Last updated: 2026-07-02
Average total closing costs
$14,200
Median home price
$375,000
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Benchmarked against 10,397 real Delaware mortgages.
Use the fee-by-fee breakdown below to benchmark every line item on your Delaware Closing Disclosure. Each page shows the typical range, red flags, and whether the fee is negotiable in Delaware.
These smaller lender and third-party fees show up on most Delaware Closing Disclosures. Each is worth checking against its typical range — several are negotiable or removable.
The processing fee covers the administrative work of assembling your loan file — collecting documents, ordering verifications, and preparing the file for underwriting. This fee typically appears in Section A of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $200–$900 · Flag above $1,200 · Section A
Often, yes. If your lender charges both an origination fee and a processing fee, you may be paying twice for the same work. The CFPB has flagged duplicative loan processing charges as a common junk fee.
Yes. Many lenders will remove or reduce the processing fee when asked — especially if you point out that the origination fee should already cover file processing.
Processing fees typically range from $200 to $600. Anything above $600 should be questioned, and any processing fee alongside an origination fee is worth challenging.
The underwriting fee compensates the lender for evaluating your creditworthiness, verifying your income and assets, and deciding whether to approve your loan. It appears in Section A of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $300–$900 · Flag above $1,200 · Section A
A typical underwriting fee is $300 to $700. If you're also paying an origination fee, the total of all Section A lender charges should be evaluated as a whole rather than line by line.
Yes. Underwriting fees are negotiable, especially when you have competing offers from other lenders. Many lenders will reduce this fee or fold it into the origination charge.
The underwriter reviews your credit, income, assets, and the property appraisal to decide whether to approve the loan. This is a core lending function that many argue should be included in the origination fee.
Courier fees cover the cost of physically transporting documents between parties — the title company, lender, county recorder, and sometimes the borrower. This fee appears in Section C or Section H of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $25–$100 · Flag above $150 · Section H
Often, yes. Most modern closings transmit documents electronically. If no physical courier was used, this fee is not justified. The CFPB has flagged courier fees as a common junk fee on mortgage closings.
Yes. Simply ask your lender or title company whether any documents were physically couriered. If everything is electronic, request removal in writing.
If a physical courier is genuinely used, $25 to $50 is reasonable. Anything above $75 should be questioned, and any courier fee in an all-electronic closing should be challenged.
The credit report fee covers the cost of pulling your credit reports from the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) as part of the mortgage application process. This fee appears in Section B of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $25–$75 · Flag above $100 · Section B
A standard tri-merge credit report costs the lender $15 to $30. The fee passed to you should be $25 to $65. Anything above $75 includes excessive markup.
The lender must pull your credit from all three bureaus to evaluate your mortgage application. The fee covers this service. It's a legitimate cost, but the markup should be minimal.
No. Lenders are required to pull their own credit reports through approved channels for regulatory compliance. Free consumer credit reports (from annualcreditreport.com) cannot be used for mortgage underwriting.
The flood certification fee covers the cost of determining whether the property is in a FEMA-designated flood zone. If it is, the lender will require flood insurance. This fee appears in Section B of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $10–$35 · Flag above $50 · Section B
A flood certification determines whether your property is in a FEMA flood zone. If it is, your lender will require flood insurance. The certification is a standard part of every mortgage closing.
The typical flood certification fee is $15 to $25. Some lenders add a 'life-of-loan monitoring' fee of $20 to $35. Total flood-related charges should not exceed $50 to $60.
If your property is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area and you have a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required by law. The cost varies significantly by zone, elevation, and coverage level.
The tax service fee pays a third-party company to monitor your property tax payments and alert the lender if you fall behind. This protects the lender's collateral. The fee appears in Section B of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $50–$100 · Flag above $150 · Section B
The tax service fee pays a company to monitor whether you pay your property taxes on time. If you fall behind, the company alerts your lender. It's a one-time fee paid at closing.
It's borderline. The service is real but highly automated. A $50 to $75 fee is considered standard. Anything above $100 is worth questioning.
Standard tax service fees are $50 to $85. If your Closing Disclosure shows more than $100, ask the lender to justify the amount.
