California seller net sheet and closing costs

These local rules can move the net by a lot.

• 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.
• Proposition 13 resets the taxed value to the price the buyer paid. The county sends the buyer an extra (supplemental) tax bill for the difference. It is not split through escrow. So the seller's current bill can be lower than the buyer's future taxes.
• Sellers often pay for the natural hazard disclosure report. Many also give the buyer a home warranty. Put both on the net sheet when they are part of the deal.

A California buyer pays about $10,570 in closing costs on an $835,000 home with 20% down. Cash to close is about $187,528. See California buyer closing costs and cash to close for the lender fees and prepaids.

In California, the seller usually pays the agent commission and their own loan payoff. The buyer usually pays the lender fees and the lender's title policy. Buyer and seller usually split the settlement or escrow fee.

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. An escrow company usually handles the closing.

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.

NetSheet.org is not tied to any title company. The net sheet works with any title or escrow company. See how it compares with title company net sheet tools.

Each side pays the taxes for the days it owns the home. Property taxes in California are paid in arrears, after the period they cover. So the seller usually credits the buyer for unpaid days up to closing. The tax year starts in July. Taxes run about 1.15% of the home's value per year. Fiscal year Jul-Jun; installments due Nov 1 (Jul-Dec) and Feb 1 (Jan-Jun). Prorated on a 30-day month (California purchase agreement). Seller credits buyer for the unpaid part of the current installment; supplemental taxes are billed to the buyer after closing. 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.

• sf.gov
• finance.lacity.gov
• Fidelity National Title 'Who Pays What in California' county chart
• Chicago Title 2026 California Customary Practices Guide (06/26)
• californiacityfinance.com
• lavote.gov

Checked 2026-10-10. A net sheet is an estimate. It is not a closing statement or tax advice. The title or escrow company gives the final figures. See a rate that looks wrong? Email [email protected].