Closing Costs in BC: What Buyers Pay in 2026

Most buyers know their down payment to the dollar. Fewer have a firm number for everything else they must bring on completion day, and that is where closings get tight. This guide walks through the closing costs in BC one line at a time, separates the items set by law from the ones that vary, and shows how to budget them before you write an offer.

The rules and fees below come from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), CMHC, the Province of British Columbia and the Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA), checked in October 2026. Where a cost is set by a private supplier, we don't quote a figure. Get a written quote.

How much to budget for closing costs in BC

FCAC describes closing costs as one-time fees you usually pay by the time the sale is completed, such as home inspection fees, legal fees, property tax adjustments and title insurance. It tells buyers to be prepared to spend between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase price. CMHC uses the same 1.5% to 4% range.

Purchase price	1.5%	4%
$700,000	$10,500	$28,000
$900,000	$13,500	$36,000
$1,300,000	$19,500	$52,000

That range is wide because one item swings so much in BC: property transfer tax. Work that number out exactly and the rest of the budget gets much easier.

Costs set by law

Property transfer tax

The Province charges property transfer tax (PTT) when the transfer is registered at the Land Title Office. On fair market value, the general rate is:

1% on the first $200,000;
2% on the portion above $200,000 up to $2,000,000;
3% on the portion above $2,000,000;
a further 2% on the residential portion above $3,000,000.

So a $900,000 home carries $2,000 + $14,000 = $16,000 of PTT before any exemption. Two exemptions can cut that to zero or close to it:

The first-time home buyers' exemption: full up to $835,000, partial to $860,000, and it only removes tax on the first $500,000 (maximum $8,000).
The newly built home exemption: full up to $1,100,000 and partial to $1,150,000 for a qualifying new home used as your principal residence.

Both come with occupancy conditions after you buy. Check your number in our BC land transfer tax calculator.

GST on a new home

GST is 5% in BC, according to the CRA's rate table, and it applies to newly built and substantially renovated homes. On a $1,000,000 presale, that is $50,000 unless a rebate applies. Two federal rebates matter:

First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate. The CRA says this has received Royal Assent and applications are open. It covers 100% of the GST, up to $50,000, on a qualifying new home of $1 million or less, then shrinks to nothing at $1.5 million. The CRA's own example: a $1.25 million home gets $25,000. You must be at least 18, a citizen or permanent resident, a first-time buyer under the CRA's four-year test, and the agreement with the builder must be dated on or after March 20, 2025 and before 2031, among other conditions.
GST/HST new housing rebate. The regular rebate recovers part of the GST for individuals buying a new home as their primary residence with a fair market value under $450,000. In Metro Vancouver, few homes fall under that line.

Read your contract carefully. It should say whether the price includes GST and how any rebate is handled between you and the builder.

Land Title Office registration

The LTSA's fee listing as at April 1, 2026 is $83.82 to file an indefeasible title or a charge. A typical purchase registers a transfer and a mortgage, which is two filings. Your lawyer or notary adds their own disbursements on top.

Costs that vary by supplier

These are real costs, but the price depends on who you hire and the property. We don't quote numbers. Get them in writing early.

Lawyer or notary. In BC, a lawyer or notary usually files the property transfer tax return and registers the transfer for you. Ask for an all-in quote: fee, taxes on the fee, and disbursements.
Home inspection. FCAC lists it as a typical closing cost. On a strata purchase, also budget time and money for reviewing the strata documents.
Title insurance. FCAC includes it in its examples. Your lender may require a lender's policy. Ask your lawyer or notary what it costs and what an owner's policy would add.
Appraisal. Some lenders charge for it and some don't. Ask before you apply.
Home insurance. Your lender will want proof of coverage on completion day, so the first premium is part of your cash plan.
Moving and set-up. These are not closing costs on paper, but they hit the same week.

What is not a BC closing cost

CMHC says some provinces, currently Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, apply provincial sales tax to the mortgage loan insurance premium, and that this tax can't be added to the loan. BC is not on that list. If you are putting less than 20% down, the premium itself is explained in our guide to mortgage default insurance. Some closing-cost checklists online include the sales tax for every province. In BC you can strike it out.

Adjustments: the line that surprises people

A few days before completion you will see a statement of adjustments. It is the closing summary your lawyer or notary prepares. It balances amounts the seller has prepaid or owes, such as property taxes and strata fees, for the days before and after completion, and shows the exact amount you must provide to close.

Timing matters. If the seller has already paid the full year's property tax and you complete partway through the year, you reimburse them for the days you will own the home. That can be a few thousand dollars you didn't plan for. Ask for a draft as soon as your lawyer or notary has one.

Two worked examples

These use only the costs set by law. Add your written quotes for legal, inspection, insurance and any other items.

Item	$900,000 resale condo, repeat buyer	$1,050,000 presale condo, first-time buyer
PTT before exemption	$16,000	$19,000
Exemption	None	Newly built home exemption, if all conditions are met: −$19,000
GST (5%)	None assumed (resale; confirm with your lawyer or notary)	$52,500, before any First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate (partial above $1 million; confirm the amount with the CRA and your builder)
LTSA filings (transfer + mortgage)	$167.64	$167.64

Then compare your total against FCAC's 1.5% to 4% range. If you are under 1.5%, check what you have missed. If you are near 4%, look again at exemptions and rebates you might qualify for.

Prove the cash before you're approved

FCAC says that at preapproval a lender asks for proof you can pay for the down payment and closing costs. So closing costs in BC are not just a completion-day problem. They are part of whether you get approved. Keep the money where you can document it, and don't move it around in the months before you apply.

When we prepare a pre-approval, we build a cash-to-close sheet with the down payment, PTT after any exemption, GST where it applies, and your quoted fees. You can rough out your own first with our affordability calculator, then send it to us to check.

Closing costs in BC: common questions

How much are closing costs in BC?

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada tells buyers to be prepared to spend between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase price on closing costs. In BC the biggest single item is usually property transfer tax, which on its own is about 1.8% of the price on a $900,000 resale home with no exemption.

Can closing costs be added to my mortgage?

Plan on paying them from your own money. FCAC says lenders ask for proof you can pay for the down payment and closing costs when they preapprove you, so the cash has to be in your accounts and documented.

Is there PST on mortgage default insurance in BC?

No. CMHC says some provinces, currently Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, apply provincial sales tax to the mortgage loan insurance premium. BC is not on that list, so BC buyers do not pay that tax at closing.

Do I pay GST when I buy a home in BC?

GST at 5% is charged on newly built and substantially renovated homes. Rebates can reduce it. The federal First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate covers up to $50,000 for eligible first-time buyers on new homes up to $1 million, with a reduced rebate up to $1.5 million.

What is a statement of adjustments?

It is the closing summary your lawyer or notary prepares. It balances amounts the seller has prepaid or owes, such as property taxes and strata fees, for the days before and after completion, and shows the exact amount you must provide to close.

Rules as of October 2026, from FCAC (buying a home page modified October 20, 2025; preapproval page modified October 15, 2025), CRA (First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate eligibility page updated June 9, 2026), CMHC, the Province of British Columbia (property transfer tax page updated December 3, 2025) and the LTSA (fee listing as at April 1, 2026).

This is general information, not financial advice, and not tax advice. Speak to a licensed mortgage professional, and your lawyer or notary, about your situation.

Closing Costs in BC, Line by Line