How Much Does a Conveyancer Cost in NSW? Fees, Searches & What’s Included

There is no standard conveyancing fee in NSW; your total cost usually combines the conveyancer or solicitor’s professional fee with searches, certificates and other third-party costs.

Conveyancers and solicitors set their own professional fees, while the searches, certificates and other costs required for each transaction can also differ.

NSW Government recommends asking for an itemised statement of likely costs before the work starts.

The best way to compare conveyancing prices is to look at exactly what each quote includes. A lower professional fee does not necessarily produce a lower final bill if searches, contract reviews, electronic settlement costs or other expenses sit outside the quoted amount.

Conveyancing Costs at a Glance

Conveyancing costs generally fall into three categories: the professional fee, searches and disbursements, and other costs associated with the property transaction.

A conveyancer might quote a fixed professional fee while listing searches and settlement expenses separately. Another provider might include some of those costs in a package.

Do not compare the headline numbers until you know what each number actually covers.

What Does the Professional Conveyancing Fee Cover?

Your professional conveyancing fee pays for the legal and administrative work your conveyancer or solicitor performs to manage the property transaction.

Depending on the transaction, that work can include contract preparation or review, legal advice, negotiations, correspondence, searches, dealing with lenders and other parties, settlement adjustments, electronic documentation and settlement.

The exact scope differs between providers, so read the quote carefully rather than assuming every conveyancing service includes the same work.

For a more detailed explanation of the role, see our guide to what a conveyancer does when buying or selling property in NSW.

Professional Fees vs Searches and Disbursements

Professional fees pay your conveyancer or solicitor for their work, while disbursements are third-party costs incurred while completing the transaction.

Common NSW conveyancing disbursements can include:

• title searches;
• copies of registered plans and dealings;
• council certificates;
• water or authority certificates;
• PEXA fees;
• NSW Land Registry Services charges; and
• other searches required for the property.

The property and transaction determine which searches and disbursements are required.

A strata property, for example, can involve different enquiries from a straightforward Torrens title purchase. Title issues, registered interests or unusual circumstances can also require further searches.

Current NSW Examples

Current third-party NSW costs include a PEXA fee of $146.30 including GST for a single-title transfer with financial settlement and an NSW LRS over-the-counter title search fee of $18.70 including GST.

As at 1 July 2026, PEXA’s NSW pricing lists $146.30 including GST for a single-title transfer with financial settlement. A multiple-title transaction attracts a different fee.

NSW Land Registry Services lists an over-the-counter title search at $18.70 including GST under its 2026/27 fee schedule.

That $18.70 figure is the NSW LRS over-the-counter fee. The amount charged through an authorised information broker can differ because the broker may add its own processing or service fee.

These charges illustrate an important distinction: not every dollar shown on a conveyancing bill is a professional fee paid to the conveyancer. Part of the total can consist of third-party transaction costs.

Is Stamp Duty Included in Conveyancing Fees?

No. Transfer duty, commonly called stamp duty, is a NSW Government tax and is separate from your conveyancer’s professional fee.

The purchaser or transferee usually pays transfer duty when acquiring property or an interest in property.

A solicitor or conveyancer can calculate, lodge and arrange payment of the duty as part of the transaction, but the tax itself remains payable to Revenue NSW.

Revenue NSW explains who pays transfer duty and when it is due.

So when a quote says the conveyancer will deal with transfer duty, that does not mean the duty itself forms part of the quoted professional fee.

Do Buying and Selling Have Different Conveyancing Costs?

Yes. Buying and selling involve different conveyancing work, so their professional fees and disbursements do not necessarily cost the same.

A buyer can require contract reviews, property searches and lender-related work.

A seller needs a Contract for Sale and the supporting documents required for the property before progressing the sale.

The provider’s pricing structure and the circumstances of the transaction determine the final cost.

For more detail on each process, see our guides to buying property in NSW and selling property in NSW.

Buyers Should Ask About Contract Review Fees

Buyers should check whether pre-purchase contract reviews are included in the quoted fee, how many reviews are included and how additional reviews are charged.

A buyer does not always purchase the first property they investigate.

If you have several contracts reviewed before successfully purchasing, those reviews can increase your overall legal costs when the provider charges for them separately.

Before engaging a conveyancer, ask:

How do you charge for pre-purchase contract reviews?

The answer gives you a clearer picture of the potential cost while you are still searching for a property.

If you are already considering a property, see our guide to what a conveyancer checks during a property contract review.

What Does Fixed-Fee Conveyancing Mean?

Fixed-fee conveyancing generally means the provider charges an agreed professional fee for the work covered by a defined scope.

It does not automatically mean the quoted amount covers every expense associated with the transaction.

A fixed professional fee can still sit alongside separate charges for:

• searches;
• certificates;
• PEXA;
• registry charges; and
• work that falls outside the agreed scope.

Think of the total cost as:

Fixed professional fee + applicable disbursements + any agreed additional work

The important issue is the scope, not simply whether the quote uses the words “fixed fee”.

