South Carolina personal representative compensation

South Carolina executor fee calculator

S.C. Code § 62-3-719 caps the personal representative’s commission at five percent (5%) of the appraised value of the personal property of the probate estate PLUS the sale proceeds of real property received on court- or will-directed sales; the minimum commission is fifty dollars.

Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised October 28, 2026.

1. Where and when

StateSouth CarolinaFixed to this page. Open the navigator to compare another state.

2. Compensation base

Asset 1

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real property

Asset 2

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real propertyWill it be sold during administration?Some court charges are assessed on sale proceeds and exclude real property that is kept, so this changes the amount.

Ownership determines whether an asset usually enters probate. Choose “Not sure” when title or beneficiary status has not been confirmed.

Private by design: entries stay in this browser.

Your working estimate

South Carolina estate snapshot

Gross probate propertyNot yet counted

Court chargeMore information neededProbate Court filing fee (opening), by gross value of the probate estate2 asset entries have no value entered. A blank amount is not treated as zero, so the charge cannot be computed.Court charges only, for the proceeding named beside each figure. That proceeding is not always the route screened above.

Scheduled executor compensationMore information needed2 asset entries have no value entered.S.C. Code § 62-3-719 caps the personal representative’s commission at five percent (5%) of the appraised value of the personal property of the probate estate PLUS the sale proceeds of real property received on court- or will-directed sales; the minimum commission is fifty dollars. Separately, the PR may receive not more than five percent of the income earned by the probate estate. The base for the 5% is appraised personalty plus realty-sale proceeds — not the value of unsold real property.

This route check is general information, not legal advice. It does not test every eligibility condition, creditor issue, will provision, local fee, or asset-title fact.

Work out the South Carolina cap from the estate’s accounting

S.C. Code § 62-3-719 sets the most the Probate Court may allow, measured on amounts from the estate’s own accounting rather than on what the estate is worth. Type those amounts below and the worksheet prices that limit, nothing more.

South Carolina: up to 5% of appraised personal property and real property sale proceeds, plus up to 5% of income (S.C. Code § 62-3-719)Appraised value of the probate estate’s personal propertyProperty passing under the will or by intestacy, at its appraised value.Proceeds of real property sold on a will-directed or court-ordered saleEnter 0 if no real property was sold, or if the representative was the buyer.Income the probate estate earnedThe second 5% is not payable if the judge finds the representative acted unreasonably or delayed unreasonably.

S.C. Code § 62-3-719(a) sets a fifty-dollar minimum commission whatever the value of the personal property.

S.C. Code § 62-3-719(a) lets the court approve more for extraordinary services, and the cap does not apply where a contract or the will sets the fee (subsection (c)).

Fill in every figure to see what S.C. Code § 62-3-719 allows. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

How South Carolina sets executor compensation

Separately, the PR may receive not more than five percent of the income earned by the probate estate. The base for the 5% is appraised personalty plus realty-sale proceeds — not the value of unsold real property.

The calculator applies the South Carolina schedule to the value you enter, measured against the gross value of the probate estate. S.C. Code § 62-3-719(a) lets the court approve more than this cap for extraordinary services. S.C. Code § 62-3-719(c) sets this cap aside where the will otherwise directs or a contract fixes the fee, and subsection (d) lets the representative renounce all or part of the commission by a written renunciation filed with the court.

The figure the South Carolina schedule is applied to

The rate is only half of the answer; the other half is the number the rate is applied to, and in South Carolina that number is specific. The reviewed rule measures compensation against the appraised-personalty-plus-realty-sale-proceeds. The 5% ceiling applies to appraised personal property plus proceeds of realty actually sold under will/court order — NOT to the value of retained (unsold) real property. Plus a separate 5% cap on income earned. Minimum commission $50.

Compensation source

Statute

S.C. Code § 62-3-719

S.C. Code § 62-3-719 — Compensation of personal representative

The section’s own words

not to exceed five percent of the appraised value of the personal property of the probate estate plus the sales proceeds of real property of the probate estate received on sales directed or authorized by will or by proper court order

What this means: 5% ceiling applies to appraised personalty PLUS realty-sale proceeds (not unsold realty); minimum $50; separate 5% cap on income earned.

South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code Title 62, SCPC) · 2013 Act No. 100, SECTION 1, eff January 1, 2014 · Rechecked October 3, 2026

Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: South Carolina source list · how sources are checked · report a correction

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