Updated

HELOCs in Utah: how much you can borrow and the state rules that apply

Own a home in Utah and want cash without giving up the rate on your current mortgage? A home equity line of credit can do that, and Utah homes carry a lot of value: the median is $545,200. Utah has no special HELOC borrowing cap, but it does set rules for closing a line when you sell and for releasing the lien once it's paid. Here is what that means for you.

Median value of an owner-occupied Utah home
$545,200
For a lender to release the lien after your final payment
90 days
Minimum from a recorded notice of default to a notice of sale
3 months
Of your primary home's value exempt from property tax
45%

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HELOC rates in Utah right now

Most HELOCs have a variable rate based on the prime rate plus a margin set by the lender. Your margin depends mostly on your credit and how much of your home's value you borrow.

In 2025, the median HELOC in Utah opened at 7.24%, and half opened between 6.24% and 8.00%, across 17,823 lines reported under federal HMDA data. The national median was 7.50%. Leaving out lines with a 3 to 12 month introductory rate, the Utah median was 7.50%. Home equity loans in Utah, which usually have a fixed rate, closed at a median of 8.24%. HELOC rates in every state.

Prime rate, unchanged since September 17, 2026 (Federal Reserve)
7.00%
Median Utah HELOC rate at opening, 2025 (HMDA)
7.24%
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, week of October 29, 2026 (Freddie Mac)
7.24%

The Federal Reserve raised rates on September 16, 2026, which moved prime to 7.00%. Its October 27 and 28 meeting is more recent than the prime rate data shown here, which runs through October 27, 2026. Its next meeting is December 8 and 9. With 30-year mortgage rates above 7%, a HELOC lets you borrow against your equity without refinancing a lower rate you already have.

How much can you borrow in Utah?

Utah law doesn't set a home equity borrowing cap. Each lender sets its own limit on all the loans on your home combined, your current mortgage plus the new line.

Utah homes are valued well above the national median: $545,200 for an owner-occupied home, against $360,600 for the U.S. as a whole.

Home value ×80% −what you owe now =a likely maximum line

Example
Home value (the Utah median for owner-occupied homes)
$545,200
80% of value (a common lender limit, not a Utah law)
$436,160
Current mortgage balance
$300,000
Maximum line of credit
$136,160

Example only. Lenders set their own limits and the final amount after an appraisal, and many approve less than the maximum based on credit and income.

Run your own numbers in our home equity calculator

Utah home prices reached about 2.5 times their 2014 level by 2025

Utah House Price Index by year, 2014 to 2025Column chart. The index rises from 290.1 in 2014 to 721.7 in 2025, with the largest yearly gains in 2021 and 2022.0200400600800Index (1991 = 100)2014: index 290.1320142902015: index 307.80, up 6.1% from 20142016: index 332.61, up 8.1% from 20152017: index 362.59, up 9.0% from 201620172018: index 398.81, up 10.0% from 20172019: index 430.83, up 8.0% from 20182020: index 479.00, up 11.2% from 201920202021: index 602.75, up 25.8% from 2020+25.8%2022: index 688.59, up 14.2% from 2021+14.2%2023: index 676.61, down 1.7% from 202220232024: index 706.31, up 4.4% from 20232025: index 721.72, up 2.2% from 20242025722 Utah House Price Index by year, 2014 to 2025Column chart. The index rises from 290.1 in 2014 to 721.7 in 2025, with the largest yearly gains in 2021 and 2022.0200400600800Index (1991 = 100)2014: index 290.1320142902015: index 307.80, up 6.1% from 201420152016: index 332.61, up 8.1% from 201520162017: index 362.59, up 9.0% from 201620172018: index 398.81, up 10.0% from 201720182019: index 430.83, up 8.0% from 201820192020: index 479.00, up 11.2% from 201920202021: index 602.75, up 25.8% from 20202021+25.8%2022: index 688.59, up 14.2% from 20212022+14.2%2023: index 676.61, down 1.7% from 202220232024: index 706.31, up 4.4% from 202320242025: index 721.72, up 2.2% from 20242025722

On the FHFA House Price Index, Utah home prices rose 148.8% from 2014 to 2025, with the biggest jumps in 2021 (+25.8%) and 2022 (+14.2%). After a 1.7% dip in 2023, prices grew more slowly: up 4.4% in 2024, 2.2% in 2025 and 1.06% in the year to mid-2026, 39th of the 50 states and DC.

