Finance category
Mortgage, loan, investing, tax, and money calculators.
Recording Fee Calculator
Recording fees show up as small but varied line items at closing. This calculator applies your county's fee schedule (first-page fee + per-page fee + indexing) to estimate deed, mortgage, and release recording.
Total recording fees
$280
Deed recording
$70
Mortgage recording
$145
Release / reconveyance
$65
How the math works
Recording fees are county-level and usually structured as a first-page fee plus a smaller per-page add-on plus indexing or surcharges. National range: $80–$250 per document. California and other states have additional transaction surcharges that can push mortgage recording above $400 on a long lender package.
Look up your county recorder's fee schedule online — most publish it prominently. The title company prepays these at closing and lists them as individual line items on the Closing Disclosure.
How to Use
- Count pages in each document. Deeds are typically 2–4 pages. Mortgages are long — often 15–25 pages. Releases/reconveyances are usually 1–3 pages.
- Enter your county's first-page fee. Common range $20–$80.
- Enter additional page fee. Common range $2–$10.
- Enter indexing/surcharge. Some counties bundle this; others list separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays recording fees?
The buyer pays to record the deed and mortgage (making ownership and lien public). The seller pays to record the release of the old mortgage. Structure varies slightly by state.
Why are mortgages so many pages?
Lenders include riders, PUD/condo riders, adjustable-rate riders, and occupancy riders — plus standard mortgage document — producing 15–25 pages. Every page charges per the county schedule.
What's an e-recording fee?
Most counties now accept electronic submission through services like Simplifile. There's typically a $3–$5 e-record surcharge, which the title company folds into the recording charge on the CD.
How is this different from transfer tax?
Transfer tax is a tax on the conveyance tied to sale price. Recording fees are administrative — the cost of the county clerk putting the document in the public record. Both are listed separately at closing.
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