Typical California Closing Costs for Real Estate Buyers and Sellers
If you ever wondered how much California closing costs might set you back when buying or selling real estate, you wouldn’t be alone. That’s because closing costs vary between each California county and sometimes even among cities. With so many possibilities, it can sometimes seem impossible to figure out how much your closing costs will end up being.
Luckily, We Can Help
We compiled all of the customary closing costs for each county and city (where applicable) and created a quick reference spreadsheet. We also have the information available on photo files for your convenience (feel free to right-click and save them for future reference).
That’s Great! How Can I Thank You?
No worries, the information is complimentary of licensed California Real Estate Agent – Jack Schoberg (DRE# 02078776). If you need an agent, consider contacting Jack to save a serious amount with his reduced commission for sellers or commission rebates for buyers. Jack helps buyers anywhere in the state and sellers in LA, Orange, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties, other locations are possible too, please contact us to find out if we can take on your listing. Buyer’s receive expert representation and assistance with their purchase and closing escrow, and receive a 50% commission rebate, up to 1.25% of their home’s purchase price cash back upon closing. Sellers receive a top-of-the-line listing package to get their home sold fast for as low as just 1% total commission total (if the buyer is unrepresented, Jack will represent both the buyer and seller for a combined total of 1% commission). Contact Jack Schoberg for further details at 310-933-2376 (call/text) or jack@jackschobergrealestate.com
Enjoy the Following Resources on California Closing Costs!
Our table is effective at specifying escrow charges, title fees, document transfer tax fees, and whether they are the responsibility of the buyer or seller based on the California county or city that the transaction takes place in. If you are looking for details on other transactional fees, such as loan origination fees and points, then check out this article from Bankrate. They claim that total fees can cost about 1% of the transaction price, including the escrow, title, and doc tax fees outlineds below.
Chart of California Real Estate Closing Costs by County and City for Buyers and Sellers
| County | Escrow Charges | Title Fees Owner’s Policy | Document Transfer Tax $0.55/$500 ($1.10/$1000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern California | |||
| Alameda | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Alpine | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Amador | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Butte | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Calaveras | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Colusa | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Contra Costa | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Del Norte | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| El Dorado | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Fresno | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Glen | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Humboldt | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Kern | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays Split: Ridgecrest |
| King | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Lake | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Lassen | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Madera | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Marin | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Mariposa | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Mendicino | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Merced | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Modoc | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Mono | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Monterey | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Napa | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Nevada | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Placer | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Plumas | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Sacramento | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| San Benito | Seller Pays | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| San Francisco | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Included in the City Transfer Tax |
| San Joaquin | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| San Mateo | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Santa Clara | Seller Pays | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Santa Cruz | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Shasta | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | |
| Sierra | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | |
| Siskiyou | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Solano | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Sonoma | Buyer Pays | Buyer Pays | Seller Pays |
| Stanislaus | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller, Except Turlock Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Sutter | Seller Pays | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Tehama | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Trinity | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Tulare | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Tuolumne | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Yolo | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Yuba | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Southern California | |||
| Imperial | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays |
| Inyo | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Los Angeles | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Orange County | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Riverside | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| San Bernadino | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| San Diego | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| San Luis Obispo | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Santa Barbara | Buyer/Seller 50%/50% | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
| Ventura | Seller Pays | Seller Pays | Seller Pays |
NOTE: SEE PHOTO CHARTS BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION SUPERSEDING THE COUNTY DETAILS IN SELECT CITIES.
Featured Pages
Down Payment Tool ↗
Visit our Down Payment Assistance page for an estimate of the support amount you may qualify for.
Buyers ↗
Our buyer page is loaded with useful information and resources, such as how to take advantage of our 1.25% rebate.
Sellers ↗
Visit our Seller’s page for details to have your property sold quickly and for as little as just 1% total commission.
