Conveyancing splits into two parts: the solicitor's legal fee (what they charge for their time) and disbursements (money they pay out on your behalf — searches, Land Registry, ID checks, bank transfers). This calculator estimates both based on the property price and the structure of your purchase.

What your conveyancing total covers

The headline figure splits into three pots: solicitor legal fees (their time), VAT at 20% on those legal fees, and disbursements (payments your solicitor makes on your behalf to third parties — councils, HM Land Registry, search providers, banks). The calculator above breaks every line item out so you can see exactly where the money goes.

Use the when do you pay conveyancing fees guide for the cash-flow timing of each pot, and the what conveyancers do explainer for the work each fee actually pays for. For the broader cost picture including SDLT and removals, use the home buying cost calculator.

How the estimate is built up

The legal fee is the biggest variable. We use a price-tiered scale that mirrors how most solicitors quote: a flat base fee plus an uplift on properties above £500k and above £1m, plus surcharges for leasehold (extra paperwork around the lease, ground rent and service charges) and new build (developer template contracts plus reservation deadlines). Sale-side conveyancing, if you're in a chain, adds roughly 80% of the purchase fee.

Disbursements are more predictable. Local authority, water/drainage and environmental searches together cost around £250–£400. Land Registry fees follow a published scale (e.g. £150 for £300k–£500k purchases on paper applications, less for online). Bank transfer fees, ID checks and SDLT submission usually total £30–£60. Leasehold purchases add a management pack fee (£200–£400) from the freeholder or managing agent.

Typical UK conveyancing fee ranges (2026)

Property price	Legal fee (freehold)	Legal fee (leasehold)	Disbursements
Up to £250,000	£700–£1,200	£950–£1,500	£300–£500
£250,000–£500,000	£900–£1,500	£1,200–£1,900	£350–£600
£500,000–£1m	£1,300–£2,200	£1,600–£2,600	£400–£700
£1m–£2m	£2,000–£4,000	£2,500–£4,500	£500–£900

Source: composite of published price guides from CILEX-regulated firms, SRA-regulated solicitors, and online conveyancers (Q1 2026). Online-only firms typically sit at the lower end of each range.

What's not in this estimate

• Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) — handled separately. Use the SDLT calculator.
• Survey — separate from the solicitor. RICS Level 2: £400–£700. Level 3 (full structural): £700–£1,500.
• Mortgage valuation fee — often included by the lender, sometimes £100–£500 added.
• Indemnity insurance — used to cover specific title risks. Usually £20–£200 per policy.
• Lease extension or enfranchisement work — extra service if the lease has < 80 years remaining.

How to keep conveyancing costs down

• Compare quotes early — once you've had an offer accepted, get 2–3 quotes within 48 hours. Prices vary by £400+ for the same work.
• Online vs high street — online conveyancers are cheaper and use case management portals, but communication is digital-first. High-street firms cost more but you get a named solicitor you can call.
• Fixed-fee, no-completion-no-fee — most reputable firms now offer this. Only pay disbursements if the sale falls through.
• Avoid mortgage-lender recommended solicitors if they're significantly more expensive — you don't have to use them.
• Provide ID and documents fast — the slowest part of conveyancing is often the buyer. Anti-money-laundering checks and signed paperwork delivered same-day shorten the whole timeline.

Worked totals at common UK price points

Three full worked totals to show you what the calculator outputs at typical UK prices, including VAT and all standard disbursements. Mortgage purchase, freehold, no chain, standard complexity:

£250,000 freehold purchase. Legal fee £950 ex-VAT plus £250 acting-for-lender = £1,200 ex-VAT. VAT at 20% = £240. Searches £320 + Land Registry £45 + ID £30 + CHAPS £35 (plus £7 VAT) + SDLT submission £50 = £487 disbursements. Total around £1,927.

£400,000 freehold purchase. Legal fee £1,200 ex-VAT plus £250 acting-for-lender = £1,450 ex-VAT. VAT £290. Searches £320 + Land Registry £95 + ID £30 + CHAPS £35 (plus £7 VAT) + SDLT submission £50 = £537 disbursements. Total around £2,277.

£600,000 leasehold purchase. Legal fee £1,500 (£1,200 base + £300 leasehold surcharge) plus £250 acting-for-lender = £1,750 ex-VAT. VAT £350. Searches £320 + Land Registry £95 + ID £30 + CHAPS £35 (plus £7 VAT) + SDLT submission £50 + leasehold pack £300 = £837 disbursements. Total around £2,937.

