El Cerrito charges its own real property transfer tax of $12 for every $1,000 of the sale price, which is 1.2%, and it comes on top of Contra Costa County’s tax of $0.55 per $500. Together that’s $13.10 per $1,000. On a home that sells at El Cerrito’s August 2026 median of $1,242,678, the two together come to about $16,283.
That’s a big line on your net sheet, so plan for it. Here’s how the math works, who pays it, how to get part of it back, and the other El Cerrito costs to plan for.
What is the El Cerrito transfer tax rate?
1.2% of the full sale price. The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder collects it for the city at the time the deed records, “in addition to the Countywide DTT,” under El Cerrito Ordinance 18-03. The recorder rounds the price up to the nearest $1,000 before applying the city rate (Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, City of El Cerrito transfer tax page, checked September 24, 2026).
The ordinance itself says the same thing. Section 4.64.050 sets the tax at $12.00 “for each one thousand dollars” of the price, “or fractional part” of each $1,000, which is why the recorder rounds up (City of El Cerrito Ordinance No. 2018-03, adding Municipal Code Chapter 4.64, approved by voters November 6, 2018, checked September 25, 2026). The city’s own FAQ gives the same rate and points to Chapter 4.64. Questions go to [email protected] (City of El Cerrito FAQ, “Does El Cerrito have a property transfer tax?”, checked September 24, 2026).
Where did it come from? It went to voters as Measure V on November 6, 2018, together with making El Cerrito a charter city. The city’s Measure V page describes it as a $12 per $1,000 tax “paid by buyers or sellers,” expected to raise about $2.7 million a year (City of El Cerrito, November 2018 Measure V page, checked September 24, 2026). Voters approved it. The city’s rebate page says the 1.2% tax applies to sales in escrow on or after January 14, 2019 (City of El Cerrito, Transfer Tax Rebate Program page, checked September 24, 2026).
How much is the county transfer tax?
Much smaller. Contra Costa County collects $0.55 for every $500 of value on every property transfer, which works out to $1.10 per $1,000. The recorder rounds the value up to the nearest $500 first. The legal basis is state Revenue and Taxation Code 11911 and county Ordinance 64.6 (Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax page, checked September 24, 2026).
So in El Cerrito you pay two transfer taxes on one sale: the county’s 0.11% and the city’s 1.2%. Because El Cerrito is a charter city, the county tax is not credited against the city tax. California City Finance lists El Cerrito as chartered, at $12.00 per $1,000 city plus $1.10 county, for $13.10 per $1,000 combined (California City Finance, California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates, effective December 1, 2025, checked September 25, 2026).
What does that look like on a typical El Cerrito sale?
Let’s use the August 2026 median sale price of $1,242,678 (Redfin, El Cerrito housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026).
| Line | How it’s figured | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of El Cerrito tax | $1,243,000 (rounded up to the next $1,000) x $12 per $1,000 | $14,916.00 |
| Contra Costa County tax | $1,243,000 (rounded up to the next $500) x $0.55 per $500 | $1,367.30 |
| Both transfer taxes | $16,283.30 |
Your number moves with your price. Every $100,000 of sale price adds about $1,310 in combined transfer tax. Your escrow officer figures the exact amount on your estimated closing statement, so ask for it early.
Who pays the El Cerrito transfer tax, the buyer or the seller?
Whoever the contract says. The ordinance makes buyer and seller jointly liable for the city tax and says they “may apportion the tax among themselves” (El Cerrito Municipal Code 4.64.060, in Ordinance No. 2018-03, checked September 25, 2026). The city’s Measure V ballot question also described it as “paid by buyers or sellers.” Who pays is negotiable, and it gets written into the purchase agreement.
That makes it a real bargaining chip. In a sale with several offers, a buyer may agree to pay part or all of it. In a slower sale, a buyer may ask you to cover it. Look at who pays the transfer taxes when you compare offers, not just the price. If a contract term is unclear to you, ask your escrow officer or a real estate attorney before you sign.
