How Much Are Conveyancing Fees in Cardiff?

My Conveyancing Specialist · The cost of conveyancing in Cardiff · Reviewed by Richard David · Last reviewed August 2026

For a standard freehold purchase in Cardiff, conveyancing fees typically come to around £1,200–£2,500 all in — the solicitor’s legal fee plus the third-party costs known as disbursements. On top of that sits Land Transaction Tax, which is a separate charge, not a conveyancing fee. Cardiff has a couple of local quirks that shape the bill — a coal mining search across much of South Wales, and Welsh Land Transaction Tax rather than Stamp Duty. Here’s exactly what you’re paying for, and how to compare quotes properly.

In short

● Conveyancing fees split into two parts: the solicitor’s legal fee and disbursements (third-party costs).

● A standard freehold purchase in Cardiff is usually £1,200–£2,500 all in — legal fee plus disbursements.

● Land Transaction Tax is separate — collected by your conveyancer, paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority.

● Cardiff disbursements often include a coal mining search because of the South Wales coalfield.

● A fixed-fee, no-sale-no-fee quote is the clearest way to buy with confidence — always get it itemised.

What makes up your conveyancing fees?

When you get a conveyancing quote in Cardiff, the total is really two separate things bundled together:

The legal fee — what the conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer charges for their time and expertise in handling your purchase or sale, plus VAT.
Disbursements — third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf, such as property searches and HM Land Registry fees.

Most confusion (and most overpaying) happens because a cheap-looking quote shows a low legal fee and stays quiet about the disbursements. Reading a quote properly means looking at both.

Typical conveyancing fees in Cardiff (2026)

These are indicative figures for a standard transaction in Cardiff — your actual quote depends on the purchase price, whether the property is freehold or leasehold, and the lender involved:

Part of the bill	Typical range (2026)
Legal fee — buying (freehold)	£800–£1,500 + VAT
Legal fee — selling (freehold)	£600–£1,300 + VAT
Disbursements (buying)	£300–£700
All-in total — buying (freehold)	£1,200–£2,500

Indicative only, current at August 2026. Leasehold, new-build and more complex purchases cost more. Always get a written, itemised quote before you commit.

Solicitor legal fees

The legal fee is the conveyancing solicitor’s or conveyancer’s professional charge for the legal work — checking the contract pack and title, raising and answering enquiries, dealing with your mortgage lender, exchanging contracts, completing, filing the tax return and registering you at HM Land Registry. VAT at 20% is added to this fee (it doesn’t apply to Land Registry fees, search fees or Land Transaction Tax).

A common question is whether a licensed conveyancer is cheaper than a solicitor. Both are qualified, regulated professionals who can carry out residential conveyancing — a licensed conveyancer specialises purely in property, while a solicitor may offer wider legal services. Price differences come down to the individual firm rather than the job title, so it’s the itemised quote and the service that matter, not the label.

Conveyancing disbursements in Cardiff

Disbursements are the fixed, third-party costs your conveyancer pays out for you. For a Cardiff purchase they typically include:

Local authority search (via the City of Cardiff Council) — around £100–£250, covering planning, roads and local charges.
Water and drainage search — around £50–£80.
Environmental search — around £50, covering contamination and flood risk.
Coal mining search — around £40–£60. Much of South Wales sits over the former coalfield, so this is a common disbursement for Cardiff buyers. We explain it fully in our guide to whether you need a coal mining search.
HM Land Registry registration fee — set by the Land Registry’s official fee scale according to the purchase price (electronic applications are cheaper), commonly £100–£150 for a typical Cardiff home.
Bankruptcy and priority searches — a few pounds each.
Bank transfer (CHAPS) fee — around £25–£50 to send the completion funds.
ID and anti-money-laundering checks — around £6–£20.

Together these usually add £300–£700 to a standard freehold purchase. They’re largely the same wherever you buy in England or Wales, with the coal mining search being the notably Welsh addition here.

