Buying · Notary fees · 2026
The buyer picks and pays the notary, and it is not the most expensive item of the purchase. Here is what the notary does, what each part costs, and how not to pay twice for the same search.
In Quebec, the buyer chooses and pays the notary who executes the deed of sale and the deed of hypothec. No tariff is imposed by the Chambre des notaires: each office sets its own fees, and the 2026 market puts the full bill between $1,800 and $3,500 for a single-family house with a mortgage, somewhat less for a condo or a purchase without financing, more for a plex, an undivided co-ownership, an estate or titles to correct. The bill includes professional fees (title search, drafting of the deed of sale and the mortgage deed, adjustments, trust account handling, signing), disbursements the notary advances (Land Register registration of the sale and the mortgage, copies of deeds, searches, tax confirmations) and GST and QST on the fees. The seller pays the discharge of their own mortgage. Ask for a detailed written estimate before giving the mandate, and plan the amount in cash on signing day along with the down payment.
| Item | Type | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Title search (chain of title, servitudes, hypothecs, certificate of location) | Fees | Included in the package |
| Drafting and execution of the deed of sale | Fees | Included |
| Drafting and execution of the deed of hypothec | Fees | Included, or billed separately depending on the office |
| Adjustments (taxes, condo fees, oil), trust account, report to the lender | Fees | Included |
| Registration of the sale and the mortgage at the Land Register | Disbursements | About $150 to $200 per deed (government fees) |
| Copies of deeds, searches, tax confirmations, courier | Disbursements | $100 to $400 |
| GST and QST on fees | Taxes | 14.975% of the fees |
| Total, house with mortgage | $1,800 to $3,500 | |
| Divided condo with mortgage | $1,500 to $2,800 | |
| Cash purchase, no mortgage | $1,200 to $2,200 | |
| Plex, undivided, estate, titles to regularize | $2,500 to $5,000 and more |
These ranges are the 2026 market in the Montreal area; an office in the regions or a notary handling a developer's volume can be below. The lender may require the mortgage deed to be executed by a notary on its list, or offer to cover part of the fees on some products.
The welcome tax, billed by the municipality weeks later (see welcome tax by city); the 9% Quebec tax on the CMHC premium, payable at the notary but remitted to Revenu Québec; the pre-purchase inspection ($500 to $800), the appraisal required by the lender ($300 to $500, sometimes paid by the lender), home insurance to arrange before signing, the adjustments you refund to the seller (taxes paid in advance, heating oil, condo fees). The certificate of location is supplied by the seller, unless it is accurate and you or your lender require a new one anyway.
Choose the notary as soon as the offer is accepted: the deed is signed 30 to 60 days later and the notary needs two to three weeks for titles and the lender's report. Ask for a written estimate that separates fees, disbursements and taxes and says whether the mortgage is included. On signing day you bring, by bank draft or wire, the down payment minus the deposit already paid, plus the notary's fees and the adjustments; the notary receives the loan from the lender, pays the seller, discharges their mortgage and registers the deeds. A buyer using the seller's notary gains nothing: the notary is impartial, but the buyer chooses.
$1,800 to $3,500 in 2026 for a house with a mortgage, fees, disbursements and taxes included; less for a condo or a cash purchase.
The buyer, for the deed of sale and the mortgage; the seller pays only the discharge of their own mortgage.
No, each notary sets their fees; only Land Register registration fees are governmental. Hence the written estimate.
No, they are paid in cash on signing day, like the down payment; some lenders offer cash back on certain products.
To run your own numbers: the commission calculator, our fees and the mortgage calculator. French versions are linked below.
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts 221 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.