How Much Does Probate Cost? Fees, Solicitor Prices and a Calculator (2026)
In brief
In England and Wales the only unavoidable cost is the probate application fee: £526 for an estate worth more than £5,000, and nothing below that. Executors who do the work themselves usually spend about £700 to £1,750 in total, including valuations and notices to creditors. A solicitor who obtains the grant only typically charges £845 to £2,850 including VAT, and one who handles the whole estate typically charges 1.5% to 3% of its value plus VAT, with a minimum of a few thousand pounds. All of it is paid from the estate.
The Short Answer
These are the costs of dealing with an estate in England and Wales, including VAT, as at 29 September 2026. Only the first is unavoidable; the rest depend on the estate and on how much of the work the executors do themselves.
| Cost | Typical amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Probate application fee | £526 (nothing if the estate is £5,000 or less) | Every estate that needs a grant |
| Extra official copies of the grant | £2 each with the application, £16 each later | Most estates: banks and the Land Registry each want one |
| Solicitor or probate firm, grant only | £845 to £2,850 | Executors who want help with the application only |
| Solicitor, whole estate | 1.5% to 3% of the estate plus VAT, often with a minimum of £3,000 or more | Executors who hand everything over |
| Valuations | Property £150 to £500; contents £100 to £300 a visit; £50 to £200 an item | Estates with a house, contents or valuable items |
| Notices to creditors | £116 in The Gazette; £404 with a local newspaper | Recommended before paying out |
| Conveyancing on a house sale | £990 to £1,800 | Estates selling a house |
| House clearance | £380 (1-bed flat) to £3,170 (5-bed house) | Estates clearing a house |
Work Out the Cost for Your Estate
Enter the estate's value and what it involves. The calculator uses the same figures as this guide and shows a range for each cost.
Probate cost calculator
What probate is likely to cost this estate
England and Wales. Prices include VAT. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
| Probate application fee | £526 |
| Extra official copies of the grant | £4 |
| Notices to creditors (The Gazette and a local paper) | £180 to £405 |
| Estimated total | £710 to £935 |
|---|
All of these are paid from the estate, not by the executors personally. Inheritance Tax is not a cost of probate and is not included.Professional fees are ranges from published price lists and the Legal Services Board's 2024 survey; ask for a written quote before instructing anyone.
The Probate Application Fee: £526 Since July 2026
The fee to apply for a grant of probate or letters of administration in England and Wales rose from £300 to £526 on 13 July 2026. There is no fee where the estate is worth £5,000 or less. Extra official copies of the grant cost £2 each if you order them with the application and £16 each if you order them later, so order enough at the start: each bank, building society and pension provider usually wants to see one, and they are returned slowly.
Many price pages have not caught up. Of 63 solicitor and probate firm price pages we read on 29 September 2026, 33 still listed the old fee. If a quote shows £300 or £273 for the court fee, it is out of date.
Two smaller court fees sometimes apply: £4 to enter a caveat, which stops a grant being issued while a dispute is resolved, and £4 for a standing search, which tells you when someone else obtains a grant.
Doing It Yourself
Executors can apply for probate without a solicitor, and most straightforward estates can be administered without one. The costs are then mostly fees and disbursements. For an estate without a house, the application fee, two extra copies, a contents valuation and notices to creditors come to about £810 to £1,235. With a house that is kept rather than sold, a RICS valuation of it takes the total to about £860 to £1,435 before any contents valuation. Many estate agents will give a written appraisal for probate free of charge, though it carries less weight than a surveyor's valuation if HMRC asks questions.
The cost of doing it yourself is time and responsibility. Executors are responsible for getting the figures right, paying the debts and tax, and distributing to the right people, and can be personally liable for some mistakes, such as paying out before a debt is settled. A grant-only service is a middle route: a professional prepares the application and the executors do the rest.
What Solicitors and Probate Firms Charge
Solicitors must publish their prices for administering an uncontested estate where all the assets are in the UK (SRA Transparency Rules, rule 1.3). Two sources show what they charge. The Legal Services Board, which oversees legal regulators, surveyed 1,534 firms in 2024, 513 of them in wills and probate, and asked each to price the same example estates. We also read the published price pages of 63 firms on 29 September 2026, from national firms to small high-street practices.
| Service | Legal Services Board survey (plus VAT) | Published prices, 63 firms (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Grant only | Median £1,000; middle half £704 to £1,500 (a £310,000 estate) | Median £1,800; middle half £1,470 to £2,850 |
| Whole estate, simplest case | Median about £3,600 for the work after the grant, on top of the grant-only fee; middle half £2,000 to £5,750 | Median £8,000; middle half £5,400 to £11,040 |
| Firms charging a percentage | Not measured | Typically 1.5% to 3% of the gross estate plus VAT; widest range 1% to 5% |
| Hourly rates | Not measured | Junior staff median £195, partners median £425, plus VAT |
Why the Quotes Vary So Much
The survey found that medium and large firms charge significantly more than small ones for most services, that fixed fees are significantly lower than estimates, and that London is the most expensive region: its average for administering an estate after the grant was £6,472 plus VAT, against £3,718 to £4,632 in the other regions. Our sample of published prices runs higher than the survey, partly because it includes more large firms.
