How much does conveyancing cost in Victoria? Fees, disbursements and what a first home buyer actually pays for

What does a conveyancer do in Victoria?

Conveyancing is the legal work of transferring ownership of land from the seller to you. The Conveyancers Act 2006 defines it broadly, covering the documents needed for the transaction and the advice and registration work that goes with it.

For a buyer, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) says you can engage a conveyancer to find and review the property's title, check the section 32 statement and advise on the terms of the contract of sale. Before settlement, your conveyancer sends you a plan of the land to check against the Certificate of Title (CAV). At settlement, they work with the seller's representative and the lenders, and the transfer is usually lodged with Land Services Victoria by your conveyancer, lawyer or lender (CAV).

Timing matters. CAV says to have the section 32 checked by your own legal practitioner or conveyancer before you buy, which is why it pays to have one lined up before you make an offer. Our section 32 checklist shows what they're looking for, and the weeks between offer and keys are covered in what your conveyancer is actually doing.

How much does conveyancing cost?

We haven't found a regulator or government source that sets or publishes a price, or a price range, for conveyancing in Victoria, so we won't quote one. The law asks conveyancers to tell you their costs, not to charge a set amount: under section 47 of the Conveyancers Act, a licensee must disclose the amount of their costs if it's known, or the basis for calculating them if it isn't.

For lawyers, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB+C) says fees depend on things like time, complexity, who does the work and the type of service, and must be fair and reasonable.

CAV's advice: get written quotes from several, and discuss all disbursements. Compare totals, not headline fees.

What are disbursements?

A bill for legal work has two parts, as the VLSB+C explains: the professional fee for doing the work, and other expenses paid on your behalf, called disbursements. CAV describes disbursements as administrative costs. On a purchase, the main ones are:

• Searches and certificates. For example, a search of the title, a small charge that is adjusted each 1 July. Your quote may list other searches or certificates too. Ask what each one is and its estimated cost.
• The electronic settlement fee. Electronic settlements run on an Electronic Lodgement Network Operator (ELNO), which prepares the documents, settles the funds and lodges with Land Services Victoria (State Revenue Office). CAV's guidance for conveyancers names the system operated by PEXA. PEXA publishes its fees by state: it charges per successful lodgement, prices include GST, and they vary by transaction type. Ask whether your quote includes it.

Government fees and duty are separate again. Your conveyancer collects them and passes them on, but they're set by law and don't change between quotes:

• Transfer registration fee, paid to Land Services Victoria: $1,509 for an electronic transfer on a $600,000 home, based on the 2026-27 fee unit of $17.27 (Land Services Victoria).
• Mortgage registration fee, paid to Land Services Victoria: $129.20 lodged electronically.
• Land transfer duty, paid to the State Revenue Office (SRO). An eligible first home buyer pays none on a home up to $600,000 (SRO). At settlement, the ELNO transfers any duty to the SRO.

Some quotes list these and some don't, so check before deciding one quote is higher. The cost guide has the working for each.

What's in a conveyancing quote

Charges as at 29 October 2026.

Conveyancer or solicitor: what's the difference?

Both can handle your purchase. Section 8 of the Conveyancers Act says only a licensee can carry on a conveyancing business, with an exception for Australian legal practitioners. So a conveyancer must hold a licence, granted by the Business Licensing Authority (BLA), and a solicitor must hold a current practising certificate. CAV says both must have professional indemnity insurance.

The difference is scope. CAV says a conveyancer can do conveyancing work and give legal advice about the transfer of title. A legal practitioner can do that, and can also give general legal advice, including how different types of title affect ownership rights.

For Priya and Dan, that last point is real. Buying together, they'll hold the title either jointly or as tenants in common, which changes what happens to each share (CAV). If you want advice that reaches beyond the transfer, ask each provider whether it's within their scope.

There's protection either way. If a conveyancer misuses a deposit held in trust, you can claim on the Victorian Property Fund. For a lawyer, it's the Fidelity Fund.

Fixed fee or hourly?

The VLSB+C says most lawyers charge an hourly rate, commonly in six-minute units, and that you can negotiate the billing method, for example by asking for a fixed fee. It gives a property transfer as an example of work charged at an agreed or fixed price.

A fixed fee tells you the number upfront. An hourly rate tells you the method, and the total depends on how the matter runs. Either way, check what's outside the fee: a low fixed fee can sit beside a long list of disbursements.

