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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Chase Freedom Flex℠, Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige® Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Are you one of the folks bitten by the home remodeling bug during the last few years? Home improvement was an enormous industry during the pandemic, as many were stuck at home and hankering to complete long-deferred projects.
No matter the type of home upgrade you’re dreaming of, you should know that some credit cards offer rewards and perks that can make using them more beneficial than paying with cash or using a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC). Of course, that is all predicated on the idea you can use credit to pay for your indoor or outdoor project, reap the benefits, and pay your credit card balance off before any interest accrues.
We looked up the average cost of three home remodeling projects — an asphalt roof replacement ($31,535), vinyl siding replacement ($18,662), and a garage door replacement ($4,041) — to see how much you could benefit from a few top rewards cards. All information on pricing comes from Remodeling Magazine’s 2022 cost versus value study.
If you’re considering a new deck, new windows, or an outdoor landscaping overhaul this year, the following credit cards could be your best bet.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Compare the best credit cards for home improvement projects
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best welcome bonus offer
If you want to parlay your home remodeling project into a big welcome bonus offer, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This card starts you off with 60,000 points (worth Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in travel, per Insider’s points and miles valuations). You’ll also earn:
5x points on Lyft rides through March 20255x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out 3x points on select streaming services3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)2x points on other travel 1 point per dollar on everything else
You’ll be charged a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card annual fee, but you can redeem your rewards in a ton of different ways. For example, you can use Chase points to book travel through Chase, transfer them to airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio, redeem them for cash back or merchandise, or cash them in for gift cards from an array of popular retailers, dining establishments, and more.
You can even redeem your rewards for gift cards to places like Lowe’s or Home Depot, where you can use them to buy more supplies for projects around the home.
Factoring in the welcome bonus, here are the rewards you’d earn on three different types of home-improvement projects, based on the pricing from Remodeling Magazine’s cost versus value study:
Asphalt roof replacement ($31,535): 91,535 Chase points, worth an average of $1,647.63 in travelVinyl siding replacement ($18,662): 78,662 Chase points, worth an average of $1,415.92 in travelGarage door replacement ($4,041): 64,041 Chase points, worth an average of $1,152.74 in travel
Review: Chase Sapphire Preferred card review
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Best for buying supplies from Target
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point. You can also use them for gift cards, travel, merchandise, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. And, if you also hold an annual fee-incurring Chase Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer those points to valuable airline and hotel partners, receiving an average value of 1.8 cents per Chase point.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ does not charge an annual fee and earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in quarterly bonus categories after activation (then 1%) and 1% back on all other purchases. You also start off with a welcome bonus of Chase Freedom Flex℠.
This quarter’s Chase Freedom bonus categories (January through March 2023) include Target, which offers a wide range of home remodeling products and supplies. Here’s what you could earn with this card by using it to finance your home renovation (including the welcome bonus) — and the value you’d get if transferring points to travel partners:
Asphalt roof replacement ($31,535): 57,535 Chase points, worth an average of $1,035.63 in travelVinyl siding replacement ($18,662): 44,662 Chase points, worth an average of $803.92 in travelGarage door replacement ($4,041): 30,041 Chase points, worth an average of $547.38 in travel
Another bonus? The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a Chase Freedom Flex℠ (then a Chase Freedom Flex℠ APR), which is great if you need some time to pay off your home improvement expenses.
Review: Chase Freedom Flex card review
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best home improvement category bonus
For a lucrative combo of a long intro APR, decent bonus, and strong rewards rate on home improvement purchases, the no-annual-fee Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great choice. Along with a welcome bonus offer of Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, cardholders can take advantage of a Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card (then a Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card APR).
Where the card really shines is its bonus categories. Cardholders earn 3% cash back in one category of their choice (from a list of six that includes home improvement/furnishings purchases), 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% back on all other purchases. The downside is that the 3% (choice category) and 2% (grocery/wholesale club) rates only apply to the first $2,500 in combined purchases per quarter (then 1% cash back).
If you choose home improvement/furnishings as your 3% category for the quarter, you could potentially earn 3% back on $2,500 in spending (total of $75). Then, after your project is done, you can always switch your 3% category to something that better matches your current spending habits; the other eligible categories are gas/EV charging, online shopping, dining, travel, and drug stores.
Here’s what you would earn with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for our sample home improvement purchases (assuming home improvement/furnishings is your chosen 3% category):
Asphalt roof replacement ($31,535): $565.35 in cash backVinyl siding replacement ($18,662): $436.62 in cash backGarage door replacement ($4,041): $290.41 in cash back
Review: Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card review
Citi® Double Cash Card: Best for flat-rate cash back
If you want to earn a flat rate of rewards on your home remodeling project without having to worry about where you shop, it’s tough to beat the Citi® Double Cash Card. This card doesn’t charge an annual fee, yet you’ll earn an effective 2% back for each dollar you spend: 1% cash back (1 point per dollar) when you make a purchase and another 1% (1 point per dollar) when you pay it off.
The card technically earns Citi ThankYou points — not cash. But you can redeem points at a value of 1 cent per point as a statement credit, direct deposit, or check. If you also have the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants), you can transfer your Citi ThankYou points to airline and hotel partners for a bigger value — 1.6 cents per point, on average (per Insider’s valuation of Citi points). Here’s what you could earn by paying for your home projects with the card:
Asphalt roof replacement ($31,535): 83,070 Citi ThankYou points, worth an average of $1,329.12 in travelVinyl siding replacement ($18,662): 57,324 Citi ThankYou points, worth an average of $917.18 in travelGarage door replacement ($4,041): 28,082 Citi ThankYou points, worth an average of $449.31 in travel
In addition, you can save money on interest by consolidating balances from other cards and taking advantage of its Citi® Double Cash Card (followed by a Citi® Double Cash Card APR).
Read our guide to the best 0% APR credit cards. If you’re willing to earn fewer rewards, you can find credit cards with much longer 0% intro APR windows.
Review: Citi Double Cash card review
See our picks for the best home improvement loans »
Best credit cards for home improvement frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is the best credit card for home improvement?
It depends on your goals. Is your aim to earn free travel with your spending? Would you prefer cash back? Or maybe you know you won’t be able to pay off your balance within a month or two, and you’d prefer a credit card that offers 0% intro APR.
There really is no “best” credit card for home renovation that covers every situation. However, we recommend opening a credit card (or two!) with a large welcome bonus to help you rack up rewards quickly. You could easily achieve more than $1,000 in value from a single card bonus. Read our post on the credit cards with welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more for some fun ideas.
Are home improvement credit cards worth it?
Opening a credit card specifically for a home renovation project is an excellent idea. If you’ve got a lot of spending on the horizon, it’s one of the best opportunities to open multiple credit cards and earn welcome bonuses for lots of cash back or rewards that you can either use to effectively discount your purchases or save for future travels.
Just be sure you aren’t going to carry a balance for an extended period of time, as the interest you’ll incur can negate the rewards you earn. At that point, you’re better off taking out a personal loan with low interest rates.
Can you pay for home renovation on credit cards?
You can almost always pay for home renovations with a credit card — however, the above scenarios we’ve examined are pricey. Not many people have a credit line over $30,000 to pay for a roofing project. Ensure that you can pay in increments if you don’t have the credit line to cover the entire fee.
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