Contra Costa County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Contra Costa County, California - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.11%
- ≈ $440 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 0.7%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $8,590
- median of 7,832 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Contra Costa County compared with California counties
In the verified California county records we have, Contra Costa County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #2 of 18 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $440, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #2 of 18
- within verified California county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $440
- state baseline $440
- HMDA fee sample
- 7,832
- purchase loans in 2023
Contra Costa County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Contra Costa County
California documentary transfer tax is county-levied at $1.10 per $1,000 (0.0011) under R&T Code 11911-11929; there is no separate state transfer tax. In general-law cities (Antioch, Concord, Walnut Creek, Hercules, Pittsburg, San Pablo, etc.) the $1.10 splits as $0.55 city + $0.55 county; charter cities add their own on top. Custom in Contra Costa: seller customarily pays the county documentary transfer tax. Two charter cities levy ADDITIONAL city transfer taxes: El Cerrito at $12.00/$1,000 (0.012, flat) and Richmond at a tiered rate ($7.00/$1,000 under $1M; $12.50 $1M-$3M; $25.00 $3M-$10M; $30.00 over $10M); Richmond's city tax is customarily split or paid per local agreement. Other cities (Concord, the county's largest, plus San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Danville, etc.) have no extra city transfer tax.
Recording fees in Contra Costa County
Deed/standard document: $14.00 for the first page (per document title, 8.5x11), $3.00 each additional page. Combined documents (more than one title): +$14.00 per additional title. SB2 Building Homes & Jobs Act fee (Gov. Code 27388.1): $75 per title, capped at $225 per single transaction/parcel (exemptions noted on first page; e.g., owner-occupied residential sales subject to documentary transfer tax are typically exempt). Real Estate Fraud Prosecution fee: +$3.00 on certain instruments (deed of trust, assignment, notice of default, request for notice, reconveyance). Non-standard-size page penalty $3.00/page; PCOR-missing change-of-ownership $20.00; Survey Monument Preservation $10.00 on qualifying grant deeds. Source: Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder.
Official recorder: Contra Costa County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Contra Costa County
Across 7,832 home-purchase mortgages originated in Contra Costa County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $8,590, of which about $3,509 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 06013, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Contra Costa County closing costs
Pre-set to California. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Contra Costa County?
Contra Costa County (California): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.11%, before any additional city tax. California documentary transfer tax is county-levied at $1.10 per $1,000 (0.0011) under R&T Code 11911-11929; there is no separate state transfer tax. In general-law cities (Antioch, Concord, Walnut Creek, Hercules, Pittsburg, San Pablo, etc.) the $1.10 splits as $0.55 city + $0.55 county; charter cities add their own on top. Custom in Contra Costa: seller customarily pays the county documentary transfer tax. Two charter cities levy ADDITIONAL city transfer taxes: El Cerrito at $12.00/$1,000 (0.012, flat) and Richmond at a tiered rate ($7.00/$1,000 under $1M; $12.50 $1M-$3M; $25.00 $3M-$10M; $30.00 over $10M); Richmond's city tax is customarily split or paid per local agreement. Other cities (Concord, the county's largest, plus San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Danville, etc.) have no extra city transfer tax.
What are recording fees in Contra Costa County?
Deed/standard document: $14.00 for the first page (per document title, 8.5x11), $3.00 each additional page. Combined documents (more than one title): +$14.00 per additional title. SB2 Building Homes & Jobs Act fee (Gov. Code 27388.1): $75 per title, capped at $225 per single transaction/parcel (exemptions noted on first page; e.g., owner-occupied residential sales subject to documentary transfer tax are typically exempt). Real Estate Fraud Prosecution fee: +$3.00 on certain instruments (deed of trust, assignment, notice of default, request for notice, reconveyance). Non-standard-size page penalty $3.00/page; PCOR-missing change-of-ownership $20.00; Survey Monument Preservation $10.00 on qualifying grant deeds. Source: Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder.
How much are closing costs in Contra Costa County?
Closing costs in Contra Costa County follow California's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Contra Costa County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 7,832 home-purchase mortgages in Contra Costa County were about $8,590, of which roughly $3,509 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest California county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.