What Are Title Fees, and How Much Are They? (2026)

Updated November 2026. Fee guides, rate cards and federal rules checked on November 4, 2026.

Title fees are what you pay a title company to check that the seller can legally transfer the home, insure that title and run the closing. As of November 2026, they cover a title search, a settlement fee, title insurance and recording. The settlement fee alone often runs $300 to $800, and the title insurance premium usually costs the most.

Jump to: 📋 Fee by fee · 🤝 Who pays · 🔍 Read your Loan Estimate · 🏷️ Flat settlement fee · 💡 Ways to pay less · ❓ FAQ

What are the title fees on a home sale, one by one?

Here is each fee you’re likely to see, with a dated price from a public source. A national range comes from Rocket Mortgage’s May 29, 2026 guide. The Chicago-area prices come from Chicago Title’s 2026 rate card, a good real-world example of a full price list.

Premiums follow the price of the home, and many states set or approve them. Texas, for example, sets them by state schedule, in force since March 1, 2026. Service fees like the settlement fee are a different story. In most states each title company sets its own. For one published price per state, see our table of title settlement fees by state.

What’s the difference between an owner’s and a lender’s policy?

A lender’s policy covers the bank up to the loan amount, and it shrinks as you pay down the loan. An owner’s policy covers you for the full price for as long as you or your heirs own the home. The CFPB says you “may want to buy” an owner’s policy to protect your investment. Our guide to residential title insurance explains what each one covers.

Who pays title fees, the buyer or the seller?

There’s no national rule. Local custom sets the starting point, and your purchase contract has the final word. In some areas the seller buys the owner’s policy as part of proving clear title. In others the buyer does. The buyer almost always pays for the lender’s policy, since the loan is theirs.

Settlement fees vary too. Some title companies charge each side its own fee, as Texas and Oklahoma fee sheets show. Others charge one total that the two sides split. Before you sign, ask the title company what’s customary in your county, then write the split into the contract. Our guide on who pays closing costs covers the rest of the list.

How do you compare title fees on a Loan Estimate?

If you’re buying with a loan, your lender sends a Loan Estimate within three business days of your application. Federal rules (12 CFR 1026.37) require that every title charge start with “Title -“, so they’re easy to spot. Look in three places:

• Section B, “Services You Cannot Shop For,” lists title services the lender picks for you.
• Section C, “Services You Can Shop For,” lists title services you can choose yourself.
• Section H, “Other,” shows the owner’s policy, labeled as the optional owner’s title policy.

One detail trips people up. The rules tell lenders to quote the lender’s policy at its full rate. Many title companies discount it when you buy both policies at once. So the final number can differ from the estimate, which is normal. Compare the Section C title lines across two or three title companies, since that’s where shopping saves you money.

How does a flat settlement fee work?

A flat settlement fee is one set price for running the closing. It stays the same whether the home sells for $200,000 or $900,000. Fee sheets in some states, like Arizona, Hawaii and Washington, raise the escrow fee with the price instead.

Beycome Title charges a flat settlement fee in the six states where it closes. Title insurance premiums and government fees are separate, as with any title company.

“Prepaid” means you pay the fee upfront at checkout when you list on beycome.com. In Florida, a Miami title company lists a $950 settlement fee, read November 4, 2026. In the Chicago area, Chicago Title’s 2026 card starts at $1,950. Beycome Title is an affiliate of Beycome, and you’re free to pick any title company.

How can you pay less in title fees?

• Ask for each company’s full fee sheet in writing and compare line by line.
• Check whether the settlement fee is per side or for the whole deal.
• Ask about the discount when you buy the owner’s and lender’s policies together.
• If you refinance, ask about a reissue rate on a recent policy.
• Question any fee you don’t understand, such as a processing or document prep fee.

Selling without a traditional agent? The title work is the same either way. You can list on the MLS for a flat fee, pick your title company and keep more of your sale. Our tips on how to choose a title company help you compare.

Title fees: quick answers