Closing cost estimator template

Free build guide: Closing cost estimator for WordPress

This guide rebuilds the Closing cost estimator from this site in Gravity Forms: 7 inputs, 4 live results and no submit button. Expect about 33 minutes by hand. The template above is the same form as an import file, and the bundle adds a PDF version of this guide with a screenshot of every setting, plus the stylesheet.

You will end up with:

• Estimated closing costs
• As a share of the price (%)
• Down payment
• Cash to close

What you need

• Gravity Forms (any license) — Calculation fields are in core.

Everything here is core Gravity Forms. No add-ons.

1. Create the form

1. Go to Forms → New Form and name it Closing cost.
2. In Form Settings → Form Layout, set the CSS Class Name to fo-live-only. Step 3 uses it to hide the submit button.
3. Leave the form open in the editor; the fields come next.

2. Add the fields, in this order

Field IDs are assigned as you add fields. If yours come out differently, change the {Label:ID} references in the formulas to match your IDs. Settings not mentioned stay at their defaults.

1. Home price · Number · ID 1
Number Format Currency; Default Value 400000; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

2. Down payment (%) · Number · ID 2
Number Format 9,999.99; Default Value 20; Description “3–5% is common for first-time buyers; 20% avoids mortgage insurance.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

3. Lender fees (% of loan) · Number · ID 3
Number Format 9,999.99; Default Value 1; Description “Origination, underwriting, points. 0.5–1.5% is typical; some lenders charge a flat fee instead.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

4. Title, escrow & attorney (% of price) · Number · ID 4
Number Format 9,999.99; Default Value 0.5; Description “Title search, lender's title insurance, settlement fee. 0.5–1%; owner's title policy is extra in some states.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

5. Transfer & recording taxes (% of price) · Number · ID 5
Number Format 9,999.99; Default Value 0.5; Description “From 0% to over 2% by state and city; often split with the seller.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

6. Appraisal, inspection & credit report · Number · ID 6
Number Format Currency; Default Value 900; Description “Appraisal $400–700, inspection $300–500.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed).

7. Prepaid taxes, insurance & interest · Number · ID 7
Number Format Currency; Default Value 3000; Description “Escrow deposit for property tax and homeowners insurance, the first year's premium, and interest to the end of the month.”.

8. Estimated closing costs · Number · ID 8
Number Format Currency; Description “Buyer's side. Your Loan Estimate, due within three days of applying, replaces this with real numbers.”; Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

( ( {Price:1} - ( {Price:1} * {Down:2} / 100 ) ) * {Origination:3} / 100 + {Price:1} * ( {Title:4} + {Transfer:5} ) / 100 + {Appraisal:6} + {Prepaids:7} )

9. As a share of the price (%) · Number · ID 9
Number Format 9,999.99; Description “Buyers typically pay 2–5%.”; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed); Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 1.

( ( {Price:1} - ( {Price:1} * {Down:2} / 100 ) ) * {Origination:3} / 100 + {Price:1} * ( {Title:4} + {Transfer:5} ) / 100 + {Appraisal:6} + {Prepaids:7} ) / {Price:1} * 100

10. Down payment · Number · ID 10
Number Format Currency; Layout: half width, on the same row as its neighbour (drag the field beside it in the editor; no CSS class needed); Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

( {Price:1} * {Down:2} / 100 )

11. Cash to close · Number · ID 11
Number Format Currency; Description “Down payment plus closing costs, less any earnest money already paid and seller credits.”; Custom CSS Class (Appearance tab) fo-result fo-result--sub; tick Enable Calculation, Rounding 0.

( ( {Price:1} - ( {Price:1} * {Down:2} / 100 ) ) * {Origination:3} / 100 + {Price:1} * ( {Title:4} + {Transfer:5} ) / 100 + {Appraisal:6} + {Prepaids:7} ) + ( {Price:1} * {Down:2} / 100 )

3. Hide the submit button

The results are live, so nothing needs submitting. Add this filter to your theme’s functions.php or a code-snippets plugin; it hides the button on any form carrying the fo-live-only class:

add_filter( 'gform_submit_button', function ( $button, $form ) {
	return str_contains( (string) rgar( $form, 'cssClass' ), 'fo-live-only' ) ? '' : $button;
}, 10, 2 );

Or with CSS alone: .fo-live-only_wrapper .gform_footer { display: none; }

4. Put it on a page and make it look like this

Add the form to any page with the Gravity Forms block, or the shortcode [gravityform id="X" title="false" ajax="false"]. The form inherits your theme’s styles; the classes you set in step 2 are hooks for the look you see on this site:

• fo-result on a calculation field makes it the big teal result panel.
• fo-result fo-result--sub makes the smaller secondary figures.
• fo-segmented on a radio field turns it into a segmented switch.
• Two fields on one row is the editor’s own column layout: drag a field beside another and the row splits in half. No CSS class is needed, and the old gf_left_half Ready Classes are deprecated.

The bundle includes the two stylesheets that implement those classes, with notes on matching your brand colours. Without them the form still works; it just looks like your theme’s default Gravity Forms styling.

How the maths works is explained under “How it’s calculated” on the live Closing cost estimator.