Land Transaction Tax is separate

This is the part Cardiff buyers most often misread. Land Transaction Tax (LTT) is not a conveyancing fee — it’s a tax, collected by your conveyancer and paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority. In Wales you pay LTT rather than the Stamp Duty Land Tax charged in England, and the thresholds are different: there’s no LTT on the first £225,000, so many Cardiff buyers pay none at all.

Because it’s a separate line that can dwarf the legal fee on higher-priced homes, always look at it on its own. We cover it in full in our guides to whether you pay Stamp Duty in Wales and the current Land Transaction Tax rates — and, for first-timers, what first-time buyers pay.

What affects the price of conveyancing in Cardiff?

Two quotes for the same street can differ, and it isn’t always about quality. The main factors:

Freehold vs leasehold. Leasehold properties — including many apartments around Cardiff Bay and the city centre — involve extra work reviewing the lease, ground rent and service charges, and obtaining a management pack from the management company. Expect a leasehold supplement of roughly £150–£400 on the legal fee, and a management pack cost (£200–£800) if you’re selling.
New-build properties. Developer legal packs and tight exchange deadlines usually add £200–£500.
Purchase price. The HM Land Registry fee and the Land Transaction Tax both scale with the price.
Mortgage vs cash. Acting for your mortgage lender as well as you adds a little work; a cash purchase can be slightly simpler.
The property chain and any complications. A long chain, an unregistered title, shared ownership, Help to Buy or other government schemes, or an equity release all add legal work — and cost.

Fixed-fee and no-sale-no-fee conveyancing

Most reputable Cardiff conveyancing is quoted on a fixed fee: you’re told the legal fee up front, so it doesn’t creep up as the transaction progresses (barring genuinely unforeseen work, which should be flagged before it’s charged). That’s far easier to budget for than an hourly rate.

Look too for no-sale-no-fee: if your purchase or sale falls through before completion, you don’t pay the legal fee (though any disbursements already incurred, such as searches, are still payable because they’ve been bought from third parties). On a chain that can collapse through no fault of your own, that protection matters.

When do you pay conveyancing fees?

You don’t pay it all at the start. Typically you’ll make a small payment on instruction to cover the initial searches and administration, then settle the balance of the legal fee and remaining disbursements on completion, drawn from your funds alongside the purchase money. Your Land Transaction Tax is also paid at completion, filed by your conveyancer within 30 days.

How to compare Cardiff conveyancing quotes

Get everything itemised. A proper quote separates the legal fee, VAT and each disbursement — so you can see the true all-in figure, not just a headline legal fee.
Check the disbursements are all genuine. A real disbursement is a payment to a third party (a search provider, HM Land Registry). Be wary of vague “administration fee” padding.
Confirm the regulation. Look for a solicitor regulated by the SRA or a licensed conveyancer regulated by the CLC, and ideally a firm with Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation.
Compare like with like. Freehold vs leasehold, buying vs selling, and whether Land Transaction Tax is shown separately (it should be).

Frequently asked questions

What are typical conveyancing fees in Wales?

For a standard freehold purchase, roughly £1,200–£2,500 all in — the legal fee (about £800–£1,500 plus VAT) plus £300–£700 of disbursements. Land Transaction Tax is separate.

How much should a solicitor charge for conveyancing?

There’s no fixed rate, but a typical Cardiff legal fee for a freehold purchase is around £800–£1,500 plus VAT. What matters is a clear, itemised fixed-fee quote rather than the headline number.

Is a conveyancer cheaper than a solicitor?

Not inherently — both are regulated professionals who can do residential conveyancing. Price depends on the firm, not the title, so compare itemised quotes.

At what stage do you pay conveyancing fees?

Usually a small amount on instruction (for early searches), with the balance of the legal fee and disbursements paid on completion. Land Transaction Tax is also paid at completion.

Does the conveyancing fee include Land Transaction Tax?

No. LTT is a separate tax collected by your conveyancer and paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority — it isn’t part of the legal fee, and there’s none to pay below £225,000.

This article is general information as at August 2026 and is not legal or financial advice. All figures are indicative and vary by property and firm — request a written, itemised quote for your purchase, and confirm any Land Transaction Tax due with your conveyancer.

Buying or selling in Cardiff? Get a fixed-fee conveyancing quote today →