How much are lender fees on a mortgage?
"Too high" is a measurement, not a feeling, and the measurement exists. This dataset covers 3,787,575 real loans in the public HMDA record. Here is what your lender fees (Section A, Origination Charges, on page 2), points included, looked like in the most recent full year of that public record:
Read State of Mortgage Fees and Closing costs vs prepaids for the related details.
| Program and purpose | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional purchase | $1,202 | $2,075 | $4,817 |
| Conventional refinance, rate and term | $995 | $1,805 | $4,717 |
| Conventional refinance, cash out | $1,674 | $3,828 | $6,593 |
| FHA purchase | $1,440 | $3,089 | $5,811 |
| FHA refinance, rate and term | $0 | $950 | $4,699 |
| FHA refinance, cash out | $3,941 | $6,084 | $8,859 |
| VA purchase | $0 | $1,015 | $3,313 |
| VA refinance, rate and term | $1,329 | $2,755 | $4,658 |
| VA refinance, cash out | $4,544 | $7,877 | $11,995 |
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, Section A only
How to read this: half of all loans of each type landed between the 25th and 75th percentile. A quarter paid less, a quarter paid more. Yes, some zeros are real: a quarter of VA purchase loans and a quarter of FHA rate and term refinances closed with no Section A charges at all, mostly streamline programs and lenders who price their compensation into the rate instead.
Three honest caveats. Section A is measured as one total with points included, because that is how the public record reports it, so a loan with bought down points sits higher on this table while carrying a lower rate. These are national figures. And your loan size matters: a point on a large loan is more dollars than a point on a small one. This table pools all loan sizes; the size-banded breakdown lives on our State of Mortgage Fees page.
Under $150k
For conventional purchase loans in this size band, the 25th percentile Section A total is $950, the median is $1,527, and the 75th percentile is $2,507. The middle half of loans falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Worked example, a $125,000 conventional purchase: origination $700, points $300, and underwriting and processing $500 add up to a Section A total of $1,500. That total is within the typical range of $950 to $2,507. This comparison measures the total, never a single fee line.
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, conventional purchase, Section A total, points included.
$150k to $300k
For conventional purchase loans in this size band, the 25th percentile Section A total is $1,211, the median is $2,036, and the 75th percentile is $3,996. The middle half of loans falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Worked example, a $200,000 conventional purchase: origination $1,000, points $500, and underwriting and processing $600 add up to a Section A total of $2,100. That total is within the typical range of $1,211 to $3,996. This comparison measures the total, never a single fee line.
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, conventional purchase, Section A total, points included.
$300k to $500k
For conventional purchase loans in this size band, the 25th percentile Section A total is $1,325, the median is $2,570, and the 75th percentile is $5,775. The middle half of loans falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Worked example, a $400,000 conventional purchase: origination $4,000, points $1,000, and underwriting and processing $1,000 add up to a Section A total of $6,000. That total is above the typical range of $1,325 to $5,775. This comparison measures the total, never a single fee line.
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, conventional purchase, Section A total, points included.
$500k and up
For conventional purchase loans in this size band, the 25th percentile Section A total is $1,250, the median is $2,172, and the 75th percentile is $7,485. The middle half of loans falls between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Worked example, a $600,000 conventional purchase: origination $6,000, points $1,000, and underwriting and processing $1,000 add up to a Section A total of $8,000. That total is above the typical range of $1,250 to $7,485. This comparison measures the total, never a single fee line.
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, conventional purchase, Section A total, points included.
The bands are under $150,000, $150,000 to under $300,000, $300,000 to under $500,000, and $500,000 and up. Exactly $300,000 belongs in the $300k to $500k band; exactly $500,000 belongs in the $500k and up band. The examples are illustrative sums, not quotes or individual fee benchmarks. Different points can accompany different rates, so read the total alongside the rate.
Common questions
Who sets the lender fees on a Loan Estimate?
The lender sets the charges in Section A, Origination Charges. After you say you intend to proceed, those charges cannot increase.
How does one fee relate to the Section A total?
The public record reports Section A as one total, so a single fee has no public benchmark of its own. What can be measured is the total it sits inside. The loan-size sections below show the total ranges in dollars.
Does this table include points?
Yes. Section A is graded as one total, points included, because that is how the public record reports it.
This page answers the general question. What it cannot answer is where your numbers sit. The AI reads your Loan Estimate line by line and grades your Section A total and your rate against this same public data, priced for your credit, your down payment, and your loan type. One upload, one $29 report, and your document is deleted once it is delivered.
Upload, confirm your loan details, and see what your report covers. You pay $29 at checkout.