Rocket Mortgage Recast: $10,000 Minimum, $250 Fee (2026)
Last updated 6 min read By the Mortgage Recast Calculators team
Rocket Mortgage allows recasting on conforming conventional loans. The short version: put at least $10,000 toward principal, pay a $250 flat fee, and Rocket recalculates your monthly principal and interest over the remaining term at your existing rate. Your rate and payoff date do not change; only the monthly payment drops. The details below come from Rocket Mortgage's own recast article, which is an educational page rather than a formal policy document, so always confirm the current terms by phone before moving money.
Rocket Mortgage recast rules at a glance
| Requirement | Rocket Mortgage policy |
|---|---|
| Minimum principal payment | $10,000 applied to principal since closing or your last recast; cumulative payments count if made within a 12-month period |
| Fee | $250 flat |
| How to request | By phone to Rocket servicing; no online form documented |
| Payment history | At least 2 payments made, without paying ahead |
| Eligible loans | Conforming Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac loans only |
| Excluded loans | FHA, USDA, and VA |
| Processing time | Not published; ask on the call |
The $10,000 minimum does not have to be one lump sum
This is the most useful detail in Rocket's policy. Many servicers want a single lump-sum principal curtailment. Rocket counts cumulative principal payments toward the $10,000 threshold, as long as those payments fall within a 12-month window and were made since closing or since your last recast. If you have been sending an extra $1,000 to principal each month, you could qualify without ever writing one large check.
Note the flip side of the payment-history rule: Rocket wants at least two payments made without paying ahead. Prepaying future scheduled payments is not the same thing as principal curtailment, and it can complicate your eligibility. If you send extra money, make sure it is explicitly applied to principal, not to future payments. Our guide to how mortgage recasting works covers the difference in detail.
The $250 fee in context
Rocket's $250 flat fee is typical for the industry. Fees across major servicers run from $0 (Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Chase, which states no fee while noting fees may apply) to $250 (Rocket, U.S. Bank, Truist, Newrez, LoanDepot). See our full mortgage recast fees comparison for all ten servicers side by side. Given that a recast on a meaningful balance often cuts the monthly payment by hundreds of dollars, the fee usually pays for itself in the first month. Run your numbers with our free mortgage recast calculator to see your exact payment drop.
How to request a Rocket Mortgage recast
- Call Rocket servicing. Rocket documents no online recast form, so the request happens by phone. Confirm that your specific loan is eligible, that your principal payments to date count toward the $10,000 minimum, and what the current fee is.
- Make (or complete) your principal payments. Ensure every payment is designated as principal-only so it counts toward the cumulative $10,000.
- Pay the $250 fee and complete any paperwork Rocket requires.
- Keep paying your current payment until Rocket confirms the new, lower payment amount and its effective date.
Processing time: not published
Rocket Mortgage does not publish how long a recast takes. That is a genuine gap in its public documentation, not an oversight on our part. For reference, servicers that do publish timelines range from about 30 days (Newrez) to up to 90 days (Mr. Cooper), with Truist quoting 30 to 60 business days once funds and documentation are in. When you call, ask for a written estimate of when the new payment takes effect, and keep making your regular payment until then.
Which loans are excluded
Rocket limits recasting to conforming loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Rocket states you cannot recast an FHA, USDA, or VA loan under government rules. That is consistent across the industry: those programs have no voluntary post-curtailment re-amortization mechanism, so a recast is generally not available on them at any servicer. It is a gap in the program rules rather than an explicit prohibition in one citable handbook section, so it still costs nothing to ask your servicer. If you have a government-backed loan, see our guides to FHA loan recasting alternatives and VA loan recasting alternatives. If you have a conforming loan, our conventional loan recast guide explains the investor rules that apply.
The Rocket and Mr. Cooper merger: which policy applies to you?
Rocket Mortgage and Mr. Cooper have merged, which makes the combined company one of the largest mortgage servicers in the country. As of this writing, the two servicing platforms still publish separate recast policies. They are similar but not identical: Mr. Cooper requires a $10,000 minimum with a non-refundable fee of up to $250, requires the request form to be submitted before the lump-sum payment, and quotes up to 90 days of processing. Rocket requires the same $10,000 minimum but charges a flat $250 and takes requests by phone.
The practical rule: follow the policy of the platform that actually services your loan, which is the name on your statement and the site where you log in to pay. If your loan is serviced on the Mr. Cooper platform, read our Mr. Cooper recast guide instead. And because servicing platforms can consolidate after a merger, confirm the current policy by phone before you send funds.
Is a Rocket recast worth it for you?
A recast makes the most sense when your existing rate is at or below current market rates, because a refinance would replace your rate and cost far more in closing costs. If your goal is paying the loan off faster rather than lowering the payment, extra principal payments without a recast save more total interest. Our breakdown of whether recasting is worth it walks through both trade-offs.