What a conveyancing quote includes

The short answer

A conveyancing quote has three parts: the conveyancer's legal fee (plus VAT), disbursements they pay on your behalf, such as searches and the HM Land Registry fee, and any stamp duty. A leasehold property usually adds costs from the landlord or managing agent. Compare quotes on the total, and ask what isn't included.

The legal fee

This is the conveyancer's charge for their own work. It may be fixed or a range, and VAT is usually added. Some quotes add supplements, for example for a leasehold or new-build property, a mortgage, or a gifted deposit. Ask which apply to you.

Solicitors' firms that offer residential conveyancing must publish cost information on their websites under the SRA Transparency Rules: the total cost (or an average or range), the basis of the charge, the likely disbursements and their cost, whether VAT applies, and what is and isn't included.

Disbursements

Disbursements are payments the conveyancer makes to other people on your behalf and passes on to you. On a purchase they usually include searches, the HM Land Registry fee and the cost of electronic ID checks, and sometimes the cost of sending money by bank transfer.

HM Land Registry fee

Registering a purchase costs a fee on HM Land Registry's Scale 1, based on the price. Most conveyancers apply online (through the portal or Business Gateway), which costs less for a transfer of a whole registered title. There's no extra fee for registering the buyer's mortgage if it's sent in with the transfer.

HM Land Registry Scale 1 fees
Price	Online: transfer of a whole title	Online: new lease, or part of a title	By post
Up to £80,000	£20	£45	£45
£80,001 to £100,000	£40	£95	£95
£100,001 to £200,000	£100	£230	£230
£200,001 to £500,000	£150	£330	£330
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£295	£655	£655
£1,000,001 and over	£500	£1,105	£1,105

Scale 1 fees from HM Land Registry, checked on 17 October 2026. Voluntary first registrations pay a reduced fee.

Searches

Searches are enquiries made before exchange of contracts about the property and the area. Which ones are needed depends on the property and its location, and a mortgage lender may insist on some. The usual ones are:

Local authority search: what the council holds about the property, such as planning and building control records, whether the road is maintained by the council, and local land charges.
Drainage and water search: whether the property is connected to the public water supply and sewers, and where public sewers run.
Environmental search: risks such as contaminated land and flooding.
Location-specific searches: for example a mining search in areas with a history of coal mining. Your conveyancer will say which apply.

Search costs vary by provider and council, so check the figures in each quote you compare.

Identity and anti-money laundering checks

Conveyancers must check who you are and where the money for the purchase comes from before they act. Many use an electronic ID check and charge for it per person, either as a disbursement or within the legal fee.

Stamp duty

Stamp Duty Land Tax (England and Northern Ireland), Land Transaction Tax (Wales) or LBTT (Scotland) is a tax, not a fee, but it usually appears on the quote because the conveyancer files the return and pays it for you on completion. Work out the figure with the stamp duty calculator.

Leasehold extras

Buying a leasehold flat or house usually costs more, and some of the cost comes from the landlord or managing agent rather than the conveyancer:

A management information pack from the managing agent or landlord, answering the buyer's questions.
Fees under the lease for registering the transfer and the mortgage with the landlord (notices).
Any deed of covenant or certificate of compliance the lease requires.
A leasehold supplement on the legal fee, if the conveyancer charges one.

Questions to ask before you choose

Is the legal fee fixed, and is VAT included in the figure?
Which disbursements are estimates, and which searches are included?
Are there supplements for leasehold, a mortgage, a new build or a gifted deposit?
What do I pay if the purchase falls through?

Questions

What's the difference between the legal fee and disbursements?

The legal fee is what the conveyancer charges for their own work, and VAT is usually added to it. Disbursements are costs the conveyancer pays to someone else on your behalf, such as search providers and HM Land Registry, and passes on to you.

Is stamp duty part of the conveyancing quote?

It's a tax, not a fee, but most quotes show it because the conveyancer usually files the return and pays the tax on completion, then adds it to the bill. Check the figure with a stamp duty calculator.

Is the Land Registry fee the same for everyone?

It's set by HM Land Registry's fee scale and depends on the price and how the application is made. For a purchase of a whole registered title, applied for online, it's £150 for a price from £200,001 to £500,000. There's no separate fee for registering the buyer's mortgage when it's sent in with the transfer.

Do conveyancers have to publish their prices?

Firms regulated by the SRA that offer residential conveyancing must publish cost information on their website: the total cost or a range, what's included, likely disbursements and their cost, and whether VAT applies.

Sources

Updated 18 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. Instrukt is not a law firm and doesn't provide conveyancing.

Buying, selling or remortgaging?

Tell us about it and we'll introduce you to an independent SRA-regulated solicitor, who sends you their own quote before you commit to anything.

Get introduced to a conveyancing solicitor