Texas · Closing costs
Closing costs in Texas: what's typical and what's not
Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an example · Texas rules and limits change, check the current onesTexas charges no state tax on transferring a home and no state tax on recording a mortgage, so a Texas closing is mostly the lender's own fees, title insurance, the survey, the title company's escrow fee, a small county recording fee, and the money set aside up front for property taxes and insurance. For a buyer, closing costs plus prepaids commonly land somewhere around 2% to 5% of the price (illustrative; it depends on the loan, the county and the time of year). Only the first of those items, the lender's fees, is really set by the lender.
What is not on a Texas closing statement
- No state transfer tax. Many states charge a tax of a percent or more of the sale price when a home changes hands. Texas does not.
- No state mortgage or intangible tax. Some states tax the mortgage itself when it is recorded. Texas does not.
- No required closing attorney. Title companies run Texas closings. A lender may still charge for an attorney to prepare its loan documents, which shows as a document preparation fee.
That is why a Texas closing often looks cheaper than one in the Northeast. It does not mean the lender's part is cheap; it means the government's part is.
What is on it, line by line
Where each one sits on page 2 of the Loan Estimate, who sets it, and an illustrative range. The ranges are rough observations for a typical single-family purchase, not a survey, and your county, title company and lender will differ.
| Item | Loan Estimate section | Who sets it | Illustrative range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origination, underwriting, processing, points | A | The lender | $0 to about 1% of the loan, or a flat $1,000 to $2,000 |
| Appraisal | B | The appraiser, through the lender | $500 to $700 |
| Credit report, flood certificate, tax certificate | B or C | Outside services | $100 to $200 together |
| Lender's title policy | C | Texas Department of Insurance | Same at every title company; on a purchase the Loan Estimate shows it at the full price even though it costs $100 with an owner's policy (see Texas title insurance rates) |
| Owner's title policy | H (optional) | Texas Department of Insurance | Often paid by the seller in Texas, by custom not rule |
| Escrow / settlement fee | C | The title company | $300 to $600 |
| Survey | C | The surveyor | $400 to $700 new; $0 if an old one is reused |
| Document preparation (lender's attorney) | A or B | The lender | $100 to $300 |
| County recording | E | The county clerk | Under $150 for a deed and a deed of trust in most counties |
| Prepaid interest, first year of insurance | F | The calendar and your insurer | Depends on the closing date and the home |
| Initial escrow for taxes and insurance | G | The tax rate and the closing date | Often the biggest line in Texas; see below |
The survey, and the T-47 trick
A survey is a drawing of the lot with the house, fences, easements and any encroachments marked. Texas lenders and title companies want one, because the title policy's protection on boundary matters depends on it. A new survey on a city lot runs a few hundred dollars (illustrative) and takes a week or two to schedule.
You often do not need a new one. If the seller has the survey from when they bought, and nothing on the lot has changed since (no new fence, pool, shed or addition), the seller can sign a T-47 Residential Real Property Affidavit swearing to that, and the title company can usually accept the old survey. The standard Texas purchase contract has a box for exactly this. Ask for it early; if the old survey is refused, the contract says who pays for a new one.
Why Section G is so big in Texas
Texas has no state income tax, and local governments fund themselves largely from property tax, so the tax rate on a home is high compared with most states. When your loan has an escrow account, the lender collects a share of the year's taxes and insurance every month and pays the bills when they come due. At closing it collects a starting balance, usually several months of taxes plus a cushion of up to two months, and the first year's homeowner's insurance premium is paid in full. Close in the fall, when the tax bill is about to arrive, and the lender may collect most of a year of taxes at once. Texas property taxes and your escrow payment goes through the arithmetic and the homestead exemption.
What the lender controls, and what it does not
Of everything above, the lender itself sets Section A and the document preparation fee. The appraisal and credit report cost what they cost. The title premium is the state's. The escrow fee and survey are the title company's and the surveyor's. Recording is the county's. Taxes and insurance are yours whoever lends. So when two Texas Loan Estimates differ on the bottom-line "Total Closing Costs," look at why. If the gap is in Sections E through H, it is one lender's estimate of the calendar against another's and will come out the same at closing. If the gap is in Section A, it is real money, and it is the number to ask about. Texas title insurance rates explains the title lines in more detail, and the Loan Estimate checker reads your Section A against what is typical.
Worked example (illustrative)
A $400,000 purchase in Texas with a $320,000 loan, closing in late summer. The figures are made up to show the shape.
| Group | Amount | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Section A, the lender's fees (no points) | $1,495 | the lender |
| B and C: appraisal, reports, lender's title, escrow fee, survey reused | $1,700 | outside services and the state |
| E: recording | $120 | the county |
| F: prepaid interest and the first year of insurance | $2,900 | the calendar and the insurer |
| G: initial escrow for taxes and insurance | $5,200 | the tax rate and the closing date |
| Total closing costs and prepaids | $11,415 | about 2.9% of the price |
Only the first line would change if you switched lenders. A second lender quoting $2,900 in Section A for the same loan at the same rate is $1,405 more expensive, however its other sections are guessed.
Questions people ask
How much are closing costs in Texas?
For a buyer, somewhere around 2% to 5% of the price is common once prepaids and the escrow deposit are counted (illustrative, not a survey). Texas has no state transfer or mortgage tax, so the big pieces are the lender's fees, title insurance, the survey, the escrow fee and the money set aside for property taxes and insurance. Only the lender's own fees, Section A of the Loan Estimate, change when you change lenders.
Does Texas have a transfer tax on home sales?
No. Texas has no state or local tax on the transfer of real estate and no tax on recording a mortgage. You pay a county recording fee, which is a small flat amount per document.
Do I need a new survey to buy a house in Texas?
Not always. If the seller has an existing survey and signs a T-47 affidavit saying nothing on the lot has changed, the title company and lender can usually accept it. The standard Texas contract has a section for this. If they will not, or the seller has none, a new survey costs a few hundred dollars (illustrative).
Closing on a Texas home and only have one Loan Estimate?
Tell us the rate and Section A you were quoted. We check whether another lender beats the lender's part of the price; the rest will be the same whoever lends. It is free, there is no credit pull, and nobody calls you. The free Loan Estimate checker reads your quote in your browser first; nothing you type leaves it.
Check my quoteThe ranges on this page are rough observations for a typical single-family closing in Texas in 2026, not a survey, and each county, title company and lender sets its own figures. Figures are illustrative and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.