Can I get part of the El Cerrito transfer tax back?
Possibly, if you do the right upgrades. The city runs a Transfer Tax Rebate Program for seismic work and energy and water conservation projects (City of El Cerrito, Transfer Tax Rebate Program page, checked September 24, 2026). The rules, from the city’s rebate claim form under Municipal Code Chapter 4.64:
- The rebate covers all or part of the cost of the qualifying work, capped at one-third of the city transfer tax paid, across all your applications combined (Municipal Code 4.64.080 and the claim form). On the $14,916 city tax in the example above, that’s a cap of $4,972. You can’t get back more than the work cost.
- The work has to be finished within one year before or one year after the sale.
- If the work is done before the sale, seller and buyer decide between themselves who applies for and gets the rebate. Put that in writing in the contract. If someone other than the applicant paid the tax, the city wants a notarized agreement or similar document showing both sides agree.
- You submit receipts or signed contracts with the claim form. If you do the work yourself, you can’t charge for your own time.
- Qualifying items include permitted seismic strengthening, foundation and mudsill repair done with a seismic upgrade, water heater bracing, rooftop solar, EV chargers, heat pumps, insulation and efficient windows, among others.
- Work that needs a permit and was done without one doesn’t qualify. Call the Building Division at 510-215-4360 before you start.
The program page says the sale must be in escrow on or after January 14, 2019. Only the city tax is covered, not the county’s.
What else does it cost to sell a house in El Cerrito?
The transfer taxes are one piece. Here’s the rest of a typical El Cerrito net sheet, in plain terms.
- Commission. Real estate commissions are negotiable. No law sets them. Agree on the fee, and what you get for it, in writing before you list.
- Sewer lateral certificate. El Cerrito is in the East Bay Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program. Selling a property is one of the three triggers for a Compliance Certificate. A certificate from a full lateral replacement lasts 20 years, and one from a repair or a passed test lasts 7 years. If the work can’t be finished before closing, a Time Extension Certificate gives six months and requires a refundable $4,500 deposit (East Bay Regional PSL Program FAQ, checked September 24, 2026). The cost of a test or repair depends on your line, so get a contractor’s video inspection first. Stege Sanitary District, which serves El Cerrito, Kensington and Richmond Annex, sends certificate questions to EBMUD at 1-866-403-2683 (Stege Sanitary District, Private Sewer Lateral page, checked September 24, 2026).
- Fire zone inspection, if your home is in a high or very high zone. The city requires sellers there to request a defensible space and home hardening inspection from the El Cerrito Fire Department and give the buyer a disclosure report (City of El Cerrito, Fire Hazard Severity Zones page, checked September 24, 2026). State law (Civil Code 1102.19) requires the seller to hand over that local documentation for sales in those zones. If the seller doesn’t have it, seller and buyer sign a written agreement that the buyer will comply with the local ordinance. Look up your address with the CAL FIRE map linked on the city’s page, and ask the Fire Department about timing and any fee.
- Escrow, title and recording fees. These vary by company and price. Your escrow officer gives you the estimate.
- Loan payoff and property tax proration. Your mortgage balance gets paid off at closing, and property taxes are split by date between you and the buyer.
- Repairs and credits you agree to after the buyer’s inspections.
Do I owe tax on the profit when I sell?
Maybe not, but check with a tax professional. The IRS lets many owners exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or up to $500,000 on a joint return, if they owned the home and lived in it for at least two of the five years before the sale (IRS, Topic 701, Sale of Your Home, checked September 24, 2026). There are exceptions and partial exclusions. We explain the rules. We don’t give tax advice. Talk to a CPA or tax professional about your own numbers before you list.
Questions people also ask
What is the El Cerrito transfer tax rate?
