Closing Cost Calculator
Closing costs are the one-time fees to finalise a home purchase — typically 2% to 5% of the price — on top of your down payment. This calculator totals the lender, title, escrow and transfer-tax items and adds your down payment to show the full cash to close.
Use this closing cost calculator to estimate what you will actually need at the settlement table when buying a home. Enter the price, your down payment and the main fee items — loan origination, appraisal, title, prepaid escrow and transfer taxes — and it returns the total closing costs, their share of the price, and the combined cash to close.
Enter the price, down payment and each fee, then press Calculate to see total closing costs and cash to close.
How the closing cost calculator works
The down payment gets all the attention, but it is only half of the cash a buyer brings to closing. The other half is the pile of one-time fees that make the transaction happen — and they surprise a lot of first-time buyers. This calculator lays them out in the same groups a lender's closing disclosure uses: the lender's own charges, the third-party services, the government's transfer and recording taxes, and the prepaid amounts that fund your escrow account. It totals them, shows what percentage of the price they represent, and adds your down payment so you can see the full cash to close.
Two of the inputs scale automatically. Loan origination is a percentage of your loan, which shrinks as your down payment grows, and transfer and recording taxes are a percentage of the purchase price. Everything else is a flat dollar figure you can pull straight from your loan estimate. Once you know the cash to close, line it up against the mortgage payment and your affordability to see the whole cost of buying.
The closing cost formula
- Origination — loan amount × origination percentage
- Transfer — price × transfer-tax percentage
- Down payment — your deposit (price minus loan)
Who pays what
Closing costs are split between buyer and seller, and it helps to know which side you are on. As a buyer, you generally pay the loan-related fees (origination, appraisal, credit report), the lender's title insurance, settlement fees and your prepaid escrow. As a seller, the big cost is usually the real-estate commission, and in many areas some or all of the transfer tax. These lines are negotiable: buyers sometimes secure a seller concession, a credit the seller gives toward the buyer's closing costs, which lowers the cash you need at the table in exchange for, often, a slightly higher price. If you are on the selling side, the net proceeds calculator is the one you want.
Earnest money, concessions and the cash you really need
Two things routinely change the cash you actually bring to closing, and neither is an extra fee. Earnest money is the good-faith deposit you put down when your offer is accepted — often 1% to 3% of the price — held in escrow until closing. It is not lost or additional money: at the table it is credited toward your down payment or closing costs, so it reduces the remaining cash to close by the same amount. A seller concession works from the seller's side: you negotiate for the seller to credit a sum toward your closing costs, common in slower markets or when a buyer would rather keep cash and accept a marginally higher price. To get one, ask for it in the offer, know the loan's concession limits (they cap how much the seller can contribute), and treat it as one more negotiable line rather than a fixed cost. Both levers lower the number this calculator shows as cash to close.
Trimming the cash you need
Closing costs are more negotiable than most buyers realise. Because lender and third-party fees vary, comparing loan estimates from two or three lenders can move the total meaningfully, and in many states you may shop separately for title and settlement services. A lender credit — accepting a slightly higher rate in return for money toward closing — can cut upfront cash if you will not hold the loan long. Just weigh it against the lifetime cost, and be cautious about paying for discount points unless the break-even math clearly works in your favour.
Estimate only — not a loan estimate or advice. Actual closing costs depend on your lender, loan type and local transfer taxes; rely on your official Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure for exact figures.
How to use it & key terms
Enter the price, down payment and each fee, then press Calculate to see the itemised closing costs, their percentage of the price, and the total cash to close.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Closing costs | One-time fees to complete the purchase, beyond the down payment. |
| Cash to close | Down payment plus closing costs — what you bring to settlement. |
| Origination fee | The lender's charge to process the loan, a percentage of the loan. |
| Title insurance | Protects against defects in the property's ownership history. |
| Prepaids / escrow | Upfront property tax and insurance funding your escrow account. |
| Transfer tax | A government tax on transferring the property, varying by location. |
Sources & methodology
The calculator totals the standard buyer closing-cost components: loan origination (a percentage of the loan amount), appraisal and inspection, title and settlement, prepaid escrow, transfer and recording taxes (a percentage of price), and other fees. It expresses the total as a percentage of the price and adds the down payment for the total cash to close. Actual amounts depend on the lender, loan type and local taxes.
