Closing costs by state
Closing costs in Connecticut
Closing costs in Connecticut run about 2% to 5% of the price for a buyer, made of lender fees, title and settlement, recording, prepaid interest and escrow reserves; on a $400,000 home the worked example below comes to $10,055. Connecticut charges a state transfer tax of 0.75% of the first $800,000, 1.25% of the portion from $800,000 to $2,500,000, and 2.25% above $2,500,000 (state conveyance tax on residential dwellings, CGS § 12-494), about 0.75% of the price, and the seller customarily pays it. Every municipality adds a 0.25% conveyance tax on the full price; nineteen designated municipalities including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury may charge up to 0.5%. Both are paid by the seller.
Last verified ·Sources:cslib.contentdm.oclc.org·cdn.ymaws.com
The rules
What Connecticut does differently
- State transfer tax
- 0.75% of the first $800,000, 1.25% of the portion from $800,000 to $2,500,000, and 2.25% above $2,500,000 (state conveyance tax on residential dwellings, CGS § 12-494) (about 0.75% of the price at $400,000).
- Who pays it
- Seller, by custom.
- County and city add-ons
- Every municipality adds a 0.25% conveyance tax on the full price; nineteen designated municipalities including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury may charge up to 0.5%. Both are paid by the seller.
- Attorney at closing
- Connecticut requires an attorney to conduct or supervise the closing, so an attorney fee is a normal line on both sides.
- Owner’s title policy
- Who pays the owner’s title policy in Connecticut varies by county or region; it is set by local custom and the contract.
- Notes
- The statute imposes the tax on the grantor, who pays before the deed is recorded. Combined state and municipal tax on a $400,000 sale is 1% ($4,000). Since October 2019 only a Connecticut attorney may conduct a closing (Public Act 19-88).
- cslib.contentdm.oclc.org — “The state tax is 0.75% of (1) the first $800,000 of the sale price of a residential dwelling”
- cdn.ymaws.com — “no person shall conduct a real estate closing unless such person has been admitted as an attorney in this state”
Worked example
A $400,000 home in Connecticut, 20% down
Loan of $320,000 at 6.5%, closing on the 15th. Lender, title and recording figures are typical line items used for illustration, the same on every state page; the transfer tax follow Connecticut’s rules above. Not a quote: the calculator takes your own figures.
Buyer pays
| Loan origination, 1% of the loan | $3,200 |
| Appraisal | $550 |
| Title and settlement services | $1,800 |
| Lender’s title policy | $900 |
| Recording | $150 |
| Prepaid interest, 15 days at 6.5% | $855 |
| Escrow reserve, 3 months of tax at 1.1% | $1,100 |
| First year of homeowners insurance | $1,500 |
| Total (2.514% of price) | $10,055 |
Seller pays
| Commission, 5% | $20,000 |
| Title and escrow fees | $2,000 |
| Owner’s title policy (estimate) | $1,500 |
| Prorated property tax | $1,500 |
| Transfer tax, seller’s share (0.75%) | $3,000 |
| Total | $28,000 |
Questions
What people ask about Connecticut
- Who pays the transfer tax in Connecticut?
- Connecticut charges a state transfer tax of 0.75% of the first $800,000, 1.25% of the portion from $800,000 to $2,500,000, and 2.25% above $2,500,000 (state conveyance tax on residential dwellings, CGS § 12-494), about 0.75% of the price, and the seller customarily pays it. Every municipality adds a 0.25% conveyance tax on the full price; nineteen designated municipalities including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Waterbury may charge up to 0.5%. Both are paid by the seller.
- Do you need an attorney to close on a house in Connecticut?
- Connecticut requires an attorney to conduct or supervise the closing, so an attorney fee is a normal line on both sides.
- Who pays for the owner’s title policy in Connecticut?
- Who pays the owner’s title policy in Connecticut varies by county or region; it is set by local custom and the contract.
- How much are seller closing costs in Connecticut?
- On a $400,000 sale with a 5% commission, the worked example on this page comes to $28,000 for the seller, including $3,000 of transfer tax, before the mortgage payoff and any concessions or repairs. The seller net sheet calculator shows the walk-away figure.
Last reviewed September 8, 2026 by the EstatePass editorial team. Formulas and program limits are checked against the published rules; figures on this page are arithmetic, not market statistics.
Agent Workspace
Put the numbers to work
The workspace turns the figures you trust into a market update film, a seller net sheet in the CMA, or a buyer education video, from the same numbers. Free to start; one Pro covers every tool and every EstatePass exam channel.