Independent guide · updated August 2026

What the lawyer or notary costs on a home purchase, province by province

Market ranges by province, who does the work depending on where you buy — and the three lines an honest quote must separate.

In short

For a residential closing, expect fees in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 in most provinces, and $1,000 to $2,500 in Quebec (market ranges read in June 2026) — disbursements on top. No Canadian professional order publishes a mandatory tariff: every lawyer or notary sets their own fees, which is why you should demand a WRITTEN quote separating three things invoices tend to blend: the professional's fees, the disbursements (title search, land-registry filing fees) and the land transfer tax — the last of which can cost more than everything else combined.

Closing fees, province by province

ProvinceWho closesFees (market)*
Quebec Notary (mandatory in Quebec) 1 000–2 500 $
Ontario Real estate lawyer (no notary in Ontario) 1 000–2 000 $
British Columbia Lawyer or public notary (both allowed in BC) 1 000–2 000 $
Alberta Real estate lawyer 1 000–2 000 $
Manitoba Real estate lawyer 1 000–2 000 $
Saskatchewan Real estate lawyer 1 000–2 000 $
Nova Scotia Real estate lawyer 1 000–2 000 $
New Brunswick Lawyer (or N.B. bilingual notary) 1 000–2 000 $

* Market ranges read on 2026-06-26 — indicative only: no Canadian professional order publishes a mandatory tariff; every professional sets their own fees. Disbursements (title search, registry filings) and land transfer tax are EXTRA. Always demand a written, itemized quote.

Fees, disbursements, tax: the three lines of the quote

The fees pay for the professional's work: document review, title search, holding funds in trust, signing and registration. It is the only negotiable line — and the only one the table above measures.

Disbursements are costs the professional advances on your behalf: land registry searches, filing fees for the deed and the mortgage, copies. They vary by province and transaction — from tens to hundreds of dollars — and come on top of the fees.

The land transfer tax has nothing to do with the professional, but it often flows through their trust account, hence the confusion: on a $500,000 purchase it runs from $0 in Alberta and Saskatchewan to $8,000 in British Columbia — and double in Toronto. Our land transfer tax dossier has the schedule city by city.

Why Quebec shows the widest range

The Quebec notary does more than close: they execute the deed en minute as a public officer, register it at the land registry and answer for it. The market range therefore runs up to $2,500 — and the Quebec buyer should know that discharging the seller's old mortgage is a separate deed, billed to the seller. Our Quebec notary fees dossier breaks it down item by item.

Who does the work also changes with the province — notary in Quebec, lawyer elsewhere, both in British Columbia. If that's not yet clear, start with our map: notary or lawyer, province by province.

How to compare two quotes without getting played

Demand the breakdown in writing: fees, estimated disbursements, taxes on fees. A $900 "closing package" that excludes the title search is not cheaper than a $1,300 all-in quote — just less honest. The questions that separate them: is the title search included? The mortgage registration? How many certified cheques? What happens if closing is postponed?

And verify the right to practise before signing the retainer — our licence checker lists the official registry for every province. It is free, it is public, and it is the one verification you cannot delegate.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a lawyer or notary cost to buy a house in Canada?

For a residential closing, expect fees in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 in most provinces, and $1,000 to $2,500 in Quebec (market ranges read in June 2026) — disbursements on top. No Canadian professional order publishes a mandatory tariff: every lawyer or notary sets their own fees, which is why you should demand a WRITTEN quote separating three things invoices tend to blend: the professional's fees, the disbursements (title search, land-registry filing fees) and the land transfer tax — the last of which can cost more than everything else combined.

Are the fees regulated?

No. No Canadian professional order — neither the Chambre des notaires du Québec nor the provincial law societies — publishes a mandatory tariff for a residential closing. Every professional sets their own fees; the ranges in this dossier are dated market readings, not a schedule. That is exactly why the written, itemized quote is your only reliable point of comparison.

What is a disbursement, and why isn't it part of the fees?

Disbursements are costs the professional advances to third parties for your file: land registry searches, filing the deed and the mortgage, certified copies. They don't pay for their work — they flow through them. An honest quote estimates them separately; a vague quote reveals them on the invoice.

Does the Quebec notary cost more than the Ontario lawyer?

Quebec's market range runs a little higher ($1,000 to $2,500, versus $1,000 to $2,000 in Ontario — June 2026 reading), but the role isn't identical: the notary executes the deed as a public officer and registers it at the land registry. At comparable amounts, compare what is included — that is where quotes genuinely diverge.

Who pays the legal fees: buyer or seller?

Each pays their own. The buyer pays the professional closing their purchase; the seller pays for preparing their transfer and, in Quebec, for discharging their old mortgage. Our "who pays what" dossier does the full split, item by item.

Sources

Related reading — our data dossiers

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