For broader cost context (deposit, SDLT, mortgage, removals), use the home buying cost calculator which sums every line in one view.

How online conveyancers compare to high-street firms

Online conveyancers (Slater + Gordon, Bird & Co, Conveyancing Network, Quittance) typically undercut high-street firms by 20–40% on the legal fee. The savings come from lower premises costs, more efficient case-management portals, and a focus on volume residential work over bespoke private-client legal advice.

Trade-offs:

• Communication is digital-first. Most updates are via the firm's portal rather than phone calls. Good for tech-comfortable buyers, frustrating if you want a named contact to ring.
• Case handlers, not solicitors. Many online firms run cases via paralegals and case handlers, with a supervising solicitor signing off. The work meets the same regulatory standard but the experience is different.
• Standardised process. Works well for vanilla freehold purchases; can be slower for complex situations needing tailored attention.
• Speed. Online firms often process standard work faster because of portal efficiencies.

The right choice depends on transaction complexity. A simple freehold purchase is a good fit for online; a complex leasehold with a service charge dispute might be better served by a high-street firm.

VAT — what it applies to in conveyancing

VAT at the standard rate (20% in 2026) applies to your solicitor's professional fees — the headline legal fee plus any sub-element they charge (acting for lender, sale-side admin, additional enquiry-handling time on complex cases). It generally does not apply to:

• Land Registry fees — statutory fees paid to HMLR, VAT-free.
• Local-authority search fees — VAT-free where paid directly to the council, sometimes plus VAT on a "search admin" mark-up some firms add.
• HMRC SDLT — not subject to VAT.
• ID verification fees paid to electronic-ID providers — typically VAT-able.
• CHAPS bank transfer fees — usually VAT-able.
• Indemnity insurance premiums — subject to Insurance Premium Tax (12%), not VAT.

Always check whether quotes are inclusive or exclusive of VAT. A "from £950" quote at one firm and "from £1,140" at another may be the same figure once VAT is added — just labelled differently. The calculator above shows VAT as a separate line so you can compare on a like-for-like basis.

The role of each disbursement

Disbursements are payments your conveyancer makes to third parties on your behalf. They're listed transparently because they're costs you'd pay regardless of which firm you used. The main items:

• Local-authority search (~£200): Council confirms planning history, road status, contaminated land notices, listed-building or conservation-area constraints.
• Water and drainage search (~£60): Maps where the public sewer runs, who owns it, where mains water connections are.
• Environmental search (~£60): Flood risk, ground stability, radon, contaminated land history, energy infrastructure proximity.
• Land Registry fee (£20–£910): Statutory fee to register the transfer of ownership. Scales by price.
• ID and AML checks (~£30): Electronic verification of identity for the buyer and any contributing parties (gifters, joint applicants).
• CHAPS bank transfer fees (~£35): Same-day funds transfer on completion. Usually 1–3 transfers needed.
• SDLT submission fee (~£50): Firm's charge for filing the SDLT return with HMRC and remitting the duty.
• Leasehold management pack (£200–£400): Charged by the freeholder or managing agent for compiling the LPE1 pack. Only applies to leasehold purchases.
• Indemnity insurance (£20–£200 per policy): Covers specific title risks where evidence is missing — common for older properties or new builds awaiting first registration.

Cash buyer vs mortgage buyer — fee differences

Cash buyers typically pay £200–£300 less in legal fees because the solicitor doesn't have to act for a lender (no mortgage offer review, no lender condition checks, no charge registration with HMLR). Mortgage valuation fees disappear too. The remaining cost stack is essentially identical.

On a £350,000 freehold purchase, total conveyancing for a cash buyer typically runs £1,800–£2,200 all-in; for a mortgage buyer £2,100–£2,500. The mortgage scenario is what most calculators (including this one) default to.

Chained transactions — when you're buying and selling

If you're moving home rather than buying for the first time, you'll need a conveyancer on both your sale and your purchase. The sale-side fee is typically 85% of the purchase-side fee because sales involve less work (no searches to commission, no mortgage to arrange for the lender, no Land Registry application — that's the buyer's side). Tick the "chain" box above and the calculator adds the sale fee.

