Legal & due diligence
Title insurance
By Bo Yu, Broker, Right at Home Realty, Brokerage · Verified/updated August 2026
Title insurance is a one-time policy that protects you against problems with the ownership of the property: title fraud, undisclosed liens, encroachments, unpermitted work by a previous owner, and errors in the public record.
There are two policies. The lender policy protects the bank's security and is effectively mandatory. The owner policy protects you, costs very little extra when bought at the same time, and lasts as long as you own the home.
It has largely replaced the old requirement for a new survey, which is why most Ontario purchases no longer include one.
- Who charges it
- A title insurer (FCT, Stewart, Chicago Title, TitlePLUS), billed through your lawyer.
- Who normally pays
- The buyer.
- When it's paid
- At closing, on your lawyer's statement of account.
- Cash or financed
- Cash at closing.
- Typical range
- $250–$600 one time
How it's calculated — and why it varies
The premium is set by the insurer and scales with the purchase price, with the mortgage amount and any add-on coverage affecting the final number. It is paid once — there is no renewal.
- Roughly $250–$600 for a typical Ottawa home when the owner and lender policies are bought together.
- Higher-value homes and rural properties with wells, septic systems or unregistered easements cost more.
- New construction and condominium policies are priced slightly differently.
- HST applies to the insurer's service charges but the premium itself is taxed under insurance rules — your lawyer's quote will show the all-in figure.
Exemptions, refunds and when it doesn't apply
- You can decline the owner policy and buy only the lender policy, but you then have no coverage of your own — most lawyers advise against it.
- Title insurance does not cover known defects disclosed before closing, environmental problems, or the physical condition of the house. That is what the home inspection is for.
- It does not replace your home insurance policy.
- If you are buying without a mortgage, a lender policy isn't needed — an owner policy still is worth considering, particularly against title fraud.
A real Ottawa example
On a $650,000 resale in Orleans with a $520,000 mortgage, a combined owner-and-lender policy typically runs about $400, billed once through the lawyer.
Five years later, when a neighbour's fence turns out to sit two feet over the line, that same policy is what pays for the survey and the legal work — long after the receipt has been forgotten.
How this shows up in the calculator
The calculator carries a flat "Title insurance" row at a mid-range Ottawa premium. Your lawyer's quote will replace it with the exact number once the policy is ordered.
Open the calculatorOfficial sources — verified/updated August 2026
Rules and rates change. These are the first-party pages this one was checked against; confirm anything that matters to your purchase directly with them.
Every figure on this page is a planning estimate for general information only, based on the assumptions shown, and are not legal, tax, mortgage or financial advice or an offer of credit. Actual rates, payments, taxes, fees and values vary — confirm the numbers with your lender, lawyer or accountant before relying on them. Full disclosures.
This page is general information about how a cost works in Ontario, not legal, tax, mortgage or accounting advice, and not a quote. Your lawyer, lender and accountant confirm what actually applies to your purchase.
Want this priced out for a real Ottawa property?
Send Bo the address or price range and you'll get a written cost sheet for that specific purchase — no obligation.
Ottawa in focus
What the city actually looks like