Instead of asking only:

“Is this fixed fee?”

ask:

“What exactly does the fixed fee include?”

NSW Government states that licensed conveyancers must disclose an estimate of costs for conveyancing work. Cost disclosure helps the client understand how the provider will charge for the matter.

What Can Increase Conveyancing Costs?

Conveyancing costs can increase when a transaction requires additional contract reviews, negotiations, searches, urgent work or legal advice outside the standard scope.

Examples can include:

• several contract reviews;
• substantial contract amendments or negotiations;
• urgent exchange or settlement deadlines;
• off-the-plan property;
• unusual easements, covenants or title issues;
• company, trust or SMSF ownership;
• additional mortgages, caveats or registered interests;
• complex mortgage discharge arrangements;
• related-party transfers;
• commercial property; or
• a dispute or broader property-law issue.

These circumstances do not automatically create an additional fee with every provider.

They can, however, change the scope of the work. Tell the conveyancer about anything unusual when asking for a quote so they can identify what the quoted fee covers and what may sit outside it.

Why Conveyancing Quotes Are Not Always Directly Comparable

Conveyancing quotes are not directly comparable unless they cover the same professional work, searches, disbursements and transaction requirements.

One quote may appear cheaper because searches, contract reviews, PEXA or other costs are charged separately.

Before choosing between quotes, check:

• Is GST included?
• Are searches and certificates included?
• Is the PEXA fee included?
• Are registry charges included?
• How many contract reviews are included?
• Does the fee cover contract negotiations?
• Does it include lender liaison?
• Does it include settlement?
• What happens if settlement is delayed?
• Which services fall outside the fixed fee?

Compare the scope first and the price second. That gives you a much more useful comparison than the advertised professional fee alone.

Do Conveyancer Fees Cost More in Sydney?

There is no separate prescribed Sydney conveyancing fee, so the work required and the provider’s pricing structure matter more than the suburb alone.

The type of property, complexity of the transaction and services included in the quote can all affect the final cost.

If you are comparing conveyancer fees in Sydney, compare both the price and the included scope.

If you are buying, selling or transferring property in Sydney, Coutts’ Sydney property conveyancing team can assess your transaction and provide a quote for the work required.

How to Get an Accurate Conveyancing Quote

You will get a more accurate conveyancing quote by giving the provider enough information to understand the property, transaction and work you require.

Tell them:

• whether you are buying, selling or transferring property;
• what type of property is involved;
• whether it is Torrens, strata or community title;
• the purchase or sale price, if known;
• whether you already have a contract;
• whether you need contract reviews;
• whether finance is involved;
• whether an existing mortgage needs to be discharged;
• whether a company, trust or SMSF will own the property;
• whether the property is off-the-plan;
• your expected exchange and settlement dates; and
• anything unusual you already know about the matter.

A useful quote should tell you three things clearly:

what the professional fee includes, which disbursements sit outside it, and what additional circumstances could change the cost.

Get a Conveyancing Quote

Coutts can provide a conveyancing quote based on the particular property transaction and work you require.

You can request a conveyancing quote rather than relying on a generic online estimate.

If your matter involves legal issues outside standard conveyancing, Coutts’ property law and conveyancing team can also provide broader property-law assistance.

The answers below cover some of the most common questions about conveyancing fees and what may be included in a NSW conveyancing quote.

Is there a standard conveyancing fee in NSW?

No. There is no standard professional conveyancing fee in NSW.

Conveyancers and solicitors set their own fees, so compare both the amount charged and the work included.

Are Property Searches Included in Conveyancing Fees?

Not always. Property searches may be included in a conveyancing package or charged separately as disbursements.

Check which searches are included in the quote and which third-party costs will be added separately.

Is PEXA Included in a Fixed Conveyancing Fee?

Not necessarily. PEXA charges a separate electronic transaction fee, and the provider may include it in the quoted package or list it separately.

Check the cost breakdown rather than assuming a fixed professional fee includes the PEXA charge.

Does a Buyer or Seller Pay More for Conveyancing?

There is no universal rule about whether buyers or sellers pay more for conveyancing.

Buying and selling require different work and disbursements, and each provider sets its own pricing structure.

Is Transfer Duty Included in Conveyancing Fees?

No. Transfer duty is a NSW Government tax and sits outside the professional conveyancing fee.

Your conveyancer can calculate, lodge and arrange payment of the duty as part of the transaction, but the purchaser or transferee remains responsible for the tax.

What Should I Ask Before Accepting a Conveyancing Quote?

Ask what the professional fee includes, which costs sit outside it and what circumstances could lead to additional charges.

Also check whether GST, searches, PEXA, registry charges, contract reviews, negotiations and settlement are included.

When Should I Ask for a Conveyancing Quote?

Ask for a conveyancing quote early enough to understand the costs before you commit to the transaction or require substantial legal work.

Buyers should understand how contract reviews are charged while they are searching for property. Sellers should engage a conveyancer or solicitor early enough to prepare the Contract for Sale and required documentation.