Property Law

Conveyancing Quotes: How to Compare Them Properly

Q: How many conveyancing quotes should I get?

Get at least three written quotes. Include a mix of firm types: one online conveyancer, one high street solicitor, and one recommended by your estate agent or mortgage broker (but check the agent's recommendation is not marked up by a referral fee). Three quotes give you a realistic sense of the market rate for your specific transaction without turning the search into a full-time job.

Q: What should a conveyancing quote include?

A complete quote shows the legal fee, VAT on that fee, and an itemised list of disbursements: local authority searches, Land Registry fee, bankruptcy and ID searches, and the telegraphic transfer fee. For leasehold it should also list the leasehold supplement and the estimated management pack cost. For a purchase it should reference Stamp Duty Land Tax as a separate figure you pay to HMRC. If a quote shows only a single headline number, ask for the itemised version before comparing.

Q: Are conveyancing quotes fixed or can they change?

A good firm gives a fixed legal fee that only changes if the transaction itself changes (for example a freehold turns out to be leasehold, or a new-build supplement applies). Disbursements are third-party costs and are estimates until ordered, though they rarely move much. Be wary of quotes described as 'from' a price or billed by the hour for standard residential work, as these can rise significantly. Ask directly: is this a fixed fee, and what specific circumstances would change it?

Q: Should I use the cheapest conveyancing quote?

Not automatically. The cheapest quote is worth taking only once you have confirmed it is a genuine total for your exact transaction, the firm is SRA or CLC regulated, and you are comfortable with how they communicate. A firm £150 cheaper but so overloaded it takes a week to answer emails can cost you a purchase in a moving market. Compare the true total, the regulation, and the responsiveness together.

Updated July 2026. Getting three quotes is the easy part. Comparing them fairly is where people overpay. Here is exactly what a full quote must contain, the questions to ask, and the extras that turn a cheap headline into an expensive bill.

The one rule that saves you money

Compare the bottom-line total for your exact transaction, never the advertised starting price. A £399 quote that becomes £950 once leasehold and lender supplements are added is more expensive than a transparent £750 fixed fee. Line up the totals, not the headlines.

What a complete conveyancing quote must show

Line item	Typical range	What to check
Legal fee (purchase)	£600-£1,800	Is it fixed, and what would change it?
VAT on the legal fee	20%	Some cheap quotes quietly show the fee ex-VAT
Local authority searches	£200-£350	Estimate until ordered; varies by council
Land Registry fee	£20-£500	Set by property value, not the firm
Bankruptcy and ID searches	£10-£25	Small, but should still be listed
Telegraphic transfer fee	£30-£50	Charged per transfer; watch for doubles
Leasehold supplement	£150-£300	Applies to every leasehold flat
Stamp Duty Land Tax	Separate	Paid to HMRC, not the firm; check it is shown

Five questions to ask before you instruct

1. Is this a fixed fee, and what exactly would change it?

You want a fixed legal fee that only moves if the nature of the transaction changes. Get the trigger circumstances in writing.

2. Does the quote include every supplement for my situation?

Tell them if it is leasehold, new-build, shared ownership, or Help to Buy, and ask for the quote to reflect that now, not later.

3. Who will actually handle my file, and how do I reach them?

A named solicitor or a rotating team? Phone, email, or portal only? Response times matter more than a small price difference.

4. Do you offer no-completion-no-fee protection?

Around a third of transactions fall through. A no-sale-no-fee guarantee means you only pay disbursements already incurred if it collapses.

5. Are you paying a referral fee to whoever recommended you?

Estate agent and broker recommendations are often marked up by a referral fee baked into your price. Ask, and compare against independent quotes.

Red flags in a conveyancing quote

Red flag	Why it matters
'Fees from £299'	A 'from' price is a marketing figure. The real fee for your transaction is almost always higher.
No itemised disbursements	A single lump sum hides where extras will appear. Insist on the full breakdown.
Hourly billing for a standard sale	Routine residential work should be fixed fee. Hourly rates leave the total open-ended.
Not on the SRA or CLC register	Unregulated means no client money protection and no Legal Ombudsman route if it goes wrong.
Pressure to instruct today	A firm rushing you past the quote detail is often hiding the supplements in the small print.

Check the firm is regulated first

Before you pay anything, confirm the firm on the SRA register or the CLC directory. You can also find local firms through the Law Society Find a Solicitor directory. Regulation is what gives you client money protection and a complaints route.

Before you start collecting quotes, work out roughly what you should be paying so you can judge whether a quote is fair. Use our conveyancing fee calculator to estimate the legal fee, searches, and Land Registry cost for your property value, read the full conveyancing fees breakdown, and compare online vs high street before deciding which firms to quote.

Conveyancing quote FAQs

How many conveyancing quotes should I get?

At least three written quotes, ideally a mix: one online conveyancer, one high street solicitor, and one recommendation (checking it is not marked up by a referral fee). Three gives you a realistic market rate for your specific transaction without the search becoming a full-time job.

What should a conveyancing quote include?

The legal fee, VAT on it, and itemised disbursements: local searches, Land Registry fee, bankruptcy and ID searches, and the telegraphic transfer fee. For leasehold, the supplement and estimated management pack. For a purchase, Stamp Duty Land Tax shown separately. If a quote is a single number, ask for the itemised version.

Are conveyancing quotes fixed or can they change?

A good firm gives a fixed legal fee that changes only if the transaction changes, for example a freehold turns out leasehold. Disbursements are estimates until ordered but rarely move much. Be wary of 'from' prices or hourly billing for standard residential work. Ask directly what would change the fee.

Should I use the cheapest conveyancing quote?

Only once you have confirmed it is a genuine total for your exact transaction, the firm is SRA or CLC regulated, and you are happy with how they communicate. A firm £150 cheaper but so overloaded it takes a week to reply can cost you a purchase in a moving market.

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