California seller net sheet calculator

California’s county transfer tax is 0.11%, customarily paid by the seller, but many cities add their own, and Los Angeles and San Francisco charge far more on high-end sales. Who pays the owner’s title policy depends on whether you’re in Southern or Northern California.

California’s rules checked September 30, 2026Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved.

State Closing date

County or city

California: Documentary transfer tax: 0.11% of the price, usually paid by the seller. Owner’s title is usually paid by the seller, though it varies.

Sale price

$

Mortgage payoff

$

Commissions

Listing agent

Buyer’s agent

Estimated net to seller $326,966

43%keeps

Sale price$760,000
Commissions−$41,800
- Listing agent commission (3%)est.−$22,800
- Buyer’s agent compensation (2.5%)est.−$19,000
Loans and liens−$380,000
- Mortgage payoff−$380,000
Title and closing−$3,360
- Owner’s title insuranceest.−$2,660
- Settlement or escrow feeest.−$600
- Recording and release feesest.−$100
Taxes−$7,874
- Documentary transfer tax−$836
- Property taxes (prorated)est.−$7,038
Net to seller$326,966

An estimate, not a closing statement. The title or escrow company and your lender provide the final figures, and the loan payoff comes from the lender's payoff statement. Commissions are negotiable.

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A California sale, worked out

The calculator opens on $760,000, about the median value of an owner-occupied home in California ($759,500, 2024 Census estimate), with a $380,000 mortgage payoff as an example. Commissions are whatever the seller agrees, so they’re left out here.

Before commissions and the payoff, the seller’s costs come to about $11,234, or 1.48% of the price, for a closing on December 5, 2026. California’s transfer tax on a $400,000 sale is the 29th highest of the 35 states and DC that have one.

Seller’s costs on $760,000, before commissions and the payoff
Owner’s title insuranceest.	−$2,660
Settlement or escrow feeest.	−$600
Recording and release feesest.	−$100
Documentary transfer tax	−$836
Property taxes (prorated)est.	−$7,038
Total	−$11,234

Estimates are tagged “est.”; the rest follow the state’s rules.

The documentary transfer tax and title at other prices

Documentary transfer tax is 0.11% of the price, usually paid by the seller. The owner’s policy below is an estimate; your title company’s quote will differ. Who pays for it varies, so the calculator counts it for the seller; you can switch it.

Sale price	Whole documentary transfer tax	Seller usually pays	Owner’s title policy
$250,000	$275	$275	$875est.
$500,000	$550	$550	$1,750est.
$750,000	$825	$825	$2,625est.
$1,000,000	$1,100	$1,100	$3,500est.
$2,000,000	$2,200	$2,200	$7,000est.

Counties or cities in California can add a tax of their own. Add it under Other costs in the calculator.

Selling in California: what to know

Documentary transfer tax

Every California county charges a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 (0.11%), customarily paid by the seller statewide, on the price minus any loans the buyer assumes. General-law cities can take $0.275 per $500 that is credited against the county tax, so the total stays 0.11%. Charter cities levy their own rates on top, and those city taxes are split by local custom and the contract.

Title insurance

Southern California (including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties) customarily has the seller pay for the owner’s policy. Much of Northern California, including San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Marin, customarily has the buyer pay. Some Central Valley and Sacramento-area counties split it or differ, and the contract always controls.

Who runs the closing

California doesn’t require an attorney. Escrow companies close sales in the South, and title companies acting as escrow close them in the North.

Property taxes

California’s tax year runs July 1 to June 30. The first installment is due November 1 (delinquent December 10) and the second February 1 (delinquent April 10), so each half is paid during the half-year it covers. Proration follows which installments the seller has paid, and the county sends the buyer a supplemental bill after the change of ownership.

Local differences

City of Los Angeles: 0.45% base plus Measure ULA on the entire price, 4% above $5,400,000 and 5.5% at $10,900,000 and up for closings after June 30, 2026 (indexed each year). San Francisco replaces the county rate with a tiered rate on the entire price: 0.5% up to $250,000, 0.68% to $1 million, 0.75% to $5 million, 2.25% to $10 million, 5.5% to $25 million and 6% above. Culver City: 0.45% under $1.5 million, 1.5% to $3 million, 3% to $10 million and 4% above. Pomona and Redondo Beach charge $2.20 per $1,000. Oakland (1% to 2.5%) and Berkeley (1.5% or 2.5%) tax the entire price, split between buyer and seller by custom; Santa Monica, Palo Alto and other charter cities have their own rates. The calculator includes Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley: pick the city to use its taxes.

California by city

Most of California follows the rules above. These cities add a tax of their own, set a different rate or change who pays, and the calculator applies them when you pick one. Amounts are what the seller usually pays in transfer and deed taxes on $760,000, plus the owner’s title policy where the seller usually buys it.

Everywhere else in California

The state’s rules, as above

$3,496

City of Los Angeles

City’s 0.45% tax
Measure ULA (4% over $5.4 million, 5.5% from $10.9 million)

$6,916 +$3,420 vs. elsewhere

San Francisco

Transfer tax 0.5% to 6% by price

$7,828 +$4,332 vs. elsewhere

Oakland

Oakland’s city transfer tax 1% to 2.5%, split

$9,196 +$5,700 vs. elsewhere

Berkeley

Berkeley’s city transfer tax 1.5% to 2.5%, split

$9,196 +$5,700 vs. elsewhere

Selling in California: questions

Who pays transfer tax in California?

The seller customarily pays the 0.11% county documentary transfer tax everywhere in California. City transfer taxes are split by local custom and the contract, and the California Realtors purchase agreement lists the county and city taxes separately.

How much is the transfer tax in Los Angeles?

The City of Los Angeles charges 0.45% plus Measure ULA, which applies to the entire price: 4% above $5,400,000 and 5.5% at $10,900,000 and up for closings after June 30, 2026. That is on top of the county’s 0.11%.

Who pays for title insurance in California?

It depends on the region. Sellers customarily pay in Southern California counties such as Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego, while buyers customarily pay in most Bay Area counties. The purchase contract decides.

How much are seller closing costs in California?

Leaving out commissions, which are whatever the seller agrees, and the loan payoff, a California seller’s costs on a $760,000 sale come to about $11,234 with the calculator’s estimates and a December 5, 2026 closing: owner’s title insurance $2,660, settlement or escrow fee $600, recording and release fees $100, documentary transfer tax $836, property taxes (prorated) $7,038. Put in your own numbers above for a closer figure.

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