Closing costs by state
Closing costs in Virginia
Closing costs in Virginia 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 $12,555. Virginia charges a state transfer tax of $0.25 per $100 state recordation tax paid by the buyer (Va. Code § 58.1-801) plus a grantor's tax of $0.50 per $500 paid by the seller (§ 58.1-802), about 0.35% of the price, and it is customarily split between buyer and seller. Cities and counties may add a local recordation tax of one-third of the state rate (about $0.083 per $100). Northern Virginia adds two regional grantor fees of $0.10 per $100 each (WMATA capital fee and congestion relief fee), paid by the seller.
Last verified ·Sources:law.lis.virginia.gov·law.lis.virginia.gov·law.lis.virginia.gov
The rules
What Virginia does differently
- State transfer tax
- $0.25 per $100 state recordation tax paid by the buyer (Va. Code § 58.1-801) plus a grantor's tax of $0.50 per $500 paid by the seller (§ 58.1-802) (about 0.35% of the price at $400,000).
- Who pays it
- Split between buyer and seller.
- County and city add-ons
- Cities and counties may add a local recordation tax of one-third of the state rate (about $0.083 per $100). Northern Virginia adds two regional grantor fees of $0.10 per $100 each (WMATA capital fee and congestion relief fee), paid by the seller.
- Attorney at closing
- Virginia does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Owner’s title policy
- The buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Virginia, along with the lender’s policy.
- Notes
- On a $400,000 sale the buyer pays $1,000 of state recordation tax (plus about $333 local where levied) and the seller pays $400 of grantor's tax (plus $800 of regional fees in Northern Virginia). Attorneys, title companies and brokers may all act as settlement agents; the deed must be prepared by an attorney.
- law.lis.virginia.gov — “25 cents on every $100 or fraction thereof”
- law.lis.virginia.gov — “50 cents for each $500 or fraction thereof ... shall be paid by the grantor”
- law.lis.virginia.gov — “Licensed as an attorney ... Licensed as a title insurance company ... Licensed as a real estate broker”
Worked example
A $400,000 home in Virginia, 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 and the owner’s policy side follow Virginia’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 |
| Owner’s title policy (estimate) | $1,500 |
| Transfer tax, buyer’s share (0.25%) | $1,000 |
| Total (3.139% of price) | $12,555 |
Seller pays
| Commission, 5% | $20,000 |
| Title and escrow fees | $2,000 |
| Prorated property tax | $1,500 |
| Transfer tax, seller’s share (0.1%) | $400 |
| Total | $23,900 |
Questions
What people ask about Virginia
- Who pays the transfer tax in Virginia?
- Virginia charges a state transfer tax of $0.25 per $100 state recordation tax paid by the buyer (Va. Code § 58.1-801) plus a grantor's tax of $0.50 per $500 paid by the seller (§ 58.1-802), about 0.35% of the price, and it is customarily split between buyer and seller. Cities and counties may add a local recordation tax of one-third of the state rate (about $0.083 per $100). Northern Virginia adds two regional grantor fees of $0.10 per $100 each (WMATA capital fee and congestion relief fee), paid by the seller.
- Do you need an attorney to close on a house in Virginia?
- Virginia does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Who pays for the owner’s title policy in Virginia?
- The buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Virginia, along with the lender’s policy.
- How much are seller closing costs in Virginia?
- On a $400,000 sale with a 5% commission, the worked example on this page comes to $23,900 for the seller, including $400 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.
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