El Cerrito’s real property transfer tax is $12 for every $1,000 of the sale price, or 1.2%, under Municipal Code Chapter 4.64, per the city’s FAQ checked September 24, 2026. Contra Costa County adds $0.55 per $500 of value, so the combined rate is $13.10 per $1,000. The county recorder collects both taxes when the deed records. Ask your escrow officer for the exact figure on your sale.
How much transfer tax is due on a $1.2 million El Cerrito home?
At El Cerrito’s August 2026 Redfin median of $1,242,678, the city tax is $14,916 and the county tax is $1,367.30, for $16,283.30 total. The county recorder rounds the price up to the next $1,000 for the city tax and the next $500 for the county tax. Your escrow officer confirms the final amount on your closing statement.
Does the seller or the buyer pay El Cerrito’s transfer tax?
It depends on your contract. The city ordinance makes buyer and seller jointly liable and lets them split the tax however they agree, so who pays is negotiable. The choice is written into the purchase agreement. In a competitive sale a buyer may offer to cover some or all of it. Compare that term along with the price, and ask escrow or a real estate attorney if anything is unclear.
Can I get an El Cerrito transfer tax rebate?
Yes, if you complete qualifying seismic, energy or water conservation work within a year before or after the sale. The City of El Cerrito rebates the cost of that work up to a cap of one-third of the city transfer tax paid, per its rebate claim form under Municipal Code Chapter 4.64. Unpermitted work that needed a permit doesn’t count. Call the Building Division at 510-215-4360 before starting.
Do I need a sewer lateral certificate to sell in El Cerrito?
Yes. El Cerrito is in the East Bay Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program, and a property sale requires a Compliance Certificate, per the program’s FAQ checked September 24, 2026. If the work isn’t done before closing, a Time Extension Certificate allows six months and requires a refundable $4,500 deposit. Start with a video inspection of your line so you know the cost early.
Your next step
Want to see your own number before you decide anything? We’ll build a net sheet for your El Cerrito home with both transfer taxes, the sewer lateral step and the fire zone check if it applies. Ask an El Cerrito agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on El Cerrito: How do I sell my house in El Cerrito for the most money? · Living in El Cerrito, CA · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, El Cerrito, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax, City of El Cerrito page (Ord. 18-03, $12.00 per $1,000, rounding rule): contracostavote.gov/recorder/recording-fees/documentary-transfer-tax/city-of-el-cerrito (checked September 24, 2026)
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax page (RT 11911 and CCC Ord. 64.6, $0.55 per $500): contracostavote.gov/recorder/recording-fees/documentary-transfer-tax (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, Ordinance No. 2018-03, adding Municipal Code Chapter 4.64 (sections 4.64.050 rate, 4.64.060 liability, 4.64.080 rebate): contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/Ordinance-No.-2018-03.pdf (checked September 25, 2026)
- California City Finance, California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates, effective December 1, 2025: californiacityfinance.com/PropTransfTaxRates.pdf (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, FAQ “Does El Cerrito have a property transfer tax?”: elcerrito.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=62 (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, November 2018 Measure V page: elcerrito.gov/1292/November-2018-Measure-V (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, Transfer Tax Rebate Program page: elcerrito.gov/1314/Transfer-Tax-Rebate-Program (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, Real Property Transfer Tax Rebate Claim Form, Municipal Code Chapter 4.64: elcerrito.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11300 (checked September 24, 2026)
- Redfin, El Cerrito housing market page, August 2026, checked September 24, 2026: redfin.com/city/5618/CA/El-Cerrito/housing-market
- East Bay Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program, FAQ: eastbaypsl.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- Stege Sanitary District, Private Sewer Lateral page: stegesan.org/private-sewer-lateral (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of El Cerrito, Fire Hazard Severity Zones page: elcerrito.gov/1713/Fire-Hazard-Severity-Zones (checked September 24, 2026)
- California Civil Code 1102.19: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- IRS, Topic 701, Sale of Your Home: irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701 (checked September 24, 2026)