California seller net sheet calculator

• Every county except San Francisco charges the documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of price, customarily paid by the seller. Dozens of cities add their own tax on top, from about $2 per $1,000 to several percent in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco, and Los Angeles adds Measure ULA on sales above $5.4 million.
• Who pays the owner's title policy and the escrow fee depends on the county. In most of Southern California the seller pays the owner's policy; in much of the Bay Area and Northern California the buyer pays it and escrow is split or paid by the buyer.
• Property taxes run on a July 1 fiscal year and are paid in two installments, due November 1 and February 1. Depending on the closing date the seller may have prepaid part of the year and get a credit back, or owe a proration to the buyer.
• Proposition 13 resets the assessed value to the purchase price. The county sends the buyer a supplemental tax bill for the difference, and it is not prorated through escrow, so the seller's current bill understates the buyer's future taxes.
• Sellers commonly pay for the natural hazard disclosure report, and a home warranty for the buyer is a frequent seller concession. Both belong on the net sheet when they are part of the deal.

Working the other side? See California buyer closing costs and cash to close, with lender fees and prepaids on a typical financed purchase.

Southern California: seller pays the owner's policy; many Northern California counties: buyer pays or split (see county). Closings are usually handled by an escrow company. The settlement or escrow fee is customarily split between buyer and seller.

Escrow closings. Seller customarily pays county transfer tax, and the owner's policy in most Southern and Central counties; buyer pays in most Bay Area counties. Escrow fee is split in most counties. City transfer taxes are split in the East Bay/Peninsula and seller-paid in SF, LA and the North Bay.

Property taxes are paid in arrears on a tax year starting in July. The typical effective rate is about 1.15% of value per year. Fiscal year Jul-Jun; installments due Nov 1 (Jul-Dec) and Feb 1 (Jan-Jun). Seller credits buyer for the unpaid part of the current installment; supplemental taxes are billed to the buyer after closing.

• sf.gov
• finance.lacity.gov
• Fidelity National Title 'Who Pays What in California' county chart

Verified 2026-09-29. A net sheet is an estimate, not a closing statement or tax advice. Final figures come from the title or escrow company. See a rate that looks wrong? Email [email protected].