Quick answer: Iowa's court cost for a decedent's estate is 0.2% (two-tenths of one percent) of the value of the probate assets in the report and inventory, under Iowa Code § 633.31, plus small clerk fees. On a $500,000 probate estate that's about $1,000. Publication and bond are extra. See the full picture in the Iowa probate cost calculator.
The 0.2% court cost
Iowa Code § 633.31(3): for services in a decedent's estate (or a Chapter 635 estate), the clerk charges court costs equal to 0.2% of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory. The cost is not charged on non-probate assets — joint tenancy property, lifetime transfers, life insurance / IRA / POD / TOD payable to beneficiaries other than the estate, or out-of-state real estate.
Court cost by estate size
| Probate assets | Court cost (0.2%) |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $200 |
| $300,000 | $600 |
| $500,000 | $1,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $2,000 |
Other clerk fees (§ 633.31)
- Probate of will without administration — $15.
- Taking and approving a bond — $20.
- Certifying change of title — $20.
- Filing and indexing a transcript — $50.
- Certificate and seal — $10.
Other administration costs
- Publication to creditors — newspaper notice; the 4-month claim period runs from the second publication (~$200–$400).
- Bond — may be required unless waived by the will or heirs; priced on estate value.
- Appraisal — if real estate or a business must be valued.
Not the big cost: the 0.2% court cost is small next to the executor and attorney fees (each up to the 6/4/2% schedule under §§ 633.197–633.198). Iowa has no inheritance or estate tax, so there's no death-tax layer.
Ways to keep court costs down
- Small estate affidavit — personal property up to $100,000, no real estate (§ 633.356).
- Chapter 635 administration — for estates up to $200,000, still 0.2% but simpler.
- Keep assets non-probate — POD/TOD, joint tenancy and trusts avoid the 0.2% cost.