What should a conveyancing quote include?

For a licensed conveyancer, section 47 requires written disclosure before or at the time you engage them, or as soon as practicable after, setting out:

• the amount of the costs, or how they'll be calculated if the amount isn't known
• how and when you'll be invoiced
• your options if you dispute the costs: a complaint to the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, or an application to VCAT.

If a conveyancer doesn't make that disclosure, you aren't required to pay their costs, unless an exception in section 48 applies. They must also tell you in writing, before or when you engage them, about any actual or potential conflict of interest (section 49).

For a lawyer, the VLSB+C says costs over $750 need a written estimate. Between $750 and $3,000 it should cover the work, the expected cost, disbursements, your rights and GST. Above $3,000, more detail is required.

On top of what the law asks for, put these questions to each provider:

• Does the fee include reviewing the contract and section 32 before you sign?
• Is it a fixed fee or an estimate?
• Which disbursements will you pass on, and what's the estimated cost of each?
• Is the electronic settlement fee included?
• Is GST included?
• What would cause the price to change?
• Who will do the work on your file?

How Priya and Dan compared theirs. Their first quote was a fixed fee, with each search and the electronic settlement fee estimated separately. The second had a lower headline fee and listed disbursements "at cost" with no estimate. The third was hourly. They asked the second for an estimated total of disbursements and the third for an estimate of the whole matter, then compared three totals instead of three headlines. They chose the one that included the contract and section 32 review before signing, the part they most wanted.

When do you pay?

The disclosure itself tells you: a conveyancer must say how and when you'll be invoiced, and the VLSB+C says you can negotiate how often a lawyer bills you before final payment. Ask whether anything is due upfront and when the balance falls due.

The government charges come at settlement. The registration fees go to Land Services Victoria, and duty moves to the SRO through the ELNO. CAV notes duty is usually paid at settlement, with up to three months to pay, but title won't transfer until it's paid.

How do I check a conveyancer is licensed?

CAV's advice is to always confirm the conveyancer you're dealing with is licensed. Search the public register of licensed conveyancers, maintained by the BLA. It shows the licensee's name, licence number, licence type, business names, business address and licence conditions. It holds current information only.

For a solicitor, search the VLSB+C's register of lawyers and law practices.

Havenli is free to start in Victoria, and you can start free here. When you're ready, it can connect you with a verified conveyancer partner. Havenli may receive a referral fee for that connection, and we disclose it. You're free to use any licensed conveyancer or solicitor, and the questions above work the same either way.

General information only, not legal advice. Have a licensed conveyancer or solicitor review your contract.

Sources

All sources checked as at 29 October 2026.

• Conveyancers Act 2006, authorised version 022 (sections 4, 8, 47, 48 and 49), Victorian Legislation (incorporating amendments as at 9 September 2026), as at 29 October 2026
• Seek expert advice on property, Consumer Affairs Victoria (last updated 3 May 2021), as at 29 October 2026
• Costs disclosure for conveyancing, Consumer Affairs Victoria (last updated 13 October 2023), as at 29 October 2026
• Public register of licensed conveyancers, Consumer Affairs Victoria and Business Licensing Authority (last updated 16 October 2025), as at 29 October 2026
• Electronic settlement of property transactions, Consumer Affairs Victoria (last updated 2 August 2018), as at 29 October 2026
• Before property settlement, Consumer Affairs Victoria (last updated 9 September 2022), as at 29 October 2026
• Settlement, Consumer Affairs Victoria (last updated 9 April 2026), as at 29 October 2026
• Get your lawyer's costs in writing, Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (last updated 3 October 2025), as at 29 October 2026
• How do lawyers charge for their services?, Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (last updated 6 February 2025), as at 29 October 2026
• Lodge a land transfer using an ELNO, State Revenue Office (updated 22 October 2026), as at 29 October 2026
• First home buyer duty exemption or concession, State Revenue Office (updated 22 October 2026), as at 29 October 2026
• Customer Information Bulletin 241 (fee unit $17.27 from 1 July 2026), Land Services Victoria (page last updated 3 June 2026), as at 25 October 2026
• Guide to Transfer of Land Act fees 2026-2027, Land Services Victoria (effective 1 July 2026), as at 25 October 2026
• PEXA pricing and fees, Property Exchange Australia (prices adjusted from 1 July 2026), as at 29 October 2026