Closing-cost tool
Closing Cost Calculator
“Closing costs run 2–5% of the loan amount” is true and almost useless — nobody budgets from a range that wide. This calculator itemizes the buyer and seller lines so you can see what actually adds up, with the state-specific costs (transfer tax, commission) as explicit inputs rather than hidden guesses.
Context rate: the Freddie Mac PMMS 30-yr average was 7.03% the week of September 24, 2026. Discount points aren't included — they're a rate decision, not a closing cost.
Closing cost calculator
Line-by-line buyer and seller closing costs from cited 2025–2026 industry data (sources shown per line). State-specific lines are explicit inputs, not guesses.
Estimated closing costs
Buyer pays
$4,150–$10,350
0.9–2.3% of price
Seller pays
$24,750–$38,250
commission $24,750 · transfer tax $0
The common convention
$7,200–$18,000
Buyer closing costs ≈ 2–5% of the loan amount (Bankrate/NerdWallet convention). The 2025 national average was $4,661 including taxes and recording. Your itemized total (left) is usually near the low end unless state-specific costs apply.
Buyer line items
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Loan origination / underwritingLender fee, commonly 0.5%–1% of the loan amount. Only the 3% QM points-and-fees cap is a rule (CFPB); everything else is a norm.Source: Bankrate | $1,800–$3,600 (0.50–1.00% of loan) |
| AppraisalSingle-family appraisal (avg ~$360–$400); FHA/VA runs $400–$900 for the stricter inspection.Source: HomeAdvisor / Angi | $300–$500 |
| Credit reportPer applicant, commonly $30–$50. The only fee a lender may collect before issuing the Loan Estimate (CFPB).Source: CFPB LE/CD rules | $25–$100 |
| Title searchPublic-records title examination.Source: Bankrate | $200–$400 |
| Title insurance (lender's + owner's)state-awareCombined title block; premiums are state-regulated (promulgated rates in TX/NM/FL, rating-bureau in NY/PA, state guaranty in IA) — your state's model moves this line most.Source: Bankrate | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Escrow / settlement / closing feestate-awareSettlement or attorney closing fee; attorney states (GA/SC/MA) run the high end.Source: Bankrate | $500–$1,500 |
| Recording fees (deed + mortgage)County schedules, often ~$125–$180 per document; some counties cite $100–$500+.Source: Bankrate + NerdWallet | $25–$250 |
| Survey (where required)Often waivable if a recent survey can be reused.Source: NerdWallet | $300–$1,000 |
| Buyer total | $4,150–$10,350 |
Seller line items
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Agent commission (both sides)Two sides combined, post-NAR-settlement: listing ~2.5–2.8% plus seller-offered buyer-agent comp averaging ~2.4% (Redfin, Q1 2025). Fully negotiable case by case.Source: Redfin commissions report (May 2025) | 5.5% of price ($24,750) |
| Transfer / stamp taxstate-awareEntirely state/county/city specific: 0% in 14 states up to 4%+ combined (DE 4.0%, Philadelphia 4.278%); who pays is state custom. Enter your local rate.Source: State transfer-tax compilations | 0% of price ($0) |
| Seller concessions (if agreed)Credits to the buyer, negotiated per contract; defaults to 0. | $0–$13,500 (0.00–3.00% of loan) |
| Seller total | $24,750–$38,250 |
Every figure here is formula output from cited defaults (rate, deductions, taxes shown in the assumptions). Planning estimate — not tax or financial advice.
What this calculator can't know yet
- Lender fee stacks vary lender to lender — 0.5%–1% origination is a norm, not a rule; only the 3% QM points-and-fees cap is an actual rule. The Loan Estimate is the binding disclosure.
- Title premiums use different rate models by state (promulgated, state guaranty, filed, rating-bureau); there is no national formula.
- Transfer taxes stack below the state level — county and city add-ons (PA boroughs, NYC, WA excise tiers) can exceed the state rate, so a state-level default can't represent them.
- Prepaids are timing-dependent: per-diem interest depends on your closing date; escrow funding depends on the tax calendar and insurance renewal.
- Who pays what is negotiable: owner's-title payer, transfer-tax split, and buyer concessions are contract terms, not data.
- Loan programs change the math: FHA/VA/USDA add their own fees (MIP, funding fees) and appraisal norms a generic calculator can only flag.
- Discount points are a choice, not a closing cost — 1 point = 1% of loan in prepaid interest; we keep them out of these totals.
- Buyer-agent compensation is negotiable case-by-case post-settlement; the ~2.4% average is a market figure (Redfin Q1 2025), not a rule.
Your Loan Estimate (buyer) and settlement statement are the binding numbers — this estimate exists to make the unfamiliar line items legible before you see them, not to replace the disclosure.
Who pays what, honestly
Buyers pay the lender-driven stack: origination, appraisal, title search and insurance, and settlement fees — the convention is 2–5% of the loan amount (Bankrate/NerdWallet), and the 2025 national average was $4,661 including taxes and recording. Owner's title insurance is technically optional; skipping it to save a few hundred dollars is usually a bad trade for the largest purchase of your life.
Sellers pay the commission (the single biggest line, and negotiable), the transfer tax in most states, and any concessions they agreed to. On a $450,000 sale, seller-side costs are usually several times buyer-side — which is why “net proceeds” math matters more than “sale price.” Seller-side: your net proceeds turns those costs into what you'd actually walk away with — today versus holding N more years.
State lines move totals most. Transfer taxes range from 0% to over 2.5% of price, title premiums are state-regulated, and attorney-closing states add hundreds to over a thousand dollars. The calculator keeps those as inputs on purpose: a national default for a county-level tax would be a fake number pretending to be a real one.
FAQ
How much are closing costs on a house?
Buyer-side: 2–5% of the loan amount by convention (the 2025 national average was $4,661 including taxes and recording). Seller-side: usually several times buyer-side on the same sale — commission is the single biggest line, plus transfer tax and concessions in most states. The calculator itemizes both stacks line by line; state-specific lines stay explicit inputs because national defaults for county-level taxes would be fake numbers.
Who pays closing costs — buyer or seller?
Buyers pay the lender-driven stack: origination, appraisal, credit report, title search and lender's title insurance, settlement fees. Sellers pay the commission (the biggest line, and negotiable post-NAR-settlement), the transfer tax in most states, and any concessions they agreed to. Owner's title insurance is technically optional for either side — skipping it to save a few hundred dollars is usually a bad trade on the largest purchase of your life. Some totals shift by negotiation; the page's who-pays-what section carries the honest split.
How do I calculate my net proceeds after selling?
Sale price, minus the selling stack (commission both sides, transfer tax, attorney/settlement lines), minus the loan payoff — what remains is your net. The home sale proceeds calculator computes exactly that for today, then projects the same sale N years out with appreciation, Section 121, and your state's tax-reset rule — the seller-side companion to this page's cost itemization.
Where to go next
Buyer-side: the max price a payment supports is only part of the cash you need — the affordability calculator sizes the price, this page sizes the cash to close. Seller-side: turn the cost lines into what you walk away with in the home sale proceeds calculator (sell-now net vs. a hold-N-years projection).