What a Calgary buyer pays on top of the price

A Calgary buyer pays a down payment, Land Titles registration fees and legal costs on closing. Condo buyers add fees for the corporation’s documents and buyers of a new home may meet GST. Alberta has no land transfer tax, so there is no percentage tax on the price at closing.

This post lists the cost lines in the order a buyer meets them. It gives a figure only where a government source publishes one. Where no primary source gives a number, the post says so and leaves the number out. For the full buying path, see the first-time home buyers guide.

The cost lines at a glance

Line	When it arises	Published figure
Down payment	On closing	Minimum set by federal rules, below
Land Titles transfer fee	On closing	$50 plus $5 per $5,000 or part of value
Land Titles mortgage fee	On closing, if there is a mortgage	$50 plus $5 per $5,000 or part of principal
Legal fees	On closing	No published figure
Home inspection	Before conditions are removed	No published figure
Condo status documents	Before conditions are removed	Capped by regulation, below
Property tax adjustment	On closing	Depends on the City’s bill
GST on a new home	On closing	Depends on the home and any rebate

The down payment

The down payment is the largest single amount. For an insured mortgage, Finance Canada lists the minimum as 5 per cent of the part of the price up to $500,000 and 10 per cent of the part between $500,000 and $1.5 million. The change took effect for insurance applications submitted on or after December 15, 2024. A property must be valued below $1.5 million to be insured under these rules.

An illustration using that formula: on a $700,000 purchase the minimum is 5 per cent of $500,000, which is $25,000, plus 10 per cent of $200,000, which is $20,000. The total is $45,000. This is arithmetic from the published rule, not a quote. Your lender and your mortgage broker confirm what applies to you.

The CMHC page uses the same method in its own example and still lists a 25-year amortization with a note about 30 years for some buyers. The two federal sources are not worded the same way, so confirm the amortization and the down payment with a lender.

If you want to test monthly payments against a price, use the mortgage calculator.

Land Titles registration fees

Alberta charges a fee to register the transfer and another to register the mortgage. Both follow the formula in the Land Titles Act: $50 plus $5 for each $5,000 or portion of $5,000 of the value or of the mortgage principal. The Land Titles fee schedule shows the same lines and adds $15 for each extra title affected by a transfer.

On a $700,000 purchase with a $560,000 mortgage, the illustrated transfer fee is $750 and the illustrated mortgage fee is $610. The Land Title fees calculator runs the arithmetic for other numbers. Your lawyer confirms the final amounts.

Legal fees and the lawyer’s statement

A lawyer registers the transfer and mortgage, handles the money and adjusts items such as property tax between you and the seller. No government page opened for this post publishes a standard legal fee. Ask for a written quote that lists the fee, the disbursements and any registry agent charge, so that nothing is a surprise on closing day.

Condo documents

Buyers of a resale condominium unit usually review documents from the corporation before they remove conditions. Under the Condominium Property Act, the corporation must provide an estoppel certificate within 10 days of a written request. The regulation caps that fee at $200. An information statement fee is capped at $100 and other documents are $10 each, with a per-page rate for hard copies over 40 pages.

The documents matter as much as the fee. They include the budget, financial statements, bylaws, minutes and reserve fund reports. The condo buying guide explains what to look for.

Property tax and the adjustment on closing

The City of Calgary bills property tax for the calendar year, mails the bill in May and sets a June 30 due date for 2026. The 2026 residential rate is 0.0066499 per dollar of assessment. On closing, the lawyer adjusts the tax so that you and the seller each carry your share for the period you own the home. Ask your lawyer to show you the adjustment line.

New homes and the GST

For a new home, GST can apply to the price. Canada Revenue Agency lists a first-time home buyers GST/HST rebate for 100 per cent of the GST on a new home valued up to $1 million. It reduces the rebate for values from $1 million to $1.5 million. The rebate may be credited by the builder at closing or claimed afterward. Whether you qualify depends on your own situation, so ask an accountant and read the CRA page.

Costs this post leaves out

These lines exist but this post gives no figure for them, because no primary source opened for it publishes one:

• Home inspection, which a licensed home inspector quotes.
• Appraisal, which a lender may require and quote.
• Title insurance, which comes through your lawyer.
• Moving costs, which a mover quotes.
• Mortgage insurance premiums, which depend on the insurer and the file.

Ask each provider for a written quote. A mortgage broker can tell you what your lender requires.

A worked example, labelled as an illustration

Suppose a buyer plans a $700,000 purchase with a $560,000 mortgage. From the published rules, the minimum insured down payment is $45,000, the transfer fee is $750 and the mortgage registration fee is $610. Those three lines add to $46,360. This leaves out legal fees, inspection, any condo documents, tax adjustments and any GST, for which this post gives no figure. It is arithmetic on published formulas and not a quote for any home.

Planning before you make an offer

Add the down payment to the fees above and ask your lawyer and broker for written breakdowns before you submit an offer. Keep the cash to close separate from the savings you want to keep after closing. The buyers page explains how an offer, conditions and possession fit together.

Derek can explain which of these lines apply to the home you are looking at, such as a condo or a new build. Legal, tax and mortgage questions go to a lawyer, an accountant and a mortgage broker.