# Conveyancing costs and fees explained (2026)

> Moving home & conveyancing · Last updated 25 September 2026

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## Quick answer

Conveyancing costs have three parts: your conveyancer's legal fee, which carries 20% VAT; disbursements paid to others, such as HM Land Registry and search providers; and property tax (Stamp Duty, LTT or LBTT). The taxes and official registration fees are fixed. Legal fees and search costs vary by firm, so compare written quotes.

## Who should skip this

Skip this if you want the whole cost of moving, including estate agents, surveys and removals: our [cost of moving house guide](/moving-home/cost-of-moving-house/) covers those. There are no official average legal fees, so this guide won't tell you what a 'normal' quote is.

A conveyancing quote can run to a dozen lines, and it isn't always clear which ones you can shop around on. This guide splits the bill into three parts, shows which amounts are set by law or official fee tables and which are set by suppliers, and explains when VAT is added. It finishes with a worked example for a £325,000 freehold purchase in England.

## Key facts

- A conveyancing bill has three parts: the legal fee, disbursements paid to others, and property tax
- Legal fees carry VAT at 20%. HM Land Registry registration fees and Stamp Duty are passed on without VAT
- HMRC treats property searches your conveyancer uses to advise you as part of its own service, so VAT is usually added to them
- HM Land Registry charges £150 online (£330 by post) to register a purchase priced £200,001 to £500,000
- Since 6 December 2018, SRA-regulated firms have had to publish residential conveyancing prices, likely disbursements and VAT on their websites
- No regulator publishes average conveyancing fees, so compare itemised written quotes

## What are the three parts of a conveyancing bill?

Every conveyancing bill is made up of the legal fee, disbursements and property tax. Only the legal fee is your conveyancer's own charge. Disbursements are paid to other organisations on your behalf, and the tax goes to HMRC, the Welsh Revenue Authority or Revenue Scotland.

The legal fee pays for the work itself: checking the title, reviewing the searches and contract, dealing with your lender, exchanging, completing and registering you as owner. Most firms quote a fixed fee for a standard purchase or sale and add supplements for extra work.

No regulator or government body publishes average conveyancing fees; the averages online come from quote-comparison companies. The reliable way to know your cost is an itemised written quote, and our guide to [conveyancing quotes](/moving-home/conveyancing-quotes/) explains how to compare them.

*The three parts of a conveyancing bill*

| Part | What it pays for | Who sets the amount | VAT |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Legal fee | Your conveyancer's work, plus any supplements such as leasehold or acting for your lender | The firm, so it's worth comparing quotes | 20% on top if the quote says 'plus VAT' |
| Disbursements | Payments to others: HM Land Registry (Registers of Scotland in Scotland), search providers, and a landlord or managing agent if the home is leasehold | Official fee tables or the supplier | Depends on the item (see the next table) |
| Property tax | Stamp Duty Land Tax (England and Northern Ireland), Land Transaction Tax (Wales) or Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) | Set by law | No VAT |

## Which disbursements will you pay, and do they include VAT?

Most disbursements are paid by the buyer. HM Land Registry's fees come from fee orders that have applied since 9 December 2024, while search providers set their own prices. The table shows who normally pays, what sets the price and how VAT is usually handled.

GOV.UK says searches usually include a local authority search, a water and drainage search and an environmental search. The local authority search covers planning, building control, roads and local land charges. A drainage and water search shows whether the property is connected to public sewers and mains water. The environmental search looks at risks such as contaminated land and flooding. Your conveyancer may add others for the location, such as a mining search. Where a council's local land charges register has moved to HM Land Registry, an official search certificate costs £15 through [HM Land Registry's service](https://www.gov.uk/search-local-land-charges); the council or a private search company prices the rest. No official source publishes typical search prices.

In Scotland your solicitor pays 'outlays' such as Registers of Scotland fees and search fees. Registers of Scotland charges £660 to register a disposition (the deed that transfers ownership) for a price between £300,001 and £500,000, and £80 to register a standard security (a mortgage), or £60 if it is submitted digitally. In Northern Ireland, SDLT applies and registration is with the Land Registry run by Land & Property Services, which has its own fee scale ([nidirect](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/searching-land-registry) explains it).

*Common disbursements on a purchase in England and Wales (HM Land Registry fees in force since 9 December 2024)*

| Item | Who normally pays | Price set by | VAT when recharged to you |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HM Land Registry registration (Scale 1) | Buyer | HM Land Registry fee order, by price band: £20 to £500 online, £45 to £1,105 by post. New leases and transfers of part pay the postal rate even online | None: treated as a disbursement |
| Registering your mortgage | Buyer | No extra fee if it's sent with the transfer | Not applicable |
| Official copies of the register and title plan | Usually the seller, so their conveyancer can prepare the contract | HM Land Registry: £7 each online, £11 by post | May be added if the conveyancer uses them to advise you |
| Pre-completion priority search (OS1) | Buyer | HM Land Registry: £7 online, £11 by post | May be added (as above) |
| Bankruptcy search (K16) | Buyer (one search per buyer's name) | HM Land Registry: £6 per name online, £7 by post | May be added (as above) |
| Local authority, drainage and water, and environmental searches | Buyer | The council or search company | Usually added |
| Bank transfer (CHAPS) fee | Buyer and seller | The firm | 20%: HMRC counts it as part of the firm's own service |
| Stamp Duty, LTT or LBTT | Buyer | Law | None |

## How does VAT work on a conveyancing quote?

VAT at the standard 20% rate is added to your conveyancer's legal fee if the firm is VAT-registered. For anything else on the bill, the test is whether the firm is simply paying a third party as your agent. HMRC's [VAT Notice 700](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-guide-notice-700) (section 25.1) sets out eight conditions, including that you received and used the goods or services and that the firm recharges exactly what it paid. Only payments that meet all eight can be passed on without VAT.

