California buyer closing costs and cash to close
A California buyer pays about $10,570 in closing costs on an $835,000 home with 20% down. That is 1.3% of the price. Prepaids add about $9,985. Cash to close is about $187,528.
See the lender fees, title, prepaids and down payment on a typical home loan.
Rates last checked October 2026. Reviewed by Harrison Farrell, founder. How we get these numbers
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| Deed recording fee | $40 |
| Mortgage recording fee | $90 |
| Down payment (20%) | $167,000 |
| Title insurance and settlement | $2,050 |
| Lender fees | $8,390 |
| Prepaids and escrow reserves | $9,985 |
| Property tax credit from seller | −$27 |
| Estimated cash to close | $187,528 |
- Closing costs on $835,000
- About $10,570
- Owner's title policy
- Varies by county
- Cash to close, 20% down
- About $187,528
How much are buyer closing costs in California?
About $10,570 on an $835,000 home with a $668,000 loan. That is 1.3% of the price. Prepaids add about $9,985. $835,000 is close to the typical California home value (the Census median, weighted by county). Under Prop 13, a California tax bill follows the seller's assessed value, not the sale price. If the seller has owned the home a long time, the real bill is often lower than this estimate. So is the split at closing.
| Line | Buyer |
|---|---|
| Down payment (20%) | $167,000 |
| Lender's title insurance policy | $1,175 |
| Lender-required endorsements | $100 |
| Escrow fee | $775 |
| Deed recording fee | $40 |
| Mortgage recording fee | $90 |
| Loan origination (1%) | $6,680 |
| Appraisal | $550 |
| Credit report | $60 |
| Underwriting / processing | $995 |
| Flood certification | $25 |
| Tax service fee | $80 |
| Closing costs | $10,570 |
| Prepaid interest | $3,687.73 |
| Homeowner's insurance (12 months) | $3,340 |
| Insurance escrow reserve (2 mo) | $556.67 |
| Property tax escrow reserve (3 mo) | $2,400.63 |
| Prepaids and escrow reserves | $9,985.03 |
| Property tax credit from seller | −$26.67 |
| Estimated cash to close | $187,528.36 |
Run it with your own numbers. Pick the county, loan type, rate and closing date.
How much are buyer closing costs in each California county?
On an $835,000 home, buyer closing costs run from about $9,795 in Sacramento County to about $13,479 in Alameda County. The main reason is the owner's title policy. By custom the buyer pays for all or half of it in 33 of 58 California counties. These include Alameda County, Alpine County, Amador County, Butte County, Calaveras County, Colusa County, Contra Costa County, Del Norte County and others.
| County | Owner's title paid by | Buyer closing costs | Cash to close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Alpine County | Buyer | $12,704 | $189,662 |
| Amador County | Buyer | $12,704 | $189,662 |
| Butte County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Calaveras County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Colusa County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Contra Costa County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Del Norte County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| El Dorado County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Fresno County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Glenn County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Humboldt County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Imperial County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Inyo County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Kern County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Kings County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Lake County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Lassen County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Los Angeles County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Madera County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Marin County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Mariposa County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Mendocino County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Merced County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Modoc County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Mono County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Monterey County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Napa County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Nevada County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Orange County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Placer County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Plumas County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Riverside County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Sacramento County | Seller | $9,795 | $186,753 |
| San Benito County | Seller | $9,795 | $186,753 |
| San Bernardino County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| San Diego County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| San Francisco County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| San Joaquin County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| San Luis Obispo County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| San Mateo County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Santa Barbara County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Santa Clara County | Seller | $9,795 | $186,753 |
| Santa Cruz County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Shasta County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Sierra County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Siskiyou County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Solano County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Sonoma County | Buyer | $13,479 | $190,437 |
| Stanislaus County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Sutter County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Tehama County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Trinity County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Tulare County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Tuolumne County | Split 50/50 | $11,637 | $188,595 |
| Ventura County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
| Yolo County | Seller | $9,795 | $186,753 |
| Yuba County | Seller | $10,570 | $187,528 |
What does a buyer pay at closing in California?
The buyer pays the lender fees and the lender's title policy. It depends on the county in California. The seller usually pays for the owner's title policy in 25 of 58 counties. Buyer and seller split it in 21 and the buyer pays in 12. See the county table. In California, each title insurer files its own rates. So prices differ between title companies. The net sheet uses typical rates. The title company that runs the closing gives the final quote.
What else changes a California buyer's costs?
- Every county but San Francisco charges a documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of price. The seller usually pays it. Dozens of cities add their own tax on top. City rates run from about $2 per $1,000 to several percent in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. Los Angeles adds Measure ULA on sales above $5.4 million.
- Who pays for the owner's title policy and the escrow fee depends on the county. In most of Southern California the seller pays for the owner's policy. In much of the Bay Area and Northern California the buyer pays for it, and the buyer pays or splits escrow.
- The property tax year starts July 1. Taxes are paid in two parts, due November 1 and February 1. Based on the closing date, the seller may have paid ahead and get a credit back. Or the seller may owe the buyer for days not yet paid.
California buyer closing cost questions
How much are buyer closing costs in California?
About $10,570 on an $835,000 home with 20% down. That is 1.3% of the price. Prepaid insurance, interest and escrow add about $9,985. Cash to close is about $187,528. That counts the $167,000 down payment and takes off the seller's $27 tax credit.
Does the buyer pay transfer tax in California?
In some places, yes. Some county or city transfer taxes are paid by the buyer or split. See the California seller net sheet page for the rates and who pays.
Who pays for the owner's title policy in California?
It depends on the county in California. The seller usually pays for the owner's title policy in 25 of 58 counties. Buyer and seller split it in 21 and the buyer pays in 12. See the county table.
What is the difference between closing costs and cash to close?
Closing costs are the fees and taxes for the loan, title and recording. Cash to close is all the money you bring. It adds your down payment. It adds prepaids, like home insurance, interest and escrow. Then it takes off credits. Those include the seller's property tax credit and the earnest money you already paid.
Give your buyer a cash-to-close estimate.
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