Chained transactions also need careful cash-flow management because sale proceeds typically fund the purchase deposit. Use the how long does conveyancing take guide for chain co-ordination implications.

Leasehold purchases — why they cost more

Leasehold purchases attract higher conveyancing fees for two reasons: additional documents (the lease itself, the LPE1 management pack, sometimes a Tenant's Pack), and additional risk (lease term remaining, service charge disputes, ground rent schedules). The industry standard surcharge is £200–£400 above the freehold equivalent.

You also pay the leasehold management pack disbursement (£200–£400) charged by the freeholder or managing agent. The calculator adds this automatically when you select "Leasehold" tenure.

New build conveyancing — what's different

New build purchases involve developer-controlled timelines (10-day exchange deadlines from reservation are common), bespoke developer contracts, NHBC or other structural warranty registration, and a higher likelihood of indemnity insurance needed for first registration. Expect a £150–£300 surcharge over equivalent freehold conveyancing.

How to compare quotes properly

When comparing conveyancing quotes, always ask for them on the same basis. A genuine like-for-like comparison includes:

1. Legal fee inclusive of VAT (or both ex-VAT — be consistent).
2. All standard disbursements itemised — searches, Land Registry, ID, CHAPS, SDLT submission.
3. Tenure-specific surcharges if applicable (leasehold, new build).
4. Sale-side fee if you're chained.
5. No-completion-no-fee policy — is the legal fee waived if the sale falls through?
6. Hourly rate for "additional work" — what's included in the headline fee and what triggers extra charges? Common triggers: more than X enquiries, gifted deposits, indemnity policies, new-build delays.

Read the when do you pay conveyancing fees guide for the timing of each payment, and the hidden costs of buying a house guide for the surprises that can land in the final invoice.

Frequently asked questions

How much does conveyancing cost in the UK?

Total UK conveyancing for a residential purchase typically costs £1,500–£3,500 inclusive of VAT and disbursements. Legal fees alone are £950–£2,500 plus 20% VAT. Disbursements (searches, Land Registry, ID, CHAPS, SDLT submission) add £500–£900. Leasehold or new build adds £200–£500.

Is VAT charged on conveyancing fees?

Yes — VAT at the standard rate (20% in 2026) applies to solicitor professional fees. It does not apply to Land Registry fees, council search fees, SDLT, or indemnity insurance premiums (those have IPT instead). The calculator above shows VAT as a separate line.

What's the difference between legal fees and disbursements?

Legal fees are your solicitor's professional time, billed at their rates (plus VAT). Disbursements are passed-through costs your solicitor pays to third parties on your behalf — councils, HMLR, search providers, banks. Disbursements are generally fixed regardless of which firm you instruct.

Do I pay conveyancing fees up front?

A retainer of £200–£300 is paid at instruction. The bulk of the fee is paid at completion, deducted from your funds before the balance is sent to the seller. See the when do you pay conveyancing fees guide for the full timeline.

Do first-time buyers get cheaper conveyancing?

Some firms offer a modest FTB discount of £50–£100 off the legal fee. It's not standard and isn't a major cost lever — compare total all-in quotes regardless of FTB status.

Why is leasehold conveyancing more expensive?

Leasehold purchases involve additional documents (the lease, LPE1 management pack), additional risk areas (service charge disputes, ground rent, lease term remaining), and a freeholder management pack disbursement (£200–£400). The standard industry surcharge is £200–£400 above freehold pricing.

What if my sale falls through — do I still pay?

Most reputable firms operate no-completion-no-fee on the legal fee itself. You still pay disbursements already incurred (searches, ID checks) and sometimes an abortive fee of £200–£400. Read the client care letter at instruction.

Can I use any solicitor for my purchase?

For cash purchases, yes — any SRA-regulated solicitor or CLC-regulated licensed conveyancer can act. For mortgage purchases, your conveyancer must be on the lender's panel. Most major lenders have wide panels but check before instructing.

Related guides

Related calculators

• Stamp Duty calculator — calculate SDLT separately
• Home buying cost calculator — SDLT, conveyancing, removals, survey in one view
• Moving costs calculator — alternative all-in cost view
• Affordability calculator — how much you can borrow
• Deposit savings calculator — when will you be ready
• Mortgage repayment calculator — monthly payments at various rates

Fee ranges last reviewed: 18 May 2026.