Three things push a quote up: an estate that needs a full Inheritance Tax account (form IHT400), which firms price higher than a simple application; a house to sell; and anything unusual, such as assets abroad, a business, a missing beneficiary or a family dispute. Firms quote published hours of about 15 to 30 for a simple estate.
- Ask for a fixed fee, and for what it includes and excludes.
- Check whether the price includes VAT and disbursements.
- For a percentage fee, ask whether it is charged on the gross estate and whether the family home is included.
- Get two or three quotes.
Valuation Fees
Valuations are needed for every estate with a house, contents or items of value, because the probate application and any Inheritance Tax account need their value at the date of death. A RICS property valuation typically costs £150 to £500, a home visit to value the contents £100 to £300, and individual pieces of jewellery, watches or art about £50 to £200 each.
The Other Costs Executors Pay
Beyond the fee, the professionals and the valuations, most estates meet some of these.
- Notices to creditors: £115.86 including VAT for a deceased estates notice in The Gazette, and £288 more if The Gazette also places it in a local newspaper. The notice protects executors against debts they did not know about.
- Bankruptcy search on each beneficiary before paying them: £6 per name through the Land Registry portal.
- Land Registry: £7 for an official copy of the title, and £20 to £140 through the portal to register the house in a beneficiary's name.
- Death certificates: £12.50 each.
- Conveyancing on a sale: the regulator's survey found a median of £1,000 plus VAT to act for a seller; published prices from 13 firms had a median of £1,500 including VAT. The estate agent's fee is on top: high-street agents do not publish theirs, so get quotes.
- House clearance: from £380 for a 1-bed flat to £3,170 for a 5-bed house outside London, for a full sort and clear.
- Looking after an empty house: insurance, and council tax once the exemption ends.
Three Example Estates
Totals from the calculator, including VAT, with two extra copies of the grant and notices to creditors. None includes an estate agent's fee or Inheritance Tax.
| Estate | What it involves | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|
| £150,000, no house | Executors do it themselves; contents valued | £810 to £1,235 |
| £325,000 with a 3-bed house | Grant-only service; house and contents valued; house cleared and sold | £3,705 to £8,075 |
| £600,000 with a 4-bed house | Solicitor handles everything; house, contents and three pieces valued; house cleared and sold | £14,175 to £28,060 |
Who Pays, and What It Does to the Tax
All of these costs are paid from the estate, not by the executors personally. Executors who pay something themselves, such as the application fee, are entitled to be repaid from the estate for expenses properly incurred.
Probate and administration costs do not reduce the Inheritance Tax bill: they are not deducted from the estate's value for Inheritance Tax. They can reduce Capital Gains Tax when the executors sell something, because HMRC allows executors a scale allowance for their costs of establishing title.
Next step
If the estate needs a valuation, tell us what needs valuing and where it is. We will introduce an independent valuer who covers it, with no obligation to instruct them.
Frequently Asked Questions
01How much does probate cost if you do it yourself?
The application fee of £526, or nothing for an estate of £5,000 or less, plus £2 for each extra copy of the grant. Most executors also pay for notices to creditors and for valuations, which usually brings the total to between about £700 and £1,750 for an estate without complications.
02Did the probate fee go up in 2026?
Yes. On 13 July 2026 the fee for an estate over £5,000 rose from £300 to £526. Extra copies ordered with the application now cost £2 each, and £16 each if ordered later.
03Do solicitors charge a percentage of the estate for probate?
Some do, typically 1.5% to 3% of the gross estate plus VAT, often with a minimum fee. Others charge a fixed fee or by the hour. A fixed fee for a defined piece of work is usually easier to compare, and the regulator's survey found fixed fees were significantly lower than estimates.
04Is the cost of probate paid from the estate?
Yes. The application fee, professional fees, valuations and other costs of administering the estate are paid from the estate before the beneficiaries receive their shares. Executors who pay a cost themselves can be repaid from the estate.
05Can probate costs be deducted for Inheritance Tax?
No. The costs of administering the estate, including solicitors' and valuers' fees, are not deducted when calculating Inheritance Tax. Debts the person owed at death and reasonable funeral costs are deductible.