Fixed-Fee Conveyancing: What to Look For

Prices checked October 2026. Ranges are typical quotes for a standard residential purchase or sale, include GST, and vary by firm, state and property.

What should you look for in a fixed-fee conveyancing service?

A fixed fee is only as good as its wording. Before you accept a quote, check that it does these seven things:

1. It is in writing and names the property, your side (buying or selling) and the type of matter.
2. It states one total, including GST, as well as the breakdown.
3. It separates the professional fee from disbursements and says whether each disbursement is fixed or an estimate.
4. It lists what is excluded, so you can see in advance what would cost extra.
5. It explains when the price can change, and says you will be told and asked before extra work is charged.
6. It says when you pay, including any amount upfront and what happens if the matter does not settle.
7. It comes from a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor in the property's state. See how to check a conveyancer's licence.

For a standard home, typical 2026 professional fees run from $700 to $2,200 including GST, plus $200 to $900 in disbursements. The state-by-state figures are in how much conveyancing costs in Australia.

What is usually included in a fixed-fee conveyancing quote?

A fixed fee normally covers all the standard work on a residential purchase or sale. What sits outside it varies more between firms, so read the exclusions line by line.

Some firms quote one all-inclusive figure that covers searches and PEXA too. In Western Australia that is close to the rule: a settlement agent's disclosed service amount must include professional fees, office disbursements, searches and e-conveyancing fees. For a line-by-line guide to the charges, see what conveyancing fees are and conveyancing disbursements explained.

How do fixed-fee conveyancing offers differ from pay-as-you-go options?

A fixed fee sets the price of the conveyancer's work before it starts. Pay-as-you-go, usually hourly billing or a charge per task, sets only the rate, so the total depends on how much work the matter ends up taking.

For a standard home, fixed fees are the norm, and hourly billing is mostly used for complex or disputed matters. If you are quoted an hourly rate, ask for a written estimate of the total hours for a matter like yours, and ask to be told before that estimate is exceeded.

When can a fixed fee legitimately change mid-matter?

A fixed fee can fairly change only when the job changes, or when a government charge goes up. The common reasons are:

• the matter turns out to be off the plan, commercial or on more than one title, when it was quoted as a standard purchase
• the contract is renegotiated after signing, or special conditions are added that need more work
• settlement is extended several times or fails, or the other side issues notices that need a response
• a dispute arises, such as over a defect, a boundary or the inclusions
• a government fee rises, for example when new registry fees start on 1 July

Western Australia writes this into its rules for settlement agents. An agent cannot charge more than the disclosed service amount unless extra work was needed that was not foreseeable when the disclosure was given, the client was told in writing and agreed to continue, and the extra charge is reasonable; or a government charge increased after the disclosure. In NSW and Victoria, conveyancers must disclose their costs in writing, and a client who was not given a required disclosure does not have to pay those costs.

How often do conveyancers increase fees after the process has started?

No regulator publishes figures on how often it happens. On a standard home with a clear written fixed fee, an increase should be uncommon, because the work involved is predictable. Increases come mostly from a change in the scope of the matter, as in the list above, or from a quote that was vague about what it excluded.

You can lower the chance of a surprise by giving the conveyancer the full picture before they quote: the property type, whether it is strata or off the plan, the price, your lender and any unusual terms you already know about. Then ask directly what would make the fee change, and get the answer in writing. If a disagreement about costs does arise and you cannot settle it with the firm, see making a complaint about your conveyancer.

Is a cheap fixed fee a red flag?

Not always, but a fixed fee well below your state's range deserves a closer look. The saving can come back as charges the headline figure leaves out:

• disbursements listed separately and estimated low
• office charges such as photocopying, postage, phone and stationery, or clerical fees
• a narrow definition of a standard matter, so ordinary work counts as extra
• a separate charge for preparing a Section 32 or other vendor statement

Compare the total of each quote with the same items included, using our guide to comparing conveyancer quotes.

How ConveyDirect's fixed-fee quotes work

ConveyDirect provides fixed-fee conveyancing quotes for residential and commercial property in every state and territory, and responds to quote requests within two business hours. Buyers get a free contract review before they sign, and sale quotes are no sale, no fee: if the property does not sell, the professional fee is waived and only disbursements already incurred are payable.

See residential purchase conveyancing for buying, or what you pay if a sale falls through for how no sale, no fee works.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules, fees and timeframes change and differ between states, so confirm your own situation with a licensed conveyancer, settlement agent or solicitor.