Closing Costs Calculator
Itemize what closing on a home actually costs — origination, points, transfer tax, title fees and prepaid escrow — and the total cash you need at the table.
0.5–1% of the loan is typical.
Each point costs 1% of the loan and buys the rate down.
Varies from zero to several percent by state and city.
Lenders must give you a standardized Loan Estimate within three business days of applying — compare its line items against this and question anything that grew.
The bill nobody budgets for
First-time buyers spend years saving a down payment and then meet a second number at the closing table — commonly five figures — that nobody put on the brochure. This calculator itemizes it in advance, because “2 to 5 percent” is a range wide enough to hide a car in.
The cash to close figure is the one that matters — down payment plus every cost, which is what actually has to be in your account and is the number to carry back into the affordability math.
Where the money goes
Three buckets behave differently. Lender charges — origination and any points — are priced by the lender and shoppable; a cheaper origination fee is as real as a lower rate. Third-party and government charges — title insurance, appraisal, settlement, recording and transfer tax — are the geography bucket, and transfer tax alone explains most of the state-to-state spread. Prepaid escrow is not a cost at all, just your first months of property tax and insurance collected early.
Your defense is a boring federal form
Within three business days of applying, every lender must hand you a standardized Loan Estimate — same layout from every lender, built for side-by-side comparison. Get three, compare the lender-charge sections, and question any line that grows between the estimate and the final disclosure; several categories legally cannot increase. Ten minutes of reading routinely saves four figures — a better return than most discount points will ever deliver.
How this is calculated
Closing costs = origination + points + transfer tax + title & fixed fees + prepaid escrow Cash to close = down payment + closing costs
Frequently asked questions
- How much are closing costs on a house?
- Typically 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price for buyers, and the spread is mostly geography — transfer taxes range from zero to several percent depending on state and city, and title insurance pricing varies by state too. On a $400,000 home, expect roughly $8,000 to $20,000.
- What is prepaid escrow?
- Not a fee — your own future property tax and insurance, collected a few months early so the lender's escrow account starts funded. It stings at closing but it was always your bill; think of it as timing, not cost.
- Are discount points worth buying?
- Each point costs 1% of the loan and typically cuts the rate about a quarter percent. Divide the point cost by the monthly savings to get a break-even in months — worth it only if you will hold the loan well past that point, which makes it the same math as a refinance.
- Can I negotiate closing costs?
- Several lines, yes. Origination fees vary by lender and shopping them is free. Sellers can credit costs in a soft market. Title insurance is shoppable in many states. Transfer taxes and recording fees are the government's lines — those, nobody negotiates.