Conveyancing cost in South Australia: the complete $700 to $1,300 breakdown

A conveyancer in South Australia charges roughly $700 to $1,300 for a standard residential matter, but that professional fee is only a slice of what you actually pay. The largest single cost is stamp duty, and on top of that sit disbursements and the Land Services SA fee for registering the transfer. This guide sets out every part, with the duty and registry figures computed from the current RevenueSA and Land Services SA rates.

Where the $700 to $1,300 range comes from

Published South Australian fee guides put a standard residential conveyance at $700 to $1,300 for the professional fee, with disbursements of a further $250 to $500 for the title, council and water searches your conveyancer orders. Both figures come from whichrealestateagent.com.au's 2026 fee guides, which quote the same $700 to $1,300 range on their national state-by-state page and their dedicated Adelaide selling-costs page. These are market ranges, not a fixed schedule, so always ask for a written fixed-fee quote for your own matter.

That professional fee is separate from, and much smaller than, the government charges a buyer pays. The table below shows the full picture.

Total cost of buying in South Australia at five price points

The stamp duty and land registry figures below are computed from the current RevenueSA standard rate table and the Land Services SA fee formula, and the professional fee and disbursements are the market ranges above. Duty here is shown at the standard rate; a first home buyer of a new home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land pays none at all (see how first home buyers pay less).

Stamp duty computed from the RevenueSA rate of stamp duty (standard rate, no first home buyer relief applied). Land Services SA fee computed from the official lodgement and transaction fee formula, browser-verified against the Property Transfer Fee Calculator. Professional fee and disbursement ranges are market estimates (whichrealestateagent.com.au, 2026), not official figures. Excludes any foreign ownership surcharge, loan costs, and building or pest inspections.

Professional fee versus disbursements

A South Australian conveyancing quote should always separate two things:

1. Professional fee: what your conveyancer or lawyer charges for their time and expertise. This is negotiated directly and varies between practices, which is where the $700 to $1,300 spread comes from.
2. Disbursements: the third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf, such as the title search, council and SA Water certificates that go into the Form 1 vendor statement, and the Land Services SA registration fee. Most of these are set by government or third parties, not by the conveyancer.

A quote that shows only a professional fee, with no estimate of disbursements, is incomplete. Ask for a single figure that includes both.

Buyer costs in South Australia

As a buyer in South Australia, budget for the following on top of your deposit and purchase price:

• Conveyancer or lawyer professional fee: about $700 to $1,300 for a standard matter (market estimate). A licensed conveyancer is usually cheaper than a solicitor for a straightforward purchase.
• Stamp duty: paid to RevenueSA on the value of the property. This is the largest cost for most buyers (see the table above), and South Australia has no separate lower rate for owner-occupiers.
• Disbursements: the searches your own conveyancer runs to review the vendor's Form 1 statement and the contract, roughly $250 to $500 (market estimate).
• Land Services SA fee: the combined lodgement and transaction fee to register the transfer of title, which scales with the price (see the table above).
• PEXA settlement fee: most South Australian settlements now complete electronically through the PEXA platform, which charges a fee to each party.
• Building and pest inspection: not a conveyancing fee, but a cost most buyers incur before signing, arranged separately.

Seller costs in South Australia

As a seller in South Australia, your conveyancing costs are different from a buyer's, because your conveyancer's central job is preparing the Form 1 vendor statement (section 7) before, or as, the property goes to contract:

• Conveyancer or lawyer professional fee: sellers often sit at the higher end of the range because assembling the Form 1 requires ordering title, council and water certificates.
• Form 1 disbursements: the certificates and searches your conveyancer must gather to disclose encumbrances, easements, zoning and the other matters required by the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994 (SA).
• Mortgage discharge cost: if you have a loan on the property, your lender charges a discharge fee to release its security at settlement. This is paid to the lender, not your conveyancer.
• Estate agent commission: usually the largest cost of selling, and separate from conveyancing.

A seller does not pay stamp duty on a straightforward residential sale; duty is a buyer cost. Any capital gains tax is a separate matter for your accountant. The full vendor's side, from the Form 1 duty to settlement, is in the selling property in South Australia guide.

Stamp duty: the biggest cost

Stamp duty is a State Government tax, set under the Stamp Duties Act 1923 (SA) and administered by RevenueSA. It is a graduated tax: the higher the price, the higher the effective rate. Because it dwarfs the professional fee, and because South Australia's first home buyer rules turn on a distinction (new versus established home) that many buyers do not expect, it deserves its own detailed guide.

See Stamp duty South Australia: rates and calculator for the full duty picture and to estimate your own amount.

How first home buyers pay less, and who does not

Unlike Victoria or New South Wales, South Australia has no lower rate for owner-occupiers at all: an investor and a home-living owner pay exactly the same standard duty. The only saving is for first home buyers, and it is an all-or-nothing rule rather than a sliding scale:

• New home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land: an eligible first home buyer pays no stamp duty at all, with no property value cap for contracts entered into on or after 13 February 2025. At $650,000, for example, that is $0 rather than the standard $29,580.
• Established (previously lived-in) home: there is no relief at all. A first home buyer of an established home pays the full standard duty shown in the table above, the same as any other buyer.

This established-versus-new distinction is the single most important thing a South Australian first home buyer needs to know before choosing what to buy. It is explained in full in the first home buyer South Australia guide and the stamp duty South Australia guide.

How to compare South Australian quotes honestly

When you gather quotes, ask each conveyancer or lawyer for a written breakdown that separates their professional fee from an itemised estimate of disbursements, states whether the quote is fixed or can vary, and lists what is not included. The cheapest headline fee is not always the cheapest total, because a low professional fee can sit next to a thin disbursements estimate. Compare like for like.

Conveyancing Explained provides general information about property transactions in Australia. It is not legal advice and does not create a client relationship. For advice on your situation, engage a licensed conveyancer, settlement agent, or property solicitor in your state or territory.