Mortgage lenders pull all three bureaus, one inquiry costs a few points at most, and quotes gathered inside a tight window score as a single pull. Under current agency rules, mortgage lenders order a tri-merge report covering Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. That requirement has been in transition (a two-bureau switch was proposed and then shelved), but today, expect all three. Missing a score at one bureau is workable. How the scores get used: - One borrower: your representative score is the middle of your three scores, or the lower of two. - Two or more borrowers: for pricing, the loan is priced off the lowest borrower's representative score, and FHA uses the lowest borrower's score as its decision score. For eligibility on some conventional automated approvals, the system now uses the average of the borrowers' median scores instead. Pricing and eligibility follow different rules, which trips people up. On the point hit: for someone with good credit, a single mortgage inquiry typically costs a couple to maybe four or five points, and it heals fairly quickly. A small, temporary dip. Shopping several lenders does not multiply the damage. Credit scoring models bundle mortgage inquiries made inside a shopping window and count them as one, by design, so rate shopping is not punished. The window depends on the model version: newer scores use about 45 days, while the older score versions still standard in mortgage lending use 14. Keep your quotes inside about two weeks and every model sees a single inquiry. One practical note: lenders avoid re-pulling mostly because of cost, since a tri-merge report now runs roughly $80 to $100, more than to protect your score. If timing matters for you, confirm the details with your loan officer.