Probate cost in Iowa
In Iowa, estates up to $50,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is $600 and state law puts the attorney fee at $6,120.
Iowa's small estate limit is $50,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probate source$600
- Attorney fee sourceLegal maximum: the real fee can be lower$6,120
- Executor fee sourceLegal maximum: the real fee can be lower$6,120
Probate totalup to $12,840
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $200 | $2,120 | $2,120 | up to $4,440 |
| $250,000 | $500 | $5,120 | $5,120 | up to $10,740 |
| $500,000 | $1,000 | $10,120 | $10,120 | up to $21,240 |
| $1,000,000 | $2,000 | $20,120 | $20,120 | up to $42,240 |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Iowa
- Small estate limit: $50,000 (Distribution of property by affidavit, very small estates (Iowa Code 633.356)). Does not cover real estate. Heirs wait 40 days after the death. Limit is the gross value of personal property passing by will or intestacy. For deaths on or after 1-1-2025 there must be no real property. Not indexed. Carried over from the first pass; not re-checked in this pass. Source
- Simplified probate: Administration of small estates (Iowa Code chapter 635, section 635.1), up to $200,000. Source
- Court fee: $600 for a $300,000 estate. Iowa Code 2026, 633.31(3)(a): court costs equal 0.2% of the value of probate assets in the report and inventory. Not charged on joint tenancy property, lifetime transfers, life insurance and retirement or POD/TOD accounts payable to others, or real estate outside Iowa. $300,000 x 0.002 = $600. Small fixed charges in 633.31(2) are extra when used (for example $10 per order, $20 per bond, $20 per change-of-title certificate). Source
- Attorney fee: Legal maximum: the real fee can be lower. Iowa Code 2026, 633.198: a reasonable attorney fee set by the court, not in excess of the personal representative schedule in 633.197. A cap, not an automatic fee. Source
- Executor fee: Legal maximum: the real fee can be lower. Iowa Code 2026, 633.197: reasonable fees set by the court, not in excess of 6% of the first $1,000, 4% from $1,000 to $5,000, 2% above $5,000, as full pay for ordinary services. A cap, not an automatic fee. Source
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.