You're legally allowed to cancel PMI on your own. The question is whether the upfront cost, paperwork, and risk are worth it.
Check my details — free →Removing PMI is a right, not a favor — the Homeowners Protection Act lets you request cancellation once you've built enough equity. So yes, you can absolutely do it yourself, and for some homeowners that's the right call.
The catch is what stands between you and a cancelled PMI: knowing your servicer's exact process, ordering and paying for the right kind of valuation, writing the request so it can't be brushed off, and chasing the follow-ups. And the appraisal fee usually comes out of your pocket whether or not the number comes back high enough. Here's how doing it yourself stacks up against having us run it for you.
The bottom line
Doing it yourself is completely possible — and free in dollars if everything goes smoothly the first time. The risk is the appraisal fee you pay whether or not it works, plus the time and any dispute you have to fight alone. We take that risk off the table: we front the costs, run the process with your servicer, and only get paid when your PMI is gone for good.
Start my free check →Because we front the appraisal cost, know each servicer's quirks and exact requirements, handle any valuation dispute, and charge nothing unless it works. You trade a success fee for removing the upfront cost, the legwork, and the risk of paying for an attempt that fails.
The written request is free, but the property valuation your lender requires usually isn't — and that's money you simply lose if the value comes back too low to qualify. "Free" only holds if your first attempt succeeds.
Spend about two minutes telling us about your home and authorizing us to contact your lender. From there we compile the evidence, file the request, manage the valuation, and chase the follow-ups until cancellation is confirmed in writing.