How Much Are Closing Costs in Utah? (Buyer & Seller Breakdown)

The short answer: Budget 2% to 5% of the purchase price if you're buying a home in Utah — that's the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's published range for closing costs, and it does not include your down payment. Selling? You'll pay too. Utah sellers cover the owner's title policy and their own closing-office fees, typically 2% to 4% of the price before commissions. On a worked example — a $525,000 Utah purchase with 20% down — the buyer's itemized fees came to about $7,078, roughly 1.3% of the price, before prepaid taxes and insurance. Here's where every dollar goes.

What buyers pay: a $525,000 Utah example

Most closing-cost articles quote a percentage and stop there. Percentages don't help much when you're staring at a Loan Estimate, so here's an itemized example instead — a $525,000 purchase in Utah with 20% down. These are the fees a buyer typically sees:

A few notes on that table. The lender's title policy is cheaper than most buyers expect — about $418 here — because of simultaneous-issue pricing: when the lender's policy is issued alongside the owner's policy, the second policy is discounted. Title premiums in Utah are filed by each insurer, so there's no single state-published price; your figure depends on the company. And origination is the wildcard. It's priced as a percentage of the loan and varies more from lender to lender than almost anything else on the page — which is exactly why comparing Loan Estimates matters.

Prepaids are not fees. On top of the ~$7,078, this buyer brought roughly $5,425 in prepaids and escrow reserves — prepaid property taxes and homeowner's insurance, plus the cushion your lender holds in your escrow account. That money is still yours; it's your own bills paid ahead, not a charge for the transaction. It does still show up in your cash-to-close, so budget for it.

Three ways to keep your total on the low end:

• Compare Loan Estimates line by line. Underwriting, processing, and origination are where lender quotes differ most. Title and escrow charges vary by company, too.
• Ask for the settlement statement early. You shouldn't be seeing your final numbers for the first time at the closing table.
• Know what's fixed. Recording fees are set by statute — nobody can discount them, and nobody should be padding them either.

If you're early in the process, here's why buyers work with me — and if a number on your estimate looks off, get in touch and I'll sanity-check it with you.

What sellers pay in Utah

Sellers have closing costs too. They get less attention because they're deducted from your proceeds instead of brought to the closing table in cash — but they're real money. In Utah, plan on 2% to 4% of the sale price before commissions. The seller's list includes:

• The owner's title policy. Under the standard Utah contract (REPC §6.2), the seller pays for the ALTA Homeowner's Policy issued in the buyer's favor. It's one of the bigger seller line items.
• Your own escrow/closing fees. Per REPC §4.3, each side pays its own closing-office fees.
• Recording fees for the documents your side records.
• Loan payoffs and releases if there's an existing mortgage, plus any credits you negotiated to the buyer.

I broke the seller side down in full — including how commissions stack on top of these costs — in my guide to what it costs to sell a home in Utah. If you're weighing a sale, start with a free home valuation and a look at how I price and market listings.

Who pays what in Utah

One thing buyers moving here from other states appreciate: Utah has no real estate transfer tax. In states that charge one, it can add thousands to a table like this. Here, recording a document is a flat $40–$45 — and that's the entire government charge on the recording side.

FAQs

How much are closing costs in Utah for buyers?
Typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price, excluding the down payment — the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's published range. Where you land depends on your loan and lender: the worked $525,000 example above came to about $7,078 in fees (roughly 1.3%), plus about $5,425 in prepaids and escrow reserves.

Who pays for title insurance in Utah?
Both sides pay for different policies. Under the standard Utah contract (REPC §6.2), the seller pays for the owner's (ALTA Homeowner's) policy that protects the buyer. The buyer pays for the separate lender's policy — about $418 on a $525,000 purchase under simultaneous-issue pricing, plus roughly $150 in lender-required endorsements.

How much are recording fees in Utah?
$45 per document in most counties since May 6, 2026 (HB38); Salt Lake County and Utah County remain $40 per document. A financed purchase typically records two documents — a deed and a trust deed — so $80 to $90 total. Utah has no real estate transfer tax.

Can closing costs be negotiated in Utah?
Some of them. Lender fees and title and escrow charges vary by provider, so shopping your loan and comparing Loan Estimates can genuinely move the total. Government recording fees are set by statute and can't be negotiated. You can also negotiate seller credits in the contract itself — that's a price conversation, not a fee discount.

Do sellers pay closing costs in Utah?
Yes. Sellers pay their own closing-office fees and for the owner's title policy, typically totaling 2% to 4% of the sale price before commissions. The amount is deducted from the seller's proceeds at closing rather than paid out of pocket.

Fees vary. The figures above are typical Utah estimates — title premiums are filed by each insurer, lender fees differ by lender and loan type, and recording fees run $40–$45 per document depending on the county. Your exact numbers come from your lender's Loan Estimate and your title company's settlement statement.

Want your real numbers checked before you buy or sell? Fill out the free home valuation form with the price and county you're looking at, and we'll verify your closing costs line by line — or call Blair Allen at Utah Digs, (801) 337-5057.

Sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau closing-cost guidance (consumerfinance.gov); Utah Real Estate Purchase Contract §§4.3 and 6.2; Utah Code §17-71-407, as amended by HB38 (2026); Utah title premium and escrow-fee examples, including First American, Washington County (August 2026).