How much does it cost to sell a house in California?

The costs of selling in California, line by line

Every sale is different, but the same categories show up on almost every California settlement statement. Knowing them early makes the number on your closing statement a lot less surprising.

Agent compensation

The listing agent's commission is agreed in the listing agreement, and it is negotiable. Compensation for the buyer's agent is a separate question: a seller may agree to pay some or all of it, the buyer may pay it, or it may be part of the negotiation on the offer. Because there is no standard rate, the calculator leaves these fields blank for your own numbers.

Escrow, title and closing fees

California sales close through escrow. Typical seller items include an escrow fee, title insurance for the buyer's policy where that is the local custom, recording and notary charges, and document fees. Who pays each item is negotiable and written into the contract. Ask an escrow or title company for an estimate on your price; it is the most reliable number to drop into the calculator.

Transfer tax

LA County charges $1.10 per $1,000 of value, and five cities in the county add their own tax on top. The City of Los Angeles adds 0.45%, plus Measure ULA on sales above $5,400,000 for closings after June 30, 2026 (LA County Registrar-Recorder, LA Office of Finance). In the calculator, pick the city and the transfer tax fills in automatically. The LA transfer tax calculator breaks it out layer by layer.

Repairs, credits and prep

Inspection results often lead to repair requests or a credit to the buyer at closing. Some sellers also spend on prep before listing: paint, landscaping, staging. Those are choices, not requirements, and the right amount depends on the home and the market. Put your estimate in "repairs or credits" or "other costs".

Loan payoff and prorations

Escrow pays off the mortgage and any other liens from the proceeds, using a payoff statement from the lender that includes interest to the payoff date. Property taxes and HOA dues are typically prorated between buyer and seller, which can add a cost or a credit depending on what has already been paid.

California withholding

On many sales of California real estate, escrow withholds 3 1/3% of the total sales price and sends it to the Franchise Tax Board, unless an exemption applies. Exemptions include a home that qualifies as a principal residence under the federal two of five year rules and a sale with a loss or zero gain, and sales of $100,000 or less are not subject to withholding. A seller can also choose a calculation based on the estimated gain instead of the full price. Any amount withheld is credited on the seller's California return (FTB Publication 1016). Turn on the toggle in the calculator to see what it could do to cash at closing.

Timing: when the money arrives

Costs come out of the proceeds at closing, so most sellers do not write checks for them along the way. Prep and staging are the common exceptions, since they happen before the listing. Escrow typically disburses the net shortly after the deed records. If the plan is to buy in another state, the sale and the purchase need to line up, and the seller's playbook covers how sellers approach that timing.

What the net does not include

The estimate is before income taxes. Any gain on the sale may be taxable, depending on basis, the home sale exclusion and income. The capital gains illustration shows how the gain math works. And if you have not priced the home yet, start with the LA home value range for your zip code.