The wire transfer fee covers the cost of wiring funds at closing — typically from the title company to the seller, from the lender to the title company, or from you to the title company. This fee appears in Section H of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $25–$75 · Flag above $100 · Section H
A domestic wire transfer costs the sender $10 to $30. A closing wire fee of $25 to $40 is reasonable. Anything above $50 includes excessive markup.
In some cases, yes. Ask if you can provide funds via cashier's check instead of wire transfer. Some title companies accept this and waive the wire fee.
Some closings involve multiple wire transfers — your funds in, the lender's funds in, and the seller's proceeds out. You should only be charged for wires involving your funds, not all wires in the transaction.
The document preparation fee covers the cost of preparing loan documents, closing documents, and other paperwork for the transaction. It may be charged by the lender, title company, or closing attorney. This fee appears in Section A or Section C of your Closing Disclosure.
Typical range: $75–$600 · Flag above $800 · Section A
Usually, yes — when charged by the lender. Preparing loan documents is part of origination, so a separate fee is duplicative. The CFPB has specifically called out document preparation fees as a common junk fee.
Yes. Ask the lender: 'What does this fee cover that isn't included in the origination charge?' Most lenders will remove it when challenged in writing.
If the fee is legitimate (charged by a closing attorney for preparing closing documents, not by the lender), $75 to $250 is reasonable. Lender-charged doc prep fees above $200 are excessive.
At about $14,200, typical Delaware closing costs run 103% above the national average of roughly $7,002 across all 50 states and DC. The single most negotiable line is the Delaware origination fee.
Things Delaware buyers should know
Delaware layers county or city transfer taxes on top of the state rate. The combined burden varies by jurisdiction — confirm the exact rate that applies to your property address before signing.
How the layered rate is calculated
Delaware realty transfer tax (30 Del. C. Chapter 54): State 2.5% + county 1.5% = 4.0% combined. Split equally — buyer pays 2%, seller pays 2% (each pays half of 4%). First-time homebuyer (FTHB) reduction (30 Del. C. § 5402(c)): the buyer's transfer-tax portion is reduced by 0.5% on the lesser of property value or $400,000 — the FTHB buyer pays 1.5% instead of 2% on the first $400,000, a maximum saving of $2,000 (eff. August 1, 2017). All three counties (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) impose 1.5% county rate.
Delaware's combined 4.0% rate is among the highest in the nation and the primary driver of high closing costs. Grantor bears the burden absent agreement; by custom split 50/50. The FTHB reduction lowers the buyer's rate by 0.5% on the first $400K — saving about $1,875 on a $375K purchase (capped at $2,000). Both New Castle County and Kent County confirmed at 1.5% county rate. Sussex County also 1.5%. State rate is 2.5% because local levy is ≥ 1.5% (if local were < 1.5%, state rate would be 3.0%).
Closing-cost benchmarks from 8,652 verified Delaware closing disclosures — typical lender median is $6,328.
Many of the fees listed above also appear on your Loan Estimate, the document your lender must provide within 3 business days of your application. Pay close attention to the origination fee, the most negotiable lender-charged item and often the biggest variable between competing quotes. Comparing Loan Estimates from multiple lenders is the single best way to reduce what you pay at closing. Check if your Loan Estimate fees are competitive →
Refinancing instead of buying? See refinance closing costs in Delaware — the recording taxes, exemptions, and typical fees differ from a home purchase.
Got your CD? See which of these fees are overpriced.
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Closing costs for a home purchase in Delaware typically run about $14,200 — roughly 3.8% of the state's $375,000 typical home price. Your actual total depends on the lender, loan size, and county.
Yes. Delaware imposes a real estate transfer tax, customarily split between buyer and seller. The rate is set by law and can't be negotiated, though the purchase contract can shift who pays.
Yes. Title insurance rates in Delaware are set by the state and are identical across insurers, so you can't negotiate the premium — but confirm the simultaneous-issue discount is applied.
Yes. Delaware requires a licensed attorney to supervise real estate closings. The attorney fee is typically a flat, shoppable charge — get quotes from at least two firms.
The lender's own charges — origination, application, processing, and underwriting fees — are the most negotiable, and a competing Loan Estimate is your strongest leverage. Title insurance is state-set and fixed, while transfer taxes and county recording fees are statutory — verify them, but they can't be negotiated.
Nearby states: Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania
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