What it costs to sell a house in Utah

The short answer: many Utah sellers budget roughly 6 percent of the sale price to sell a house, before paying off the mortgage. Most of that is commission, which is negotiable. The rest, the seller’s closing costs, generally runs around 1 percent.

This page breaks down who pays what in a Utah sale, what each line on the settlement statement is, a worked example, and the taxes worth knowing about. Utah has no real estate transfer tax, which keeps closing costs lower here than in many states.

Who pays what in a Utah home sale

Customs are what usually happens, not rules: the purchase contract decides who pays what. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

A worked example

Take a Utah home that sells for $500,000, with a 5 percent total commission (an illustration only; commission is negotiable) and about 1 percent in seller closing costs:

From there the title company pays off the mortgage, adds or subtracts the property tax proration, and takes out any repairs or credits you agreed to. Our net proceeds calculator lets you change every one of these numbers for your own house.

Costs that are not on the closing statement

Some of the money a sale costs never appears at closing, so plan for it separately:

• Carrying costs while the house is listed: mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and HOA dues for every month until closing.
• Getting ready: repairs, paint, cleaning, landscaping and any staging.
• Moving, and overlap rent or a bridge loan if you buy before you sell.

HOA fees on a sale in Utah

Utah law limits the fees an HOA can charge when a home sells, and the legislature has revisited those limits recently, so ask rather than assume. Ask the HOA early for its payoff statement and for any transfer or reinvestment fee it charges, and check the HOA documents and your contract for who pays each one, so there are no surprises at closing.

Taxes on the profit

If the home was your main residence, the federal home sale exclusion usually covers the gain. You can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or up to $500,000 on a joint return, if you owned the home and lived in it as your residence for at least two of the five years before the sale. Gain beyond that, or on a rental or second home, can be taxable. A CPA can confirm where you stand before you list.

How to keep more of the sale price

• Negotiate the commission and understand exactly what the listing includes.
• Price it right the first time. Every extra month on the market adds carrying costs, and a price cut usually costs more than pricing correctly from the start.
• Fix what an inspector or lender would flag, and skip remodels buyers will not pay for.
• Read the net, not the price, when comparing offers. A higher offer that asks for large credits can net less than a lower clean one.

Common questions

Who pays closing costs in Utah?

Both sides pay some. By Utah custom the seller pays for the owner’s title insurance policy, the settlement or escrow fee is usually split between buyer and seller, and the buyer usually pays to record the deed and trust deed. Commission, repairs and any help with the buyer’s costs are negotiated in the listing agreement and the purchase contract.

How much are seller closing costs in Utah?

Leaving out commission, seller closing costs in Utah generally run around 1 percent of the sale price: the owner’s title policy, the seller’s share of the settlement fee, prorated property taxes and any HOA charges. Including commission, many sellers budget roughly 6 percent in total, before paying off the mortgage.

Does Utah have a real estate transfer tax?

No. Utah has no state or local real estate transfer tax. Recording a document such as a deed costs $40 per document at the county recorder.

Do I pay tax on the profit when I sell my house in Utah?

Often not. If you owned and lived in the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, you can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain from income, or up to $500,000 on a joint return. Gain above that, or on a home that does not qualify, can be taxable. Ask a CPA about your situation.

Can the seller pay some of the buyer's closing costs?

Yes, if the purchase contract says so. Seller concessions toward the buyer’s closing costs or the buyer’s agent are a normal point of negotiation, and the buyer’s loan program may limit how much the seller can contribute.

Sources: Stewart Title, Utah real estate practices (who customarily pays, no transfer tax, property tax due date); Utah Code 17-21-18.5 (recording fee); National Association of Realtors, written buyer agreements; IRS Topic 701, Sale of your home. General information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Your purchase contract decides who pays what.