The Seller’s Bottomline

Updated October 7, 2026. Transfer tax rates and city report fees checked against county and city sources on that date.

The Seller’s Bottomline is a seller net sheet for the South Bay: start with your expected sale price, pick your city and see what you would walk away with after brokerage compensation, transfer taxes, escrow, title, city reports, repairs and your loan payoff. Every line starts with a local default you can change, and the transfer tax and city report follow the city you choose.

What does it cost to sell a home in the South Bay?

The biggest line is brokerage compensation, followed by your loan payoff, transfer taxes, escrow and title fees, city reports and whatever you choose to spend on repairs or credits to the buyer. The calculator above lays these out the way an escrow settlement statement does, so the bottom line you see is the number that would be wired to you after everything else is paid.

Here is the arithmetic on a $1.5 million sale in Redondo Beach. The county transfer tax is $1,650 and the city adds $3,300. At 2.5 percent per side, brokerage compensation is $75,000. Escrow runs about $3,200 and an owner’s title policy about $3,300. Put another way, every $100,000 of sale price carries about $330 in combined Redondo Beach and county transfer tax.

Which South Bay cities charge their own transfer tax?

Los Angeles County collects $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price on every sale. Redondo Beach adds $2.20 per $1,000. The City of Los Angeles, which includes San Pedro, Harbor City, Westchester and Playa del Rey, adds $4.50 per $1,000, plus Measure ULA: 4 percent of the full price on sales above $5.4 million and 5.5 percent at $10.9 million and up, under the rates the County Registrar-Recorder lists as effective July 1, 2026. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula cities collect the county tax only.

Which cities require a report before you sell?

Several South Bay cities require a city records report before a sale, and the calculator adds the fee for the city you choose. As of October 7, 2026, from each city’s published code and fee schedule:

• Redondo Beach: Report of Residential Building Records, $157.
• Manhattan Beach: Residential Building Report, $241.
• Palos Verdes Estates: Real Property Records Report, $195.
• Rolling Hills Estates: Presale Inspection Report, $297.30 for records only, which the buyer may waive.
• Lomita: Residential Property Report for houses, not condos, $275.20 plus a 4 percent city surcharge.
• Gardena: Property Information Report for houses, not condos, $531 exterior only.
• Lawndale: Residential Property Report, $240.
• Inglewood: Report of Building Records, $263.
• City of Los Angeles: Report of Residential Property Records, $70.85, with retrofit certifications such as water-conserving fixtures and a seismic gas shut-off valve.
• Hermosa Beach: voluntary since January 1, 2026, $496 if you order one.
• Torrance: no records report, but a smoke and carbon monoxide detector certificate at sale.

We could not confirm a resale report requirement for El Segundo, Rancho Palos Verdes or Rolling Hills from those cities’ published sources, so the calculator leaves that line at zero for them. Your escrow officer will confirm.

Why are staging, preparation and repair costs in the estimate?

Most South Bay sellers spend something getting a home ready and something more after the buyer’s inspections. For a single-family home the calculator starts with $6,000 for staging, $4,000 for listing preparation such as paint, cleaning, landscaping and small fixes, $4,000 for termite work, $5,000 for roof work, $2,500 for sewer line work and a mold or dry rot line at zero. For a condo or townhome it starts with $6,000 for staging, $2,000 for preparation and $800 for HOA transfer and document fees, and leaves out termite, roof and sewer, which in most associations fall to the HOA. Your CC&Rs spell out who covers what. These are padded planning budgets, not bids. In Neil’s experience, sellers who plan for them up front negotiate from a calmer place when the reports come back. Uncheck any line, change the amount, or add your own with the Add your own line button.

Is brokerage compensation set?

No. Commissions are negotiable and not set by law, and paying the buyer’s agent is optional and agreed in your listing and purchase contracts. The calculator starts at 2.5 percent per side so you can see a full picture, and you can change either side to any figure.

Planning the purchase after your sale? See Find Your Comfort Zone. For the rest of the process, read Selling a Home in the South Bay.

Buying, selling, or still working out whether the South Bay is where to set down roots? Neil Chhabria and the team will walk through your bottom line with you. Reach out here.

Sources

• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Documentary Transfer Tax and city rates. Verified October 7, 2026.
• City of Redondo Beach, Residential Building Reports. Verified October 7, 2026.
• City of Los Angeles, Report of Residential Property Records. Verified October 7, 2026.
• City of Rolling Hills Estates, Presale Inspection Report. Verified October 7, 2026.
• City of Gardena, Truth in Sales. Verified October 7, 2026.
• City of Lawndale, Residential Property Report. Verified October 7, 2026.
• Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Hermosa Beach, Lomita and Inglewood fees are from each city’s current master fee schedule. Verified October 7, 2026.
• Escrow and title estimates are based on a May 2026 Manhattan Beach seller settlement statement. Each escrow and title company sets its own rates.

The Seller’s Bottomline Report is an estimate only. All numbers are subject to verification through the escrow process and can change without notice. Chhabria Real Estate Company is not an escrow company, lender, tax advisor or attorney.