Virginia & West Virginia Closing Costs
Estimate your closing costs before you get to the table.
Move the numbers and see a planning estimate built four ways: our professional fees, title insurance, government taxes and recording, and third-party charges. Clear, separated, and honest about what is an estimate.
Planning estimates only. Not a quote, and not legal or financial advice.
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State
Transaction type
Purchase price
$500,000
$50K$3M+
Loan amount
$400,000
$0Cash
Options
Owner's title policyOptional, strongly recommended. Protects your ownership.
Northern Virginia localityAdds the regional WMATA and congestion fees on qualifying parcels.
1031 exchangeAdds title-side exchange coordination.
Planning estimate
Estimated buyer total
A planning range, not a quote. Your final figures depend on the file.
Estimated total range
$6,900 to $7,000
Title and settlement services, title insurance, and government charges combined.
These are planning estimates only, not a quote or a commitment. Title insurance here uses a 0.50% placeholder, not Prime's underwriter rate tables. Who pays which charge depends on your contract, lender, locality, and the applicable statute.
How to read your estimate
Four totals, kept separate on purpose
Our professional fees
What Prime charges for settlement, title search and examination, document and deed preparation, and related work. Many offices bundle these, so we show them as one package.
Title insurance
A lender's policy is based on the loan amount and is generally required when you finance. An owner's policy is based on the price and is optional but strongly recommended.
Government taxes & recording
Recordation taxes, the grantor's tax in Virginia or the excise tax in West Virginia, and the clerk's recording fees. We collect these at closing, but they are paid to the government.
Third-party & lender charges
Survey, payoff processing, qualified intermediary, association, courier, and lender fees. These can appear on a settlement statement without being Prime's revenue.
The benchmark behind the math
Planning averages and statutory rates
Bundled service totals, planning averages
| Transaction | Virginia range | VA average | West Virginia range | WV average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financed residential purchase | $1,050 to $1,650 | $1,350 | $1,000 to $1,550 | $1,275 |
| Cash residential purchase | $750 to $1,250 | $1,000 | $700 to $1,200 | $950 |
| Residential refinance | $850 to $1,350 | $1,100 | $800 to $1,300 | $1,050 |
| Seller-side title and settlement | $500 to $950 | $725 | $475 to $900 | $690 |
Totals exclude title insurance premiums, government taxes, recording fees, and lender charges. Market-planning averages, not regulated statewide rates.
Virginia government charges (Title 58.1)
| Charge | Rate | Usually paid by |
|---|---|---|
| State deed recordation tax | $0.25 / $100 | Buyer |
| Local deed recordation tax | up to ~$0.0833 / $100 | Buyer |
| State deed-of-trust tax | $0.25 / $100 | Buyer (on the loan) |
| Grantor's tax | $0.50 / $500 | Seller |
| Regional congestion relief fee | $0.10 / $100 | Seller, Northern Virginia only |
| WMATA capital fee | $0.10 / $100 | Seller, Northern Virginia only |
Recordation is based on consideration or assessed value, whichever is greater. Allocation can be changed by contract.
West Virginia government charges
| Charge | Rate or amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base real-estate transfer excise tax | $1.10 / $500 | Generally the grantor |
| County tax | $0.55 to $1.65 / $500 | Varies by county |
| Affordable Housing Fund fee | $20 | Flat |
| Deed recording, first five pages | $30 | $1 per extra page |
| Deed of trust recording, first five pages | $30 | $1 per extra page |
Transfer taxes are commonly seller-side. The county portion varies, so the estimate shows a range.
Title insurance planning benchmark
| Purchase price | Premium at 0.50% | Title services + insurance at 0.67% |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $1,250 | $1,675 |
| $400,000 | $2,000 | $2,680 |
| $500,000 | $2,500 | $3,350 |
| $750,000 | $3,750 | $5,025 |
| $1,000,000 | $5,000 | $6,700 |
Source: Urban Institute benchmark, about 0.50% of price for the premium and 0.67% for title services plus insurance. A placeholder until Prime's underwriter rate tables replace it.
Questions about the estimate
What this calculator does and does not do
Is this an official quote?
No. Every number here is a planning estimate for informational purposes only. It is not a quote, an offer, or a commitment, and it is not legal or financial advice. There is no official statewide database of title-company fees in Virginia or West Virginia, so these figures are normalized market averages rather than regulated rates. For real figures on your transaction, ask us for a written quote.
Why is the total shown as a range?
Because several inputs are not knowable from price and loan amount alone. The local recordation tax, the West Virginia county transfer tax, recording page counts, and which optional services apply all move the number. Showing a range is more honest than a single figure that looks more precise than it is.
How is the title insurance premium calculated here?
It uses a 0.50% of price placeholder drawn from a published Urban Institute benchmark, not Prime's actual underwriter rate tables. Real premiums depend on the insurer and rate schedule, standard versus enhanced coverage, simultaneous issue of owner's and lender's policies, reissue or refinance discounts, endorsements, and any unusual title risk. Treat the premium line as a starting estimate only.
Does the estimate tell me who pays each charge?
No. The calculator groups costs by category, but it does not decide allocation. Who pays the grantor's tax, the recordation taxes, or any given fee depends on your contract, local practice, lender instructions, and the applicable statute. In Virginia the grantor's tax is assigned to the seller by default, and in West Virginia the excise tax is generally the grantor's, but parties can agree otherwise.
Are lender and third-party costs included?
Only the title-side items are estimated in detail. Survey, payoff processing, qualified intermediary, association, courier, and lender charges such as origination, appraisal, and credit reports are listed separately and often left as varies, because they are set by other parties. They can appear on your settlement statement without being Prime's revenue.
Will my commercial estimate be accurate?
Commercial closings vary too much for a slider to be precise. Title search and examination, escrow administration, survey, and endorsements all depend on the asset, the parcels, and the structure. The commercial mode gives a planning range to frame a conversation, not a firm figure. For commercial work, a written scope and quote is the right next step.
Want real numbers for your closing?
An estimate is a starting point. Send us the details and we will prepare a written quote with our fees, the title premium, and the government charges laid out clearly, with no low-fee claim that hides separate costs.
(703) 552-4155
Serving all of Virginia and West Virginia
Important: This calculator is provided for general planning and informational purposes only. All amounts are estimates based on normalized market averages and published statutory rates as of June 2026, not a quote, an offer, a contract, or legal, tax, or financial advice. No official statewide database of title-company fees exists in Virginia or West Virginia, and actual charges vary by county, underwriter, loan amount, property type, transaction complexity, and the parties' agreement. Title insurance figures use a placeholder rate and do not reflect Prime Title & Escrow's actual underwriter rate tables. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship or guarantees any cost, rate, or outcome. Confirm all figures with Prime Title & Escrow and your lender before relying on them.