In short
Title insurance is a ONE-TIME premium, paid once at closing, with no renewal: for a typical home, expect in the range of $200 to $500 (more above a million, since the premium follows the insured value). No Canadian law requires it — when it is "mandatory", that is a contractual requirement from your lender, and the lender's policy protects only the lender: the OWNER's policy is bought on top, usually for a few dozen dollars more when both are issued together. It covers title defects, mortgage fraud and identity theft, encroachments and undetected liens — not defects you knew about. Insurers publish quote calculators: get your exact number before closing.
How much does title insurance cost in Canada?
An owner's policy costs in the range of $200 to $500 for a typical home (range observed on August 12, 2026); the lender's policy, required for the loan, protects only the lender.
| Policy | It protects | Typical cost* | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lender's policy | The lender only, up to the loan balance | Often folded into the combined range | Required by most lenders (contract, not law) |
| Owner's policy | You, up to the property's value, for as long as you own it | ≈ $200 – $500 (typical home) | Never — it's a choice |
* Market ranges observed on 2026-08-12; the premium follows the insured value and the insurer. No official schedule exists: insurers publish public calculators (FCT, Stewart Title — see Sources) that return an exact price in two minutes. When the owner's and lender's policies are issued together, the second is usually added for a modest amount.
What does title insurance cover?
Title insurance covers title defects, fraud and identity theft, undischarged liens and encroachments discovered after the purchase — not defects you knew about.
Title insurance covers problems with the title itself: a defect in the chain of title, an undischarged mortgage or lien that resurfaces, taxes unpaid by a former owner, an encroachment revealed after the fact, survey errors — and, the most-cited motive today, mortgage fraud and identity theft: someone mortgaging or selling your property without your knowledge. The owner's policy lasts as long as you hold title, with no annual premium.
It does not cover: defects you knew about at purchase, visible problems an inspection should have caught (see the pre-purchase inspection), environmental issues, or losses unrelated to title. Nor does it replace the lawyer's or notary's work — the title examination remains the first line of defence; insurance takes over for what the examination cannot see.
Is title insurance required for a mortgage in Canada?
No Canadian law requires title insurance, but most mortgage lenders require a lender's policy as a condition of the loan.
No Canadian province forces a buyer to purchase title insurance. What does exist: most mortgage lenders require it as a condition of funding — a contract clause, not a law — and that policy protects only the lender. In Alberta, it commonly serves as the alternative to a Real Property Report with municipal compliance; in Ontario, it has become near-universal in transactions; in Quebec, the notarial system makes it less common — the notary examines title and publishes your rights — but it is offered there and sometimes required by the lender.
Payotte selects one lawyer or notary per sector: see the real estate lawyers in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, or the notaries in Montreal and Quebec City.
The Canadian market has a handful of specialized insurers — FCT (First Canadian Title), Stewart Title, TitlePLUS (the program of Ontario's lawyers' liability insurer), Chicago Title. A verifiable and useful detail: your lawyer or notary cannot take a commission for selling you the policy — ask which one they propose, and why.
Frequently asked questions
What is title insurance?
Insurance that protects your ownership right itself, not the house: it compensates you, and pays the legal costs of restoring your title, if someone steals it (fraud, forged power of attorney), if an undischarged mortgage or lien resurfaces, or if an encroachment or survey error comes to light after the purchase. It is paid once, at closing. Two policies exist: the lender's, which protects only the lender, and the owner's, which protects you for as long as you hold title.
How much does title insurance cost in Canada?
Title insurance is a ONE-TIME premium, paid once at closing, with no renewal: for a typical home, expect in the range of $200 to $500 (more above a million, since the premium follows the insured value). No Canadian law requires it — when it is "mandatory", that is a contractual requirement from your lender, and the lender's policy protects only the lender: the OWNER's policy is bought on top, usually for a few dozen dollars more when both are issued together. It covers title defects, mortgage fraud and identity theft, encroachments and undetected liens — not defects you knew about. Insurers publish quote calculators: get your exact number before closing.
Is title insurance required for a mortgage in Canada?
No law requires it, in any province. Most lenders require it by contract as a loan condition — but that policy protects the lender, not you. The owner's policy is always optional; if you want it, the economical moment to buy is at closing, together with the lender's policy.
Is it a one-time payment or an annual premium?
One-time. The premium is paid once, at closing, and the owner's policy stays in force for as long as you hold title — no renewal, no annual premium. That is what distinguishes it from home insurance, which renews every year.
Does title insurance replace a survey or certificate of location?
In the lender's eyes it sometimes stands in for one — in Alberta it is the common alternative to a Real Property Report with compliance; elsewhere it avoids ordering an up-to-date survey. But it compensates, it does not inform: it will indemnify you for an encroachment where a survey would have SHOWN it to you before buying. In Quebec, the certificate of location remains required by the notary in nearly every purchase.
How do I get the exact price of my title insurance?
No official schedule exists: the premium follows the insured value and the insurer. Insurers publish public calculators — FCT and Stewart Title, linked in the sources below — that return an exact price in a few minutes. The $200 to $500 range for a typical home is a market observation made on August 12, 2026, not a rate.
What does it cover against fraud?
Title fraud: someone impersonating you to mortgage or sell your property, or a forged power of attorney in the chain of title. It is the insurers' main selling point today — and the most publicized claim type. The owner's policy covers the legal costs of restoring your title.
Sources
Related reading — our data dossiers
- Short-term rental rules
- Joint tenancy vs tenancy in common
- Credit score to buy a house
- Home inspection checklist
- Rent increase 2026 (Ontario, Quebec)
- Mortgage rates in Canada today
- Canada policy rate
- 2026-2027 forecasts: will prices drop?
- What income do you need to buy?
- Average rent by city (CMHC)
- Quebec real estate prices
- Ontario real estate prices
- Alberta real estate prices
- British Columbia real estate prices
- Saskatchewan real estate prices
- Manitoba real estate prices
- Nova Scotia real estate prices
- New Brunswick real estate prices
- Rent or buy? The monthly gap by city
- How long to sell? City by city
- Land transfer tax, city by city
- 25 vs 30-year amortization: the real cost
- Real estate commission: the real numbers
- Sell with an agent or sell yourself?
- Quebec notary fees
- GST/HST on a new home, by province
- How much does a home appraisal cost?
- Condo status certificate: price by province
- Mortgage discharge fees
- Cancelling an accepted offer: the deadlines by province
- New home warranty, province by province
- Foreign buyers: the ban and the taxes
- Who owns that property? The title search
- Surveys and the certificat de localisation
- Real-estate market statistics
- Notary or lawyer? Province by province
- Lawyer and notary fees, by province
- Inspection vs appraisal: the difference
- Who pays what: buyer vs seller
- Mortgage pre-approval, without the myths
A closing to secure?
Payotte names a single verified lawyer or notary per sector — selected on public data (reviews, experience, the regulator's roll), never on payment. They are the one who can tell you whether the policy is worth it in YOUR file.
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