Virginia closing costs

What will it cost to close in Virginia?

Pick your county or city and price to see the recordation taxes, grantor's tax, and regional fees on a Northern Virginia sale, who customarily pays each one, and a rough view of the other costs at settlement.

County or city

Purchase price

Loan amount

Defaults to 80% of the price. Enter 0 for a cash purchase.

Buyer will occupy the home as a principal residence

Your estimate

Estimated buyer costs

$16,125

Taxes

State recordation tax on deed: $1,875
Local recordation tax on deed: $625
State recordation tax on loan: $1,500
Local recordation tax on loan: $500
Subtotal: $4,500

Other costs (rough estimates)

Settlement or closing fee: $1,000
Title search and exam: $400
Owner's title insurance: $2,625
Lender's title insurance: $1,500
Recording fees: $100
Lender fees: $6,000
Subtotal: $11,625

Estimated seller costs

$2,250

Taxes

Grantor's tax: $750
Regional WMATA capital fee: $750
Regional congestion relief fee: $750
Subtotal: $2,250

Taxes only. Commission, loan payoff, and the seller's own fees are not included.

Other costs

Rough estimates for the buyer side only. Replace them with the figures from your Loan Estimate.

Settlement or closing fee

Title search and exam

Owner's title insurance

Include

% of price: $2,625

Lender's title insurance

% of loan: $1,500

Recording fees

Lender fees

% of loan: $6,000

In plain English

Where the money goes.

State recordation tax

Virginia charges 25 cents per $100 of the price to record the deed, and the same rate on the loan amount to record the deed of trust. The buyer customarily pays both.

Local recordation tax

Counties and cities add one third of the state recordation tax, on both the deed and the deed of trust. This is also a buyer cost.

Grantor's tax

The seller, as grantor, pays 50 cents per $500 of the price.

Regional fees

Northern Virginia adds two seller-paid fees that fund transit and traffic relief: the WMATA capital fee and the regional congestion relief fee, each 10 cents per $100 of the price.

Open to negotiation

Statute and custom set the defaults shown here, but buyer and seller can agree to a different allocation in the contract. Settle it before you sign, not after.

An estimate, not a quote

Virginia bases these taxes on the higher of the sale price or the most recent assessed value, and this estimate uses the price. Settlement, title, recording, and lender fees come from the companies you choose, and the figures here are rough placeholders. Your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure carry the real numbers.

Next step

Numbers are only the start of the conversation.

Amir can walk you through what these estimates mean for your purchase or sale, and which costs are worth raising before you sign.

Private consultation