Source: FHFA House Price Index, Utah, purchase-only, through 2026 Q2.

Chart data as a table
Utah House Price Index, annual average (1991 = 100)
YearIndex (1991 = 100)
2014290.13
2015307.80
2016332.61
2017362.59
2018398.81
2019430.83
2020479.00
2021602.75
2022688.59
2023676.61
2024706.31
2025721.72

The Utah rules that affect a HELOC, in plain English

Utah has no special HELOC limits like a borrowing cap or a waiting period. These Utah laws still shape your HELOC. They come from the Utah Code, summarized here in plain words.

Your line of credit

Closing the line when you sell or refinance.
Once the lender gets payment in full from the title or escrow company handling your sale or new loan, plus a payoff request or your written request to close, it must close the line and release the lien.
The lien must come off within 90 days.
A lender that doesn't release the lien within 90 days of your final payment can owe you the greater of $1,000 or three times your actual damages, plus attorney fees and court costs.

Spouses and homestead

A recorded homestead needs both signatures.
Utah isn't a community property state, but if you are married and have recorded a declaration of homestead, a loan secured by the home isn't valid unless both spouses sign.
Homestead protection doesn't cover a HELOC.
Utah's homestead exemption shields part of your home's value from some creditors, but it doesn't apply to a lien you agreed to, such as a home equity line.

Property tax

45% of your home is exempt.
Your primary residence is taxed on only 55% of its fair market value. The exemption covers up to one acre per home and one primary residence per household.

If you can't pay

Usually no court case.
Most Utah foreclosures are trustee's sales under the trust deed, without a lawsuit.
At least 3 months before a sale is noticed.
The trustee must record a notice of default and wait at least 3 months before giving notice of sale. The sale notice is published once a week for 3 weeks and posted at least 20 days before the sale.
3 months to catch up.
Within 3 months of the notice of default you can pay the past-due amount plus actual costs and fees, and the loan is reinstated as if nothing happened.
No buying it back after the sale.
A trustee's sale is final. Utah law gives no right of redemption afterward.
Limits on what is still owed.
If the sale doesn't cover the debt, the lender has 3 months to sue for the rest, and the amount is capped using the home's fair market value.

Utah homeowners by the numbers

Median value of an owner-occupied Utah home
$545,200
U.S.: $360,600
Utah homeowners with no mortgage at all
32.0%
U.S.: 40.3%
Owner-occupied homes in Utah
824,019
Median yearly property tax paid in Utah
$2,648
U.S.: $3,211

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates.

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Frequently asked questions

What happens to my HELOC when I sell or refinance in Utah?

Once the lender receives payment in full from the title or escrow company, plus a payoff request or your written request to close, Utah law requires it to close the line and release the lien.

How fast must a Utah lender release my HELOC lien?

Within 90 days of the final payment. A lender that misses that deadline can owe the greater of $1,000 or three times actual damages, plus attorney fees.

Does my spouse have to sign my Utah HELOC?

Utah isn't a community property state. Utah law does require both spouses to sign if you are married and the home is a recorded homestead, and lenders may set their own signing rules.

Does Utah's homestead exemption protect my home from a HELOC lender?

No. The exemption doesn't apply to liens you agreed to by contract, such as a home equity line of credit.

Is foreclosure in Utah done through the courts?

Usually not. Most are trustee's sales, with at least 3 months between the notice of default and the notice of sale, and you can catch up and reinstate within those 3 months.

How much have Utah home prices risen?

On the FHFA House Price Index, Utah prices rose 1.06% in the year to mid-2026 and 24.0% over 5 years. From 2014 to 2025 they rose 148.8%.

Does checking my options with LenderMatch affect my credit?

No. LenderMatch never pulls your credit. A lender you choose to work with may check it, with your permission.

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Sources

  • Utah Code, Section 57-1-38, release of security interest and closing a revolving credit line (le.utah.gov)
  • Utah Code, Sections 57-1-23 to 57-1-32, trust deeds and trustee sales
  • Utah Code, Sections 78B-5-503 and 78B-5-504, homestead
  • Utah Code, Section 59-2-103, residential property tax exemption
  • FHFA House Price Index, state data through 2026 Q2
  • U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024
  • Federal Reserve H.15 release, October 27, 2026
  • Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 29, 2026
  • Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, 2025 (HELOC and home equity loan rates at opening, LenderMatch analysis)

Last reviewed October 22, 2026. General information, not legal advice. LenderMatch is not a lender and makes no loans.