How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in California?

Yes. Executors in California can waive their fee entirely or accept a reduced amount. Family members serving as executor often waive compensation, particularly when they are also beneficiaries of the estate. Waiving the fee reduces the overall cost of probate and increases the amount available for distribution to beneficiaries.

In California, co-executors divide one commission — the estate's total does not increase with the number of executors. The division is by agreement among the executors or as the court directs.Cal. Prob. Code § 10805Verified Jul 25, 2026

California requires executors to post a surety bond.Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8480 (bond required before letters issued), 8481 (waiver: will provision or all-beneficiary written waiver; court may still require bond for good cause)Verified Jul 15, 2026 The bond requirement can be waived in the will or by court order. The typical annual bond premium is approximately 0.5% of the estate value. The bond protects beneficiaries against executor misconduct or mismanagement.

An executor in California is responsible for filing the will with the probate court, inventorying assets, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and distributing remaining assets to beneficiaries.Cal. Prob. Code §§ 10800, 10810 (statutory fee schedule: 4%/3%/2%/1%/0.5%/reasonable, progressive slices, on gross estate value — "without reference to encumbrances"), 13100 (personal property affidavit; 40 days; base $166,250), 13200 (real property affidavit; six months; base $55,425 per § 13200(h)(1)), 13151-13152 (primary residence succession, $750,000; amended by AB 2016, Stats. 2024, ch. 331, eff. Jan 1, 2025), 890 (CPI adjustment: April 1 every 3 years; § 890(d) keys the figure to the date of death). Adjusted thresholds taken from the Judicial Council's published § 890(c) list, "Maximum Amounts for Determining Eligibility for Summary Succession Procedures" (https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/probate-code-890-adjusted-amounts.pdf): deaths on/after April 1, 2025 — § 13100 = $208,850, § 13200 = $69,625, §§ 13151-13154 = $750,000; deaths 4/1/2022-3/31/2025 — $184,500 / $61,500; next adjustment April 1, 2028. § 8005-8006 (court hearing admits the will and appoints the PR — no informal/registrar track), § 8480 (bond required before letters), § 8481 (will waiver or all-beneficiary written waiver; court retains good-cause authority), §§ 8900-8904 (appraisal; referee appraises all property not self-appraised by the PR under § 8901), § 8961 (0.1% commission), § 8963 ($75 min, $10K max), § 8120 (publication of notice of petition for administration), §§ 10400, 10500(a), 10501 (IAEA independent administration without court supervision), § 9100 (creditor claims: later of 4 months from letters or 60 days from notice). Verified 2026-07-14 against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and courts.ca.gov.Verified Jul 15, 2026 The process typically takes 9-12 months for simple estates and 12-18 months on average. The 4-month creditor claim period sets a minimum timeline. The California estate settlement plan outlines each step.

Executor fees and attorney fees are separate costs in California probate. Attorney fees are set by statute.Cal. Prob. Code § 10810Verified Jul 15, 2026 Executor compensation follows the same schedule as attorney fees. Both fees are paid from the estate before distribution to beneficiaries. To estimate the attorney fee, use the California probate attorney fee calculator.

Total probate costs in California include executor fees, attorney fees, court filing fees, publication costs, and potentially bond premiums. Executor compensation is one component of the overall expense. On a $500,000 estate, the total runs about $29,735 — roughly 6% of estate value — depending on complexity.Cal. Prob. Code §§ 10800, 10810 (statutory fee schedule: 4%/3%/2%/1%/0.5%/reasonable, progressive slices, on gross estate value — "without reference to encumbrances"), 13100 (personal property affidavit; 40 days; base $166,250), 13200 (real property affidavit; six months; base $55,425 per § 13200(h)(1)), 13151-13152 (primary residence succession, $750,000; amended by AB 2016, Stats. 2024, ch. 331, eff. Jan 1, 2025), 890 (CPI adjustment: April 1 every 3 years; § 890(d) keys the figure to the date of death). Adjusted thresholds taken from the Judicial Council's published § 890(c) list, "Maximum Amounts for Determining Eligibility for Summary Succession Procedures" (https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/probate-code-890-adjusted-amounts.pdf): deaths on/after April 1, 2025 — § 13100 = $208,850, § 13200 = $69,625, §§ 13151-13154 = $750,000; deaths 4/1/2022-3/31/2025 — $184,500 / $61,500; next adjustment April 1, 2028. § 8005-8006 (court hearing admits the will and appoints the PR — no informal/registrar track), § 8480 (bond required before letters), § 8481 (will waiver or all-beneficiary written waiver; court retains good-cause authority), §§ 8900-8904 (appraisal; referee appraises all property not self-appraised by the PR under § 8901), § 8961 (0.1% commission), § 8963 ($75 min, $10K max), § 8120 (publication of notice of petition for administration), §§ 10400, 10500(a), 10501 (IAEA independent administration without court supervision), § 9100 (creditor claims: later of 4 months from letters or 60 days from notice). Verified 2026-07-14 against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and courts.ca.gov.Verified Jul 15, 2026 Use the California probate calculator for a complete cost estimate.

The California statutory schedule for executor compensation is: 4% on the first $100K, 3% on the next $100K, 2% on the next $800K, 1% on the next $9M, 0.5% on the next $15M, 0% on amounts above $25M.Cal. Prob. Code § 10800Verified Jul 15, 2026 This is the same schedule used for attorney fees. The fee applies to the gross value of the probate estate. Extraordinary services may warrant additional compensation as approved by the court.