State guide · California
Seller closing costs in California
California's 0.11% state transfer-tax rate is misleading on its own — city and county add-ons, plus LA's Measure ULA, can multiply it 10× or more.
Pre-loaded with California transfer-tax math. No signup required.
California at a glance
- State transfer tax
- 0.11% of sale price (state rate; county or city may add more)
- Transfer tax paid by
- Seller
- Owner's title insurance
- Varies by region pays
- Closing handled by
- Independent escrow company
Municipal/county taxes may apply in addition to state rate.
Title-insurance custom is split by region: Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, North Coast) the buyer typically pays for owner's title; Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Inland Empire) the seller pays. Central Coast and Central Valley vary by county.
California closings are handled by independent escrow companies — neither title companies nor attorneys. Escrow holds funds, prepares the settlement statement, and disburses at close.
Typical seller closing cost band
6% – 9%
Roughly 6–9% in standard markets, but 8–12%+ in San Francisco and Los Angeles where city documentary transfer taxes layer on top of the state rate. Above $5M in LA, Measure ULA pushes this higher again.
The California-specific line items
These are the costs that differ from the generic seller-closing-cost list — the ones a national calculator usually gets wrong for California.
Documentary Transfer Tax (state + county + city)
California's base Documentary Transfer Tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price (0.11%) — split between state and county. Many cities add their own DTT on top, and in some cities the city rate dwarfs the state/county rate. Oakland: 1.5%. San Francisco: tiered from 0.50% to 6.00% depending on price. Berkeley: 1.5% with a higher rate above $1.5M.
LA Measure ULA (Mansion Tax)
Los Angeles voters passed Measure ULA in 2022. It adds 4.0% on sales of $5,000,000–$10,000,000 and 5.5% above $10M — applied to the full sale price, not the marginal amount. This is a seller-paid tax and has materially reshaped LA's high-end market. Confirm exemptions (affordable housing, certain nonprofits) with a tax professional if relevant.
Owner's title insurance — split by region
In Northern California (Bay Area, Sacramento, North Coast) the buyer customarily pays for owner's title. In Southern California (LA, OC, SD, IE) the seller customarily pays. Central Coast and Central Valley counties vary. The escrow company will quote both options and follow the contract language.
Natural Hazard Disclosure (seller-paid)
California requires sellers to provide a Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report identifying flood zones, fire-hazard severity zones, earthquake fault zones, and other state-mapped risk. Typical seller cost: $75–$150 through a third-party NHD service.
City + county recording fees
Recording fees and document fees vary by county. LA County adds a $75 SB-2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee per document recorded. Most counties run $100–$300 in combined recording fees that the seller pays at close.
Recent change worth knowing
LA Measure ULA took effect April 1, 2023. SF Proposition I (raising transfer tax above $10M to 5.5%/6.0%) took effect January 2021. Several other CA cities have proposed or passed similar measures since — confirm with the escrow company for the most current rates by jurisdiction.
A worked example
$750,000 sale price, typical California norms. Your numbers will vary — run the NETSheet for an actual estimate with your sale price, payoff, and close date.
- Sale price
- $750,000
- Mortgage payoff
- −$340,000
- Commission (5.5% total)
- −$41,250
- DTT (0.11% × $750K — LA County, no city)
- −$825
- Title + settlement fees
- −$3,500
- Prorations + other seller costs
- −$1,500
- Estimated net proceeds
- $362,925
Numbers are illustrative — they don't replace a real NETSheet run with your contract terms.
Run your own California numbers
Pre-loaded with California transfer-tax rates and customary practice. Punch in your sale price, payoff, and close date — the tool fills the rest.
Frequently asked — California
How much are seller closing costs in California?
California sellers typically pay 6–9% of the sale price in standard markets. In Los Angeles and San Francisco the total can reach 10–12% because city documentary transfer taxes layer on top of the state rate. Above $5M in LA, Measure ULA adds another 4–5.5%. The largest line is real estate commission (usually 5–6%); the second-largest varies by city.
What is the California Documentary Transfer Tax?
California's base Documentary Transfer Tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price (0.11% combined state and county). Many cities add their own DTT on top, and in some cities the city rate dwarfs the state/county base. Oakland charges 1.5%; San Francisco is tiered up to 6%; Berkeley charges 1.5% and higher above $1.5M. The seller customarily pays the DTT in California.
What is Measure ULA in Los Angeles?
Measure ULA is a Los Angeles City transfer tax that took effect April 1, 2023. It adds 4.0% on residential and commercial sales of $5,000,000 to $10,000,000, and 5.5% on sales above $10,000,000. The tax is applied to the full sale price (not the marginal amount above the threshold), and it stacks on top of the existing state, county, and city documentary transfer taxes. Sellers are responsible. Limited exemptions exist for affordable housing and certain nonprofit transfers.
Who pays for title insurance in California?
It depends on the county. In Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, the North Coast) the buyer customarily pays for owner's title insurance. In Southern California (LA, Orange, San Diego, the Inland Empire) the seller pays. Central Coast and Central Valley counties vary. The escrow company will follow whatever the contract specifies; regional custom is the default if the contract is silent.
Do I need an attorney to sell a home in California?
No. California closings are handled by independent escrow companies. Attorneys are not required and most residential closings don't use one. Sellers with complex situations — trust transfers, divorce dispositions, out-of-state probate — sometimes retain counsel separately.
How is California's Natural Hazard Disclosure different from other states?
California requires sellers to provide a Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report at close, identifying whether the property sits in a flood zone, fire-hazard severity zone, earthquake fault zone, seismic-hazard zone, or other state-mapped risk. Most sellers order the NHD through a third-party service for $75–$150. The report is delivered to the buyer along with the standard Transfer Disclosure Statement.
Why are Bay Area and LA closing costs so much higher than the rest of California?
Two reasons: city documentary transfer taxes that stack on top of the state base, and the LA Measure ULA tax. San Francisco's DTT runs 0.5% to 6% by sale price. Oakland and Berkeley charge 1.5%. Other Bay Area cities (Hayward, San Leandro, Albany) have their own rates. In Los Angeles, the city DTT is 0.45% and Measure ULA adds another 4–5.5% above $5M. Outside these high-cost cities, California closing costs are closer to the national average.
Related guides
- How to calculate seller net proceeds — the general guide that the state-specific math sits on top of.
- Seller closing costs — all 50 states + DC — quick-reference table of transfer-tax rates by state.
- Contract-to-close transaction checklist — every task between accepted offer and closing day.