Sources: Standard US home-purchase closing-cost categories as shown on a lender's Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure (origination, services, taxes and prepaids).
Reading your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure
The fees this calculator estimates are not just a jumble — they are laid out on two standardized documents, and knowing how to read them is the best protection a buyer has. Shortly after you apply for a loan you receive a Loan Estimate, a three-page summary of your rate, payment and every closing cost. Near the finish you receive a Closing Disclosure, which uses almost the same layout to show the final numbers. Because the two documents mirror each other, you can set them side by side and track how each line moved between application and closing.
There is a deliberate rhythm built into the process. The Loan Estimate must reach you within three business days of applying, and the Closing Disclosure must be in your hands at least three business days before you sign — a cooling-off window created so no one is rushed into a contract they have not read. If certain major terms change late, that three-day clock restarts. Use the time as intended: pull up your original estimate, compare it line by line with the disclosure, and ask your lender to explain anything that grew. Most costly surprises at the table are simply questions that were never asked during this window.
It also helps to know that not every fee is equally free to move. Broadly, some charges — such as the lender's own origination fee — are not supposed to rise from estimate to closing. Others, especially third-party services you were allowed to shop for, may change within limits. And a few, like prepaid interest or amounts that depend on your exact closing date, can shift more freely because they are not fully in the lender's control. You do not need to memorize the categories; you just need to focus your scrutiny where changes are permitted, and treat an unexplained jump in a fee that should have held steady as worth a direct question before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
What are closing costs?
One-time fees a buyer pays to finalise a home purchase, separate from the down payment. They cover the lender's charges, third-party services like appraisal and title, government recording and transfer taxes, and prepaid escrow for taxes and insurance.
How much are closing costs?
For a buyer, commonly about 2% to 5% of the purchase price, though it varies with the loan, lender and local transfer taxes. On a $350,000 home that is roughly $7,000 to $17,500. Enter your own figures for a precise estimate.
What is included in closing costs?
Typically the origination fee, appraisal and inspection, title search and insurance, settlement or escrow fees, recording and transfer taxes, and prepaid escrow for property taxes and insurance. Some loans add points or mortgage insurance.
Who pays closing costs, the buyer or seller?
Both, but different ones. Buyers pay loan-related fees and prepaids; sellers typically pay the commissions and some transfer taxes. Buyers can sometimes negotiate seller concessions toward their closing costs.
What is cash to close?
The total a buyer must bring to settlement: the down payment plus closing costs, less any deposits or credits. This calculator adds your down payment to the estimated closing costs for the full figure.
Can closing costs be rolled into the loan?
Sometimes — on certain refinances and some purchase loans, or via a lender credit in exchange for a higher rate. Both cut upfront cash but raise long-term cost, so weigh the trade-off.
What are prepaids and escrow?
Amounts collected in advance to fund your escrow account — usually several months of property taxes and insurance, plus interest to your first payment. They are not a fee; they pre-fund bills you would owe anyway.
How can I lower my closing costs?
Shop lenders and compare loan estimates, ask for a seller concession, shop title services where allowed, and check first-time-buyer or lender-credit programs. Avoid unnecessary points unless the long-term math favours them.
Are closing costs the same everywhere?
No. They vary a lot by location, mainly because transfer and recording taxes and title practices differ by state, county and city. Some areas have high transfer taxes and others none at all, so a percentage typical in one place can be well off in another. Use local figures.
Does earnest money count toward closing costs?
Yes. Earnest money is a good-faith deposit — often 1% to 3% of the price — paid when your offer is accepted and held in escrow until closing. It is not an extra cost: at closing it is credited toward your down payment or closing costs, cutting the remaining cash you owe by the same amount. You generally only lose it if you back out for a reason your contract contingencies do not protect.
How can I get the seller to pay my closing costs?
Ask for a seller concession in your offer — a credit the seller applies toward your closing costs. Sellers agree more readily in a slower market or on a home that has sat unsold, and buyers often offer a slightly higher price in return. Loan programs cap how much a seller can contribute, usually a percentage of price that depends on the loan type and down payment.
How much are real estate attorney fees at closing?
In states where a real estate attorney is required or customary — much of the Northeast and several others — the fee is a closing-cost line item, usually a few hundred dollars up to around $1,500 or more depending on complexity and location. In states that close through a title or escrow company instead, there may be no separate attorney fee. Either way, any legal fee is part of the closing costs this calculator totals.