Conveyancing quotes: how to compare them line by line
Quick answer: Get at least three written quotes for the same job and compare the total — legal fee plus VAT, supplements and disbursements — not the headline fee. Solicitors' firms regulated by the SRA must publish their residential conveyancing prices, including disbursements and VAT, so you can check each quote against the firm's own website.
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What should a conveyancing quote include?
A quote has three parts: the firm's legal fee and any supplements (which carry VAT), disbursements the firm pays to others on your behalf, and property tax. Ask for every line in writing so you can compare like with like.
| Line | What it is | VAT added? | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal fee | The firm's charge for the legal work | Yes, 20% | The firm |
| Supplements | Extra work: leasehold, new build, acting for your lender, gifted deposit, Help to Buy or Lifetime ISA, the tax return | Yes, 20% | The firm |
| Property searches | Local authority, drainage and water, environmental and any others your area needs | As quoted | Councils and search providers |
| HM Land Registry fee | Registering you as owner — £20 to £500 online by price band | No | Set by law |
| Official copies and searches | Copies of the title (£7 online), a priority search (£7) and a bankruptcy search (£6 per name online) | No | Set by law |
| Stamp Duty, LTT or LBTT | Property tax your conveyancer pays on your behalf — not a fee | No | Tax rules |
Full fee tables and what drives the legal fee: conveyancing costs explained. In Scotland the registration fee is set by Registers of Scotland, and solicitors handle the whole purchase including the offer.
Compare your quotes side by side
This checker adds VAT to legal charges, totals the disbursements and flags standard items a quote leaves out. It works in your browser: nothing is stored or sent, and no firm sees what you enter.
Enter up to three written quotes for the same purchase. Enter legal charges before VAT — we add VAT at 20% — and disbursements exactly as quoted. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
Enter a legal fee in at least one quote to see the comparison.
What must a firm publish about its prices?
Since 6 December 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Transparency Rules have required firms that offer residential conveyancing — sales, purchases, mortgages and remortgages — to publish on their website:
- the total cost of the service or, where that is not practicable, an average cost or range of costs;
- the basis of their charges, the likely disbursements and whether VAT is payable;
- what the price includes and does not include, the key stages and likely timescales for each stage;
- the experience and qualifications of the people doing the work;
- their complaints procedure, including how and when you can go to the Legal Ombudsman.
Source: SRA Transparency Rules, checked 25 September 2026. Licensed conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
Referral fees: what are you entitled to be told?
Estate agents, mortgage brokers and comparison sites are sometimes paid for recommending a conveyancer. GOV.UK says you must be told if the estate agent or mortgage lender gets a referral fee from the company they recommend, and you do not have to use it. Solicitors must tell you about any financial interest in a referral under the SRA Code of Conduct (paragraph 5.1), and lawyers regulated by the CLC must tell you in writing about a referral arrangement — including any payment — no later than when they accept your instructions (CLC Disclosure of Profits and Advantage Code, in force from January 2025).
Questions to ask before you instruct a firm
- Is the quote fixed, and which events would increase it (for example a leasehold, an unregistered title or a gifted deposit)?
- Which disbursements are included, and which would I still pay if the purchase falls through?
- Are you on my mortgage lender's panel?
- Who will handle my file day to day, and how do I contact them?
- Do you pay anyone for referring me, and how much?
- How will you confirm your bank details, so I can check them by phone before sending money?
More on regulators, lender panels and red flags: how to choose a conveyancer.
Getting quotes through Money Guide
We do not currently work with any conveyancing firm or quote service, and nobody pays us for recommending a conveyancer. Ask firms for written quotes directly and compare them with the checker above. If we ever add a quote partner, the terms we would require — a disclosed referral fee, no mark-up on your quote and results ordered by total price — are set out in how we make money.
Common questions
Is the cheapest conveyancing quote the best one?
Not necessarily. Compare the total including VAT, supplements and disbursements, check what each firm includes and who will do the work, and make sure the firm is on your mortgage lender's panel. A quote that leaves out searches or official fees is not cheaper — you still pay them.
What does “no sale, no fee” cover?
It usually means you do not pay the firm's legal fee if the purchase falls through. Money already spent on disbursements such as searches is often still payable, so ask each firm in writing which costs you would pay if the deal does not go ahead.
Do I have to use the conveyancer my estate agent recommends?
No. You can choose any suitably regulated conveyancer. GOV.UK says you must be told if the estate agent or mortgage lender gets a referral fee from the company they recommend, and you do not have to use that company.
Do conveyancing quotes include Stamp Duty?
Some quotes list Stamp Duty Land Tax, Land Transaction Tax or LBTT with the disbursements because your conveyancer pays it for you, but it is a tax, not a fee. Work it out separately with the Stamp Duty, LTT or LBTT calculator.