construction schedule simultaneously.
5. Automated milestones: As a phase completes, CountBricks triggers lender draws or homeowner payments, reducing admin work for your office manager.
• Pre-qualify on the first phone call; it avoids designing a dream outside the budget.
• Use our “Cost Delta” view to show how changing finishes affects monthly payment, not just total price.
• Encourage clients to upload pay stubs through the secure portal—approval rates jump 18%.
• Sync your CountBricks calendar with our lender draw reminders to keep cash flowing smoothly.
• Export our branded quote document to impress banks if additional collateral is required.
A CountBricks partner contractor in Austin quoted a 550-sq-ft addition. Initial budget: $148,000. Using CountBricks.com/portfolio, the homeowner reviewed similar projects and opted for upscale fixtures, bumping costs to $172,000. They compared:
• Hearth fixed 8.9% APR, 10-year term: $2,152/mo first year
• GreenSky 0% for 18 months, then 9.99%: $1,425/mo teaser, $2,296/mo post-promo
Our AI highlighted that scheduling framing in month 17 would overlap with interest kick-in under GreenSky. The homeowner chose Hearth, paid off early at month 62, saving $9,300. Construction began two weeks sooner because funding was secured inside the estimate meeting.
• Single source of truth: Estimate, schedule, and financing live in one platform.
• Fewer change orders: Clients understand trade-offs in real money terms.
• Faster approvals: Pre-populated data removes redundant lender forms.
• Higher close rates: Contractors report 23% increase in signed contracts when financing is shown in the first presentation.
Ready to streamline your projects? Visit CountBricks.com/services to book a demo or call our residential construction specialists. We will show you how easy it is to turn “hearth vs greensky” searches into signed deals on your calendar.
Financing is only one piece of the puzzle. Once funding is locked, the real challenge is protecting margin against price spikes and schedule drift. CountBricks offers several safeguards that the typical stand-alone loan app cannot match.
• Our database refreshes lumber, roofing, and finish costs every four hours, so the quote your client signs today won’t leave you underwater tomorrow.
• Voice-activated daily logs feed directly into your estimate’s labor baseline. If framing crews fall behind, CountBricks highlights the variance and suggests overtime or crew reallocation before delays compound.
1. Upload PDFs or CAD files.
2. Mark rooms with a single click or voice command.
3. Receive instant quantities, waste factors, and crew hours—all synced to the financing dashboard so lenders see exactly where every dollar goes.
• Homeowners approve or decline scope adjustments in their portal. Approved changes auto-notify the lender, ensuring extra funds are available without paperwork headaches.
A Chicago design-build firm used CountBricks on five basement conversions. Dynamic material pricing shaved $6,800 off projected overruns. Labor tracker data revealed a 12% productivity uptick after aligning crew schedules with real-time insights. Most important, integrated financing kept cash flowing—even when scope grew—so subcontractors were paid on time and client satisfaction hit 96%.
Explore these capabilities at CountBricks.com/consultation and see why builders nationwide trust us to transform financing conversations into profitable, on-schedule builds.
