Closing costs in Missouri: what buyers and sellers pay

Why there is no single “typical” total

Some closing costs are fixed by a public body: county recording fees and, in St. Louis, a city inspection fee. Others are set by private companies and change from deal to deal: lender charges, title insurance and settlement fees, appraisals, inspections, surveys and brokerage compensation. Your total depends mostly on the loan, the contract and the closing date.

Two federal forms show the variable pieces. The lender must give you a Loan Estimate within three business days of your application, and every lender uses the same standard form. You must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). Compare them line by line. For a general walk-through, see closing costs explained.

Line by line: what each cost is

Lender charges. Origination, underwriting, credit report and appraisal charges are set by the lender and the companies it hires. Appraisal costs are covered in what a home appraisal costs.

Title insurance and settlement fees. Missouri law requires a title insurer, agency or agent at a residential closing to disclose its premium, its title search and examination fee, and its settlement, escrow or closing fees clearly and separately (RSMo 381.019). When a lender’s policy is issued without an owner’s policy, the buyer must receive a written notice that the lender’s policy does not protect the buyer, and that an owner’s policy can be bought within 60 days of closing (RSMo 381.015). The sections read do not publish a premium table, so ask each title company for a quote. See title insurance explained.

Recording fees. The settlement agent must send deeds and mortgages for recording within five business days after the conditions of closing are met, unless all parties instruct otherwise (RSMo 381.026). In the City of St. Louis, the Recorder of Deeds lists these fees for a standard deed: $25 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. A nonstandard deed costs $50 for the first page plus $5 per page. State law sets a base of $5 for the first page and $3 per extra page, plus $25 for a document that does not meet the format rules (RSMo 59.310). The City schedule does not list a deed of trust separately; ask the Recorder for the exact charge.

Transfer tax. None found. The Missouri Constitution says the state, counties and other political subdivisions may not impose “any new tax, including a sales tax, on the sale or transfer of homes or any other real estate” after that section took effect (Art. X, § 25, adopted November 2, 2010). Details are on the transfer tax page.

Certificate of Value (St. Louis). In the City of St. Louis, the buyer or the buyer’s representative prepares a Certificate of Value, which is filed with the deed when it is recorded (City Assessor).

City inspection (St. Louis). Every property in the City lies in a Housing Conservation District. A Certificate of Inspection is required before a vacant unit is occupied, and before the sale of an occupied structure if none was issued in the last 12 months. The application costs $120, or $200 if someone is found living in a unit without a current certificate. A certificate is valid for 12 months (Building Division, effective October 7, 2024). The page does not say who pays; the sales contract decides. It also says the inspection is not a warranty of the building’s condition, so a separate home inspection is still worth pricing.

Property taxes. In the City of St. Louis, tax bills are created in October and must be paid by December 31 (City Assessor). How a closing statement divides the year between buyer and seller is set by the contract. See property tax in Missouri.

Brokerage compensation and survey. Neither is set by a Missouri statute we read. See real estate commission and what a land survey costs.