How to compare conveyancing quotes (fixed fees, disbursements and red flags)

Last checked 11 November 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice.

Conveyancing quotes are hard to compare because they are built differently. One firm quotes a low fixed fee and adds charges later; another includes everything up front. Here is how to line them up properly.

Ask for the same thing from everyone

Request a written quote that separates:

• The professional fee: fixed or hourly, and whether GST is included
• Disbursements: each search, certificate and registration fee, and the electronic settlement (PEXA) fee
• Anything extra: off-the-plan, strata, first home buyer paperwork, after-hours signing, extra settlement attempts

Then compare the totals, not the headline fee.

Questions to ask

• Are you licensed (or a practising solicitor) in this state? What is your licence number?
• Is the fee fixed? What would make it go up?
• Who will handle my file day to day, and how do I contact them?
• Will you review the contract and disclosure statement before I sign?
• Do you regularly handle this type of property in this area?
• When do I pay, and is anything payable if the sale falls through?

Red flags

• A very low fee with large or vague “admin” or “file” charges added as disbursements
• No written quote, or one that won’t list disbursements
• No licence number, or a reluctance to give it
• Pressure to sign the contract before they have looked at it
• Payment of the whole fee up front, well before settlement

Is cheapest worth it?

For a simple purchase, a good-value fixed-fee conveyancer is a sensible choice. For anything unusual, a cheaper quote can cost more if problems are missed. Read conveyancer or solicitor to decide which you need, and conveyancing fees by state for typical ranges.

Using Conveyancer Finder

Listings show a fixed fee where the office publishes one, and city pages let you show only offices with a published fee. Sort by distance from your suburb, check Google reviews, and call two or three for written quotes.

Are you a conveyancer? Offices that publish a clear fixed fee are easier to choose. Claim your listing to add yours.