HM Land Registry registration fees and Stamp Duty are your own liabilities, so they go on without VAT. Searches are different: in the Brabners case (2017) a tax tribunal agreed with HMRC that online search fees were part of the solicitor's own service, and HMRC withdrew its concession for postal searches on 1 December 2020. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers' guidance note on VAT, valid from 7 May 2026, says firms should charge VAT on search fees unless they simply pass the results on without comment. It says the same may apply to official copies, OS1 and bankruptcy searches used to advise you, and that bank transfer fees carry VAT.

One quote may show searches 'plus VAT' and another may not, so compare totals including VAT, not headline legal fees.

## What extra charges might a quote include?

Firms add supplements when a transaction needs extra work. We don't list prices, because they vary by firm and no official source publishes them. These are supplements you may see, and why they involve more work.

*Supplements you may see on a conveyancing quote*

| Supplement | Why it can cost more |
| --- | --- |
| Leasehold | Reviewing the lease and the landlord's or managing agent's information, and serving notices after completion. The landlord or agent charges for its information pack; powers to limit those charges and set time limits (section 67 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024) were not in force at 25 September 2026. See [leasehold conveyancing](/moving-home/leasehold-conveyancing/) |
| New build | Checking the developer's contract, warranty and planning documents and working to the developer's deadlines. See [new-build conveyancing](/moving-home/new-build-conveyancing/) |
| Acting for your mortgage lender | When your conveyancer also acts for your lender, it checks the mortgage conditions and reports to the lender before the money is released |
| Help to Buy ISA or Lifetime ISA | Your conveyancer applies for the Help to Buy ISA bonus, or requests Lifetime ISA funds, which the provider pays directly to the conveyancer |
| Gifted deposit | Anti-money laundering rules mean the firm may need to check the identity and source of funds of the person giving you money |
| Unregistered title | The property must be registered for the first time, with the application made within 2 months of completion |
| SDLT, LTT or LBTT return | Preparing and filing the tax return: due within 14 days of completion for SDLT, or 30 days for LTT and LBTT |
| Selling with a Help to Buy equity loan | Arranging repayment of the equity loan, which needs an RICS valuation that you pay for |

## What must a conveyancer's published price include?

Firms regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) must publish price and service information for residential conveyancing: freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, mortgages and remortgages. The SRA's [Transparency Rules](https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/transparency-rules/) have applied since 6 December 2018.

The published information must show the total cost (or an average or range where a single figure isn't practicable), the basis of the charges such as fixed fees or hourly rates, the likely disbursements and their cost, whether VAT applies and how much, what the price includes and what it doesn't, the key stages and likely timescales, and the experience and qualifications of the people doing the work. Firms must also publish their complaints procedure.

If a firm has no website, the SRA says you can ask it for this information. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which regulates licensed conveyancers, says its firms must tell you what you'll be charged when you first instruct them, or very shortly after, and tell you promptly if that changes. Get the price confirmed in writing before you pay anything.

## What does 'no sale, no fee' cover?

'No sale, no fee' (sometimes 'no completion, no fee') is a firm's own commercial offer, not a regulated term. It generally means you won't pay the firm's legal fee if your purchase or sale falls through. It can't undo money already paid to others: once searches have been ordered, the search provider has been paid.

Check the terms: whether you'd still owe disbursements already paid out, which reasons for the deal collapsing are covered (for example, if you pull out yourself), and whether the fee is higher than the firm's standard price.

## When do you pay conveyancing costs?

You pay in stages. Some firms ask for money on account when you instruct them, and GOV.UK notes that buyers usually pay for searches up front. Before exchange, the buyer sends the deposit set in the contract. Before completion, the conveyancer sends a completion statement showing the balance: the price, less your deposit and mortgage, plus fees, disbursements and tax, which must arrive in time for completion day.

Sellers usually pay from the sale money: GOV.UK says the seller's conveyancer pays off the mortgage, the estate agent and its own fee, then sends the seller what's left. After completion, the buyer's conveyancer pays the tax (within 14 days for SDLT, 30 days for LTT and LBTT) and the HM Land Registry fee. Our guide to [how long conveyancing takes](/moving-home/how-long-does-conveyancing-take/) sets out each stage.

## Worked example: £325,000 freehold purchase in England with a mortgage

This example is for one buyer buying a £325,000 freehold house in England with a mortgage, with the conveyancer applying to HM Land Registry online. The tax is worked out with the same engine as our [Stamp Duty calculator](/tools/stamp-duty-calculator/), using the rates in force since 1 April 2025.

