Closing costs estimator

Plan for 1.5-4% of price

Closing costs vary dramatically by province because the biggest line — Land Transfer Tax — varies dramatically. In Alberta and Saskatchewan plan for roughly 1.5% of price. In Ontario and BC plan for 2.5-3.5%. In Toronto, where municipal LTT stacks on top of provincial, plan for 3.5-4.5%.

The line items, ranked by typical size

1. Land transfer tax — biggest in 8 of 10 provinces. None in AB/SK.
2. Mortgage payoff or balance transfer — for refinancers, not buyers
3. Legal fees + disbursements ($1,200-$2,500)
4. Property tax adjustment ($0-$2,000+ depending on time of year)
5. PST on CMHC premium ($800-$2,000 in ON/QC/SK if insured)
6. Title insurance ($200-$400)
7. Home inspection ($400-$700)
8. Moving costs ($500-$5,000)
9. Status / estoppel certificate (condos only, $100-$300)

First-time buyer rebates that move the number

If you're a first-time buyer, several provinces meaningfully reduce LTT. Ontario rebates up to $4,000 provincial + $4,475 Toronto MLTT. BC fully exempts purchases up to $500k. PEI fully exempts up to $200k. Run the exact bracket math in our LTT calculator.

Common gotchas

• PST on CMHC premium catches insured buyers in Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan — paid in CASH at closing, NOT financed into the mortgage like the premium itself
• Property tax adjustment — if you close in November, you may owe the seller for tax already paid through year-end
• Foreign buyer tax — non-residents face an additional 20-25% in Ontario and parts of BC (see foreign buyer tax calculator)
• HST on new builds — if buying brand new from a builder, the price advertised may or may not include HST

Related calculators

• Land transfer tax
• Down payment + CMHC premium
• Property tax estimator
• GST/HST on new construction
• Full closing-costs guide by province