Calgary • Airdrie • Buyers
Closing Costs In Alberta
Alberta has no land transfer tax, which is the single biggest saving buyers here get over Ontario or BC. What we do have went up sharply in October 2024, and a lot of the advice online still quotes the old numbers.
Start Here
The Good News, Then The Change Nobody Mentions.
If you are moving here from Ontario or British Columbia, the headline is genuinely good. Alberta does not charge a provincial land transfer tax. On a $500,000 home in Toronto, provincial and municipal land transfer tax runs to several thousand dollars. In Alberta you pay registration fees instead, and they are a fraction of that.
Here is the part that catches people. On 20 October 2024 the province introduced the Land Titles Registration Levy, and the fees more than doubled. They moved from $2 per $5,000 of property value to $5 per $5,000, and mortgage registration moved from $1.50 to the same $5 per $5,000.
A great deal of the closing cost advice you will find online still quotes the old rates. If a page tells you to budget $250 on a $500,000 purchase, it was written before October 2024.
To put a real number on it: the province’s own figures showed a $450,000 property with a $405,000 mortgage going from $401.50 to $955. Still far cheaper than a land transfer tax, but not the rounding error it used to be.
The Two Registration Fees
What Alberta Charges Instead Of A Transfer Tax.
Two separate fees, both paid at the Land Titles Office through your lawyer, both using the same formula since October 2024.
| Fee | How it is calculated |
|---|---|
| Land title transfer | $50 base, plus $5 per $5,000 of the purchase price |
| Mortgage registration | $50 base, plus $5 per $5,000 of the mortgage amount |
Both round up to the next $5,000. If you are buying with cash you pay only the first one, because there is no mortgage to register.
Worked through on a $600,000 purchase with a $480,000 mortgage: the transfer fee is $50 plus $600 for a total of $650, and the mortgage registration is $50 plus $480 for a total of $530. Around $1,180 between them. Your lawyer calculates and remits the exact figures.
The Full List
Everything Else A Buyer Pays.
These are typical ranges in the Calgary and Airdrie market. They move around, so treat them as a budgeting guide rather than a quote, and ask your lawyer for a written estimate before you firm up.
| Cost | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Land title transfer fee | $50 + $5 / $5,000 |
| Mortgage registration fee | $50 + $5 / $5,000 |
| Legal fees and disbursements | $1,200 to $2,000 |
| Home inspection | $400 to $700 |
| Appraisal, if your lender orders one | $300 to $500 |
| Title insurance | $250 to $500 |
| Condo document review, condos only | $300 to $700 |
| Property tax adjustment | Varies with possession date |
| Home insurance, first payment | Varies |
| Moving costs | $500 to $3,000 |
For most resale purchases in this market, a reasonable planning figure is 1.5 to 3 per cent of the purchase price, with condos and new builds sitting at the higher end.
The Ones That Surprise People
Four Costs Buyers Forget To Budget For.
GST on new builds. A brand new home from a builder attracts five per cent GST. Resale homes do not. Rebates exist below certain price thresholds and are often folded into the builder’s price, but on a higher-priced new build this is the single largest closing cost you will face, and it dwarfs everything else on the list above. Confirm with the builder in writing whether the price you were quoted includes it.
The property tax adjustment. If the seller has already paid the year’s taxes, you reimburse them for the portion after your possession date. Take possession in February and it is small. Take possession in July on a home where taxes were paid in full and it can run to well over a thousand dollars.
Condo document review. On a condominium you are buying into a corporation as well as a unit. Somebody needs to read the reserve fund study, the bylaws and the board minutes, and that costs money. It is also the cheapest protection you will ever buy, which is worth remembering when you are already tired of paying for things.
The interest adjustment. If your possession date does not line up with your mortgage payment schedule, your lender charges interest for the gap days. Small, but it appears on the statement of adjustments and surprises people who have budgeted to the dollar.
Selling Instead?
A Seller’s Costs Are A Different List.
Sellers do not pay the registration fees above, because those attach to the buyer’s new title and mortgage. What a seller pays is legal fees, any mortgage discharge fee or penalty for breaking a term early, whatever was agreed in the listing agreement, and any pre-list investment such as staging or repairs.
The discharge penalty is the one worth checking early. If you are breaking a fixed term, call your lender and ask for the figure in writing before you list, not after you have an accepted offer.
Good To Know
Closing Cost Questions.
How much are closing costs in Alberta?
For a typical resale purchase in Calgary or Airdrie, budget roughly 1.5 to 3 per cent of the purchase price. On a $500,000 home that is somewhere between $7,500 and $15,000, most of which is legal fees, registration fees, inspection and the property tax adjustment. New builds run higher because of GST.
Does Alberta have a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta is one of the few provinces without one. Instead you pay Land Titles registration fees: $50 plus $5 per $5,000 of the purchase price to register the title, and the same formula on the mortgage amount to register the mortgage. That is dramatically cheaper than the land transfer tax in Ontario or British Columbia.
When did Alberta’s land title fees go up?
On 20 October 2024, through the Land Titles Registration Levy announced in Budget 2024. Transfers went from $2 to $5 per $5,000 of value, and mortgage registrations from $1.50 to $5 per $5,000. Anything written before that date understates what you will pay, which is most of the closing cost content online.
What are legal fees for buying a house in Calgary?
Typically $1,200 to $2,000 including disbursements, though it varies by firm and by how complicated the transaction is. That figure normally covers the title search, preparing and registering documents, handling the funds and reporting to your lender. Ask for a written quote that separates fees from disbursements, because the headline number some firms advertise excludes the second part.
Do I pay GST when buying a home in Alberta?
On a resale home, no. On a newly built home from a builder, yes, at five per cent. Rebates are available below certain price thresholds and are often already assigned to the builder and reflected in the price. Get written confirmation from the builder about whether the price you were quoted includes GST, because it is the largest single closing cost on a new build.
Are closing costs different for a condo?
Slightly higher, because of the condo document review. You are buying into a corporation as well as a unit, and someone has to read the reserve fund study, the bylaws and recent board minutes before you commit. Budget a few hundred dollars for that, and treat it as the best value item on the whole list.
Can closing costs be added to my mortgage?
Generally not in the way people hope. Lenders expect closing costs to be paid from your own funds, and many will ask you to demonstrate you have roughly 1.5 per cent of the purchase price available on top of your down payment. Some products allow a portion to be financed, so ask your mortgage broker early rather than assuming.
This is general information for the Calgary and Airdrie market and not legal or financial advice. Fee schedules change. Your lawyer calculates the exact figures for your transaction, and your lender confirms what they require.
Working Out What You Can Actually Afford?
Closing costs are the part most buyers discover late. Ask us early and we will walk you through what your specific purchase would look like, whether you buy this year or next.