Simplified route
$200,000
Administration of small estates (Iowa Code ch. 635); waiting period not verified.
Eligibility and caveatsIowa estate administration
Iowa probate: rules, process, costs, executor fees and deadlines
Small-estate limit: $200,000
In Iowa, estates up to $200,000 can use the small-estate route; executor fees run 6% down to 2% on a sliding scale (Iowa Code 633.197 (2026)); and claims are due four months after the second publication, or one month after mailed notice if later. Iowa administers small estates under chapter 635 when gross probate assets are within the statutory cap, in the District Court. Executor commissions and probate court costs are both fixed by statewide statute as percentages of the estate's gross value.
Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised .
Answer first
Iowa simplified probate route
Up to $200,000; waiting period not verified. Source: Iowa Code 635.1 (2026).
Administration of small estates (Iowa Code ch. 635)Iowa probate fees fixed by statute, by estate size
Iowa fixes two probate charges statewide: the District Court (Probate) filing charge (Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a) (2026)) and the commission (Iowa Code 633.197 (2026), the statutory maximum, under which the court allows a reasonable fee). Together, at three estate sizes:
| Estate | Filing | Commission, at most | Together, at most | Share of estate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $100 | $1,120 | $1,220 | 2.44% |
| $250,000 | $500 | $5,120 | $5,620 | 2.25% |
| $750,000 | $1,500 | $15,120 | $16,620 | 2.22% |
Commission worked on the gross assets of the estate listed in the probate inventory, taken as the estate size; lawyer, bond, notice and appraisal costs are extra. Each side in detail: Iowa probate filing cost and Iowa executor fee calculator.
Screen a specific Iowa estate with the calculators on the small-estate page and the executor-fee page, or compare states in the full estate navigator.
What the reviewed rules establish
Court cost
Tiered
1 published schedule, itemised on the filing-cost page.
Filing-cost detailExecutor compensation
Statutory schedule
A statutory percentage schedule applies. Source: Iowa Code 633.197 (2026).
Compensation detailCreditor deadline
Multiple triggers
Iowa Code 633.410 (2026) (Iowa Legislature (Legislative Services Agency); reviewed August 9, 2026)
Timeline and creditor detailsIowa decision map
The four facts that change the Iowa route
Each Iowa answer below links to the page that sets out its source.
| Question | Recorded Iowa answer |
|---|---|
| What route is being screened? | Administration of small estates (Iowa Code ch. 635) |
| What property and basis count? | probate property within the rule's stated scope; gross value for this route. |
| What is the amount screen? | $200,000 |
| What is the time or deadline record? | No waiting-period number verified; creditor deadlines: separate clocks by triggering event |
| What does the cost record establish? | 1 published schedule; the proceeding and value basis control the total. |
| What does compensation use? | Statutory percentage schedule, measured on gross probate property. |
Limits and unresolved costs
- Iowa's court cost to open an estate is not a flat fee: under Iowa Code § 633.31(3)(a) it is a percentage of the probate inventory's value, so it grows with the estate.
- The 633.197 commission base is gross probate-inventory assets excluding non-estate-payable life insurance; do not apply the schedule to a net or all-asset figure.
Need the petition and court-form handoff for Iowa?Open the Iowa small-estate filing path.
Continue
What Iowa courts publish
Each link goes to the court’s own page and is checked before every release.
- Forms indexIowa Judicial Branch - Court FormsIowa Judicial Branch
- Self-help centreIowa Judicial Branch - Representing YourselfIowa Judicial Branch
Limits on court material
- Iowa probate is handled in the District Court; there is no separate probate court.
- Iowa court costs are a statewide statutory percentage (0.2%) rather than a county-set flat fee - unusually uniform across the state.
Iowa primary sources
Each rule on the Iowa pages comes from one of these 6 sources; the citation opens the publisher’s own text. All were last rechecked October 3, 2026.
Simplified-procedure rule
Iowa Code 635.1 (2026), Iowa Code 635.1 - When applicable (small-estate threshold).
Simplified-procedure rule
Iowa Code 635.7 (2026), Iowa Code 635.7 - Report and inventory; value and conversion.
Executor compensation rule
Iowa Code 633.197 (2026), Iowa Code 633.197 - Compensation; schedule of fees.
Court cost rule
Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a) (2026), Iowa Code 633.31 - Calendar; court costs in probate.
Creditor deadline rule
Iowa Code 633.410 (2026), Iowa Code 633.410 - Limitation on filing claims against decedent's estate.
Simplified-procedure rule
Iowa Code 635.13 (2026), Iowa Code 635.13 - Notice; claims (small estates).
Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: Iowa source list · how sources are checked · report a correction