A first-time buyer pays nothing on the first £300,000 and 5% on the remaining £25,000, which is £1,250. A home mover who sells their old home on or before completion day pays 0% on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500) and 5% on the final £75,000 (£3,750), which is £6,250. HM Land Registry's fee is £150 online (£330 by post), and there is no extra fee to register the mortgage when it's sent with the transfer.

At the same price, Land Transaction Tax in Wales would be £6,000 (there's no first-time buyer relief), and LBTT in Scotland £5,850, or £5,250 for first-time buyers, plus the £660 Registers of Scotland fee. If the mover still owned their old home at the end of completion day, England's higher rates would apply: £22,500, with the extra refundable if the old main home is sold within 3 years. Add your own quotes in our [Total cost of moving calculator](/tools/moving-costs-calculator/).

*£325,000 freehold purchase in England, one buyer, with a mortgage (rates and fees at 25 September 2026)*

| Cost line | First-time buyer | Home mover | Where the figure comes from |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax | £1,250 | £6,250 | Fixed by law (SDLT rates from 1 April 2025) |
| HM Land Registry registration (online) | £150 | £150 | HM Land Registry fee order |
| OS1 priority search | £7 | £7 | HM Land Registry fee (VAT may be added) |
| K16 bankruptcy search (one name) | £6 | £6 | HM Land Registry fee (VAT may be added) |
| Fixed items before any VAT | £1,413 | £6,413 | Total of the lines above |
| Your conveyancer's legal fee | Your quote, plus 20% VAT | Your quote, plus 20% VAT | The firm |
| Search fees | Your quote | Your quote | The council or search company (VAT usually added) |
| Supplements and bank transfer fee | Your quote | Your quote | The firm (plus 20% VAT) |

## Frequently asked questions

### Are conveyancing fees paid on top of Stamp Duty?

Yes. Stamp Duty (or LTT in Wales and LBTT in Scotland) is a tax you owe on the purchase. Your conveyancer usually files the return and pays it for you from money you send, but it is separate from the legal fee and has no VAT added.

### Do I pay VAT on search fees?

Usually. HMRC's view, backed by a 2017 tribunal decision, is that searches a conveyancer uses to advise you are part of its own service, so VAT at 20% is added when they're recharged to you. HM Land Registry registration fees and Stamp Duty are passed on without VAT.

### Who pays for property searches, the buyer or the seller?

Normally the buyer, because the searches protect the buyer and their lender. Some sellers order searches in advance to save time. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has told buyers' conveyancers to consider accepting a local search bought by the seller if it meets their lender's requirements.

### Is there an average cost for conveyancing?

There's no official one. No regulator or government body publishes average conveyancing fees, and figures online usually come from quote-comparison companies. SRA-regulated firms must publish their own prices, so compare itemised quotes that include VAT and disbursements.

### Why does leasehold conveyancing cost more than freehold?

There's more work: reviewing the lease, getting information from the landlord or managing agent, and serving notices after completion. The landlord or agent also charges for the information it provides, and the 2024 powers that would let the government limit those charges were not in force in September 2026.

## Primary source

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-information-services-fees, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-land-charges-fees, https://www.gov.uk/search-local-land-charges, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-guide-notice-700, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-and-customs-brief-6-2020-vat-treatment-of-property-search-fees-charged-by-solicitors-and-conveyancers, https://www.clc-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/VAT-Treatment-of-Disbursements-Guidance-Note-FINAL.pdf, https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/transparency-rules/, https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/resources/fees/transparency-price-service/, https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/choosing/price-advice/, https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/choosing/aml/, https://www.clc-uk.org/faq/, https://www.clc-uk.org/lawyers/advisory-note-buyers-relying-on-searches-commissioned-by-sellers/, https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-buying-an-additional-residential-property, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-stamp-duty-land-tax, https://www.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-rates-and-bands, https://www.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-guide, https://revenue.scot/taxes/land-buildings-transaction-tax/residential-property, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2014/188/schedule/1, https://www.mygov.scot/buy-home/settlement, https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/searching-land-registry, https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-home, https://www.gov.uk/selling-a-home, https://www.gov.uk/lifetime-isa, https://www.gov.uk/help-to-buy-isa, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-repay-your-equity-loan-when-you-sell-your-home, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-registrations/practice-guide-1-first-registrations, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/22/section/67

## Related

- [How to compare conveyancing quotes](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/conveyancing-quotes/)
- [How to choose a conveyancer](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/choosing-a-conveyancer/)
- [How much it costs to move house](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/cost-of-moving-house/)
- [Stamp Duty calculator](https://moneyguide.org.uk/tools/stamp-duty-calculator/)
- [Stamp Duty explained](https://moneyguide.org.uk/mortgages/stamp-duty-explained/)
- [How long conveyancing takes](https://moneyguide.org.uk/moving-home/how-long-does-conveyancing-take/)

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Independent UK money guidance from [Money Guide](https://moneyguide.org.uk). Information only — not regulated financial advice.