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Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts · checked 2026-10-21
Probate court fees in Harris County, Texas
The Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts charges $360 to open a decedent's estate (probate of a will, associated court filing fees), whatever the estate is worth. The county page gives no effective date.
- 1$100,000 estate $360
- 2Fee basis Flat fee
- 3Small-estate filing $360
- 4Items in schedule 16
One fee at every estate size
Harris County's schedule does not move with the size of the estate: a $25,000 estate and a $1,000,000 estate both pay $360 to start. Dallas County and Travis County charge the same amount among the other Texas counties read for this site. Of the 10 county schedules here, 4 ask for less to open an estate and 3 ask for more.
Every estate charge in the Harris County schedule
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Probate of a will | $360 |
| Administration | $360 |
| Administration with will annexed | $360 |
| Heirship | $360 |
| Heirship and administration | $360 |
| No administration | $360 |
| Community administration | $360 |
| Probate of a foreign will | $360 |
| Small estate | $360 |
| Right of survivorship | $360 |
| Open safe deposit box | $360 |
| Testamentary trust | $360 |
| Inventory filed more than 90 days after the representative qualified | $25 |
| Bond, each filing | $5 |
| Annual account, each | $25 |
| Claim against the estate, each filing | $10 |
Every new estate filing on the clerk's list, from a will probate to a small estate, carries the same $360 in associated court filing fees.
Guardianship and heirship cases also need a $750 attorney ad litem deposit.
Source: Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts fee schedule, read on the county's official site and last checked 2026-10-21. The amounts run from $5 to $360 across the 16 lines listed here.
The small-estate route in Harris County
Texas's simplified procedure is the small estate affidavit approved by the court under Tex. Est. Code § 205.001, for estates within $75,000, measured as the value of the estate assets on the date of the affidavit, excluding homestead and exempt property. Harris County's schedule lists the small estate filing at $360, the same as opening a full administration, so the saving is in time and paperwork rather than the filing charge. It can be used 30 days after the death. Check the Texas limit.
How long an estate stays open in Harris County
Texas sets no fixed creditor bar (Tex. Est. Code § 355.001), so the pace of the work decides when a Harris County estate can close; see the Texas timeline page.
Texas counties compared
| County | Open an estate ($100,000) | Small-estate filing |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | $360 | $360 |
| Bexar County | $415 | $360 |
| Collin County | $393 | $393 |
| Dallas County | $360 | $360 |
| Travis County | $360 | $360 |
Texas has no single statewide probate fee on this site: filing charges are set and published county by county, which is why the county schedule is the figure to use.
Where to file in Harris County
Estates of people who lived in Harris County are filed with the Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts (Houston). The official page linked above lists the current charges; the clerk's office can confirm the total before filing and explain fee waivers for people who cannot pay. Publication of notice, certified copies, bonds and appraisals are charged separately.
Related: all county schedules · state fee schedules · probate court fees compared.
Court fees only, read from the county's published schedule on 2026-10-21. Not legal advice; Probate Clock does not refer anyone to lawyers. Fees change, often each January; confirm with the Harris County Clerk, Probate Courts before filing.