Tennessee Title Insurance Calculator

How Tennessee title insurance rates are set

This is the single most important thing to understand about Tennessee title insurance: the state does not set one premium that every company must charge. Tennessee rates are filed, meaning each underwriter files its own schedule and charges according to it. States like Florida and Texas promulgate rates, so the premium is identical everywhere. Tennessee does not work that way.

The practical consequence is that the same file can price differently depending on which underwriter issues the policy, and a quote is only meaningful when you know whose schedule it came from. The figures here follow Stewart’s filed Tennessee schedule effective January 8, 2024.

Rates vary by county, not just by price

Tennessee title insurance premiums are banded by region. Davidson County and the surrounding Montgomery, Rutherford, Sumner, and Williamson counties run on one set of brackets; Hamilton and Knox on another; Shelby County on its own; and the remaining counties on a fifth. A $400,000 policy does not cost the same in Nashville as it does in Memphis, which is why the calculator asks for the county group rather than just the price.

Within a county group the premium is tiered, so the rate per thousand falls as the policy amount rises. That is why doubling the price does not double the premium.

Owner’s policy versus lender’s policy

These are two different policies protecting two different parties. The owner’s policy protects your equity in the property for as long as you own it. The lender’s policy protects the lender’s security interest only, and it shrinks as the loan is paid down. A lender’s policy does nothing for you.

When both are issued at the same closing, the lender’s policy is a flat $200 alongside the owner’s policy on the filed schedule used here. That is the reason buying the owner’s policy is usually the better economics: you are already paying for the title search and examination work, and adding the coverage that actually protects you costs comparatively little.

Ask about the reissue rate

If the property has been insured before and a qualifying prior owner’s policy can be produced, the reissue rate cuts the owner’s premium to 70% of the basic rate. Nobody applies it automatically, and on a $400,000 Nashville policy it is worth over $700. Toggle it above to see the difference, or read the detail on the reissue and refinance page.

One more point specific to Tennessee: since a law effective July 1, 2025, the buyer or borrower has the exclusive, non-waivable right to choose the settlement agent, subject only to lender approval. Because rates are filed rather than promulgated, that choice can affect what you actually pay for title insurance.

Closing in Tennessee? We are a licensed Tennessee title agency — see how we handle Tennessee title insurance and closings, or read how a Tennessee mail-away or RON closing works if you are signing from another state.

Frequently Asked Questions