Estate Administration Cost Calculator

Estate administration is everything that happens between a death and the final distribution of assets: court filings, appraisals, tax returns, attorney work and executor compensation. Those costs typically run 2% to 8% of the gross estate — estimate yours here before deciding how much planning you need.

Gross Estate Value ($)

State Probate Regime

Estate Complexity

Real Property Value ($)

Number of Real Properties

📊 How the Cost Varies by State

State	Executor Fee Basis	Fee on $800k Estate	Notes
California	Statutory sliding scale on gross value	~$19,000	Same scale also pays the attorney
New York	Statutory percentages by bracket	~$19,900	Commissions only, attorney separate
Florida	Statutory 3% on first $1M	~$24,000	Reasonable attorney fee on top
Texas	Reasonable compensation	~$8,000–$16,000	Independent administration is cheaper
Nevada / Alaska	Reasonable, simplified process	~$5,000–$12,000	Small-estate affidavits avoid probate

In commission states the executor and the attorney are each paid on the same statutory scale, so the two fees together can approach 4% of the gross estate — roughly double the cost in a reasonable-compensation state for an identical estate.

📐 What Estate Administration Actually Costs

Total = Executor + Attorney + Court + Appraisals + Accounting

Each component scales differently with estate size

Typical component ranges

Executor commission — $0 if a family member waives it, or 2%–5% of the estate under a statutory schedule.
Attorney fees — $2,500–$5,000 for a simple uncontested probate; $15,000–$40,000+ for a contested or complex estate.
Court filing fees — usually $200–$1,200 depending on state and estate value.
Appraisals — $400–$800 per real property, plus $1,500–$5,000 for a formal business valuation.
Accounting / final tax returns — $1,500–$6,000 for Form 1041 and the estate's final 1040.
Bond — 0.5%–1.5% of estate value where required, often waived by will.

How to reduce the cost

Hold assets in a revocable living trust so they bypass probate entirely.
Use transfer-on-death or payable-on-death designations on accounts.
Waive the bond in the will, and allow independent administration where the state offers it (Texas, for example).
Name a family executor who waives compensation if the estate is modest.

💸 What Actually Drives the Cost of Settling an Estate

Two variables explain most of the variation in estate administration cost: whether the estate must go through formal probate and whether the state sets executor fees by statute.

Estate Size	Simple Probate	Moderate	Complex / Contested
$200,000	$3,000 – $6,000	$6,000 – $12,000	$15,000+
$500,000	$6,000 – $12,000	$12,000 – $25,000	$30,000+
$800,000	$10,000 – $19,000	$19,000 – $40,000	$50,000+
$2,000,000	$25,000 – $48,000	$48,000 – $100,000	$150,000+

Express these as a percentage and a pattern emerges: cost is roughly inverse to estate size. A $200,000 estate can lose 3% to 5% of its value to administration, while a $2M estate often pays 1.5% to 2.5% because the court filings and attorney work are largely fixed. That is why probate is hardest on small and moderate estates — and why the "it's only a few percent" framing is misleading at the low end.

🏛️ Executor Commission: Statutory vs Reasonable Compensation

Roughly a dozen states publish a statutory fee schedule for executors; the rest rely on "reasonable compensation," which is whatever the court will approve. Typical statutory structures look like this:

Estate Value Band	Typical Statutory Rate	Applied To
First $100,000	4% – 5%	Whole estate value in the band
$100,000 – $200,000	3% – 4%	The portion in the band
$200,000 – $1,000,000	2% – 3%	The portion in the band
$1,000,000 – $5,000,000	1% – 2%	The portion in the band
Above $5,000,000	0.5% – 1%	The portion in the band

Never forget that a commission is taxable income to the executor. A family member who takes a $30,000 commission owes income tax on it, while in some states an attorney is paid on a parallel statutory scale on top of the executor's fee — meaning the estate pays twice for the same work if one person is both executor and attorney.

If the estate is modest, the most common cost-saving move is for the family executor to waive the commission. That must be documented in the court filings, and it is generally treated as a non-gift for tax purposes because the fee was never earned.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to administer an estate?

Total administration cost typically runs 2% to 8% of the gross estate. A simple $500,000 probate with a family executor often lands near $8,000 to $12,000, while a contested multimillion-dollar estate can exceed $100,000.

Who pays for estate administration costs?

The estate pays, which reduces what beneficiaries receive. Costs are paid from estate assets before distribution, and the executor’s commission and attorney fees have priority over most other claims.

Is the executor always paid?

No. Executors are entitled to compensation but frequently waive it, especially family members who are also the primary beneficiary — taking a fee would only move money from the estate into the same person’s taxable income.

How can I avoid probate and its costs?

Hold assets in a revocable living trust, name beneficiaries on retirement accounts, add transfer-on-death designations to brokerage and bank accounts, and own real estate jointly with right of survivorship where appropriate. Assets with a valid beneficiary designation bypass probate entirely.

Does estate size affect the fee percentage?

Yes, in the opposite direction you might expect. Fixed costs like court filings and the base attorney fee do not scale with estate size, so they consume a larger percentage of a small estate and a smaller percentage of a large one.

Are administration costs tax deductible?

Many are. Executor commissions, attorney fees and court costs are generally deductible on the estate’s income tax return (Form 1041) or, if the estate is taxable, on the estate tax return (Form 706) — but not both. The election is made on Form 706.

⚠️ Important Disclaimer: This calculator produces estimates from typical statutory schedules and industry ranges. Executor compensation is governed by state law and court approval, and attorney fees vary dramatically by locality and complexity. Probate rules change; confirm current figures with a licensed attorney in the relevant state. Not legal or tax advice.