Texas Title Fees: Premiums, Policies, and Settlement Charges
A line-by-line guide to the title charges that can appear in a Texas purchase, including what is regulated, what can vary, and what the contract assigns.
Short answer: Texas regulates basic title insurance premium rates. That does not make every title-related charge identical. Policy type, coverage amount, simultaneous issue, endorsements, settlement services, survey work, tax certificates, HOA items, and contract allocation can change the final title section.
Key facts
| Basic premium | Calculated under the current Texas Department of Insurance rate schedule |
| Owner policy | Protects the owner's covered title interest, subject to the policy |
| Loan policy | Protects the lender's covered lien interest, subject to the policy |
| Simultaneous issue | Can change the loan-policy charge when owner and loan policies issue together |
| Other charges | Settlement, escrow, endorsements, survey, HOA, and recording items can be separate |
What Texas regulates
The Texas Department of Insurance title-rate schedule effective March 1, 2026 controls the basic premium calculation for covered title policies. The premium is tied to the policy amount and the state schedule, not a title company's discretionary markup.
The schedule does not mean every transaction has the same total. Coverage amount, policy combination, credits allowed by the rate rules, endorsements, settlement work, escrow services, recording, tax certificates, surveys, HOA documents, and other closing services can alter the full title and settlement section.
Owner policy and lender policy
An owner's title policy protects the buyer's covered ownership interest against insured title risks, subject to exclusions, exceptions, conditions, and the policy amount. A lender's title policy protects the mortgage lender's covered lien interest. One policy does not substitute for the other because the insured parties and interests differ.
A purchase with financing commonly involves both policies. When they are issued at the same time, simultaneous-issue treatment can affect the loan-policy premium. The title commitment, invoice, Loan Estimate, Closing Disclosure, and final policies should agree on the parties, coverage amounts, and charged items.
Settlement charges and endorsements
Title-related closing costs can extend beyond the state-set basic premium. Settlement or escrow fees pay for transaction administration. Endorsements modify policy coverage for specific matters. Recording charges, tax certificates, courier or electronic-document services, survey items, HOA certificates, and payoff handling can appear separately when applicable.
Ask whether a line is a regulated policy premium, a filed endorsement charge, a government charge, or a separate settlement service. That distinction makes a quote easier to compare and helps prevent a state-set premium from being confused with the entire title bill.
Who pays is a contract question
Texas title rates do not decide which party pays every item. The purchase contract and negotiation allocate many charges. A seller may agree to pay for an owner's policy or provide a broader credit, but the agreement, loan-program limits, actual eligible costs, and closing documents control.
Use the Texas who-pays guide for allocation and the seller-concessions guide for contribution limits. Use the closing-cost calculator to model a transaction with current inputs.
How to compare title quotes
- Use the same purchase price, loan amount, property, and proposed coverage.
- Separate the owner-policy and loan-policy premiums.
- Confirm whether simultaneous-issue treatment is reflected.
- List each endorsement and why it applies.
- Separate settlement services from government recording charges.
- Check survey, tax-certificate, HOA, courier, and electronic-document items.
- Compare the title quote with the Loan Estimate and final Closing Disclosure.
The closing-cost hub shows where title charges fit inside the complete A-through-J disclosure map.
Questions and answers
Are Texas title insurance premiums regulated?
Yes. The Texas Department of Insurance sets the basic premium rates. Separate settlement services, endorsements, recording charges, and transaction-specific items can still affect the total.
What is the difference between an owner policy and a lender policy?
An owner policy protects the buyer's covered ownership interest. A lender policy protects the lender's covered lien interest. Each remains subject to its own terms, exclusions, and exceptions.
Who pays for title insurance in Texas?
The contract and negotiation control allocation. State premium rules determine the charge, but they do not assign every item to the buyer or seller.
Can title fees change before closing?
Some items can change when the loan amount, coverage, endorsements, services, survey, HOA information, or contract changes. Compare the title invoice, Loan Estimate, and Closing Disclosure.