Texas Title Insurance Cost in 2026: Complete Guide for DFW Homebuyers

Title insurance is one of the largest line items on a Texas closing disclosure, and yet most buyers don't know who pays for it or how the premium is calculated until they're a week from closing. I'm Bond Peter Njoku (NMLS #2670329), and in this guide I'll give you the current 2026 promulgated rate table, explain who pays what at a typical DFW closing, and show you exactly how much you'll see on your settlement statement for a $300,000 or $350,000 home.

The good news: Texas title insurance rates dropped 6.2% on March 1, 2026, when the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) issued a mandatory rate reduction. That saved buyers and sellers on every transaction closed after that date.

How does Texas title insurance pricing work?

Texas is unusual among states because the TDI sets the title insurance premium statewide — every licensed title company must charge the same promulgated rate. You can't shop for a lower base premium by calling three different title companies the way you can in other states. What you can shop for is the escrow/settlement fee and other ancillary fees, which vary by title company and add $350–$800 to your closing costs.

Texas uses a tiered premium structure based on purchase price. The rate is calculated as a percentage of the purchase price (for the owner's policy) or the loan amount (for the lender's policy), with the per-dollar rate decreasing as the price increases.

What is the title insurance rate table for 2026 in Texas?

These are the TDI promulgated rates effective March 1, 2026 (reflecting the 6.2% reduction). The lender's policy cost shown assumes simultaneous issue (issued at the same closing as the owner's policy), which reduces the lender's policy to a flat $100.

Who pays for title insurance in Texas — buyer or seller?

By longstanding convention in most Texas markets (including DFW), the seller pays for the owner's title policy and the buyer pays for the lender's title policy. This split is standard in the TREC contract but is always negotiable — the purchase agreement controls who actually pays.

The owner's title policy protects the buyer's ownership interest in the property (for as long as the buyer or their heirs own it). The lender's title policy protects the mortgage lender's security interest. When both policies are issued at the same closing — which is almost always the case — the lender's policy benefits from the simultaneous issue rate: just $100, regardless of the loan amount. That's a significant discount from what the standalone lender's policy would cost.

What other title-related costs will appear on my closing disclosure?

Beyond the title insurance premiums themselves, DFW buyers typically see the following additional title and escrow fees:

What will title insurance actually cost on a $310,000 purchase in Forney or Rockwall?

Let me walk through a real closing scenario. My client — a first-time buyer in Forney — purchased a home at $310,000 with an FHA loan. Here's how the title line items looked on their closing disclosure:

• Owner's title policy ($310K): ~$1,847 → paid by seller
• Lender's title policy (simultaneous issue): $100 → paid by buyer
• Escrow fee (buyer's share): $475 → paid by buyer
• Recording fees: $138 → paid by buyer
• Survey: $0 — seller provided T-47 affidavit with existing survey
• T-19 endorsement: $50 minimum → paid by buyer

Total title-related costs the buyer paid at closing: $763. The seller absorbed the $1,847 owner's policy cost. This breakdown is typical of what I see at DFW closings in this price range — buyers pay $600–$900 in title-related fees, not thousands.

The survey situation in Texas is worth a separate note: if the seller has an existing survey and signs a T-47 affidavit certifying nothing has changed since the survey was done, the title company can insure based on that existing survey. That saves the buyer $400–$700 in survey costs. I always ask sellers whether a recent survey exists — it's one of the easiest ways to cut buyer closing costs.

What are common title insurance endorsements in DFW transactions?

Endorsements are add-ons to the title policy that cover specific risks. In DFW, two are most common:

• T-19 (Restrictions, Encroachments & Minerals — Loan): Covers the lender's interest against certain boundary and restriction issues. Required by most lenders and costs 5% of the basic loan premium, minimum $50.
• T-17 (PUD / Planned Unit Development): Required when the property is in an HOA community that affects title. Costs $25 and is extremely common in new DFW subdivisions.