Pierce County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Pierce County, Washington - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.5%
- ≈ $2,000 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 0.5%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $10,123
- median of 8,893 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Pierce County compared with Washington counties
In the verified Washington county records we have, Pierce County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #3 of 5 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $2,000, which is $3,120 below the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #3 of 5
- within verified Washington county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $2,000
- state baseline $5,120
- HMDA fee sample
- 8,893
- purchase loans in 2023
Pierce County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Pierce County
Washington's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET, paid by SELLER) has a STATE graduated portion (1.1% up to $525k; 1.28% $525k-$1.525M; 2.75% $1.525M-$3.025M; 3.0% above $3.025M) PLUS a LOCAL REET levied under RCW 82.46. Unincorporated Pierce County local REET = 0.50%; all incorporated cities including Tacoma are also 0.50% (Eatonville is the lone outlier at 0.25%). The local rate is a single combined county-or-city rate (city rate applies in lieu of, not on top of, the county rate), so total REET for a typical sale = state graduated + 0.50%. Recording fees are paid by the party recording (typically buyer).
Recording fees in Pierce County
Standard document/deed first page: $303.50; Deed of Trust first page: $304.50; each additional page: $1.00. Non-standard (non-conforming margins/font) document: +$50.00. (Statewide $100 increase effective Jan 1, 2024; HB 1858 raised assignment/appointment/resignation/substitution recordings to $301.00 first page effective July 27, 2025.)
Official recorder: Pierce County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Pierce County
Across 8,893 home-purchase mortgages originated in Pierce County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $10,123, of which about $5,500 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 53053, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Pierce County closing costs
Pre-set to Washington. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Pierce County?
Pierce County (Washington): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.5%, before any additional city tax. Washington's Real Estate Excise Tax (REET, paid by SELLER) has a STATE graduated portion (1.1% up to $525k; 1.28% $525k-$1.525M; 2.75% $1.525M-$3.025M; 3.0% above $3.025M) PLUS a LOCAL REET levied under RCW 82.46. Unincorporated Pierce County local REET = 0.50%; all incorporated cities including Tacoma are also 0.50% (Eatonville is the lone outlier at 0.25%). The local rate is a single combined county-or-city rate (city rate applies in lieu of, not on top of, the county rate), so total REET for a typical sale = state graduated + 0.50%. Recording fees are paid by the party recording (typically buyer).
What are recording fees in Pierce County?
Standard document/deed first page: $303.50; Deed of Trust first page: $304.50; each additional page: $1.00. Non-standard (non-conforming margins/font) document: +$50.00. (Statewide $100 increase effective Jan 1, 2024; HB 1858 raised assignment/appointment/resignation/substitution recordings to $301.00 first page effective July 27, 2025.)
How much are closing costs in Pierce County?
Closing costs in Pierce County follow Washington'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 Pierce County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 8,893 home-purchase mortgages in Pierce County were about $10,123, of which roughly $5,500 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 Washington county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.