West Virginia personal representative compensation

West Virginia executor fee calculator

Commissions apply to personal estate received and accounted for, including income, plus proceeds of real estate sold: 5% through $100,000, 4% through $400,000, 3% through $800,000, and 2% above.

Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised October 14, 2026.

1. Where and when

StateWest VirginiaFixed 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

West Virginia estate snapshot

Gross probate propertyNot yet counted

Court chargeSet locallyThe statewide recording base for an otherwise unlisted writing is $10, with $1 per page after five; oath and copy services can add charges, so no single opening total is stated.

Scheduled executor compensationMore information needed2 asset entries have no value entered.Commissions apply to personal estate received and accounted for, including income, plus proceeds of real estate sold: 5% through $100,000, 4% through $400,000, 3% through $800,000, and 2% above. Unsold real estate and certain estate-tax property receive a separate 1%; a will may expressly deviate.

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.

How West Virginia sets executor compensation

Unsold real estate and certain estate-tax property receive a separate 1%; a will may expressly deviate.

The calculator applies the West Virginia schedule to the value you enter, measured against the figures shown in the estate's court accounting. W. Va. Code § 44-4-12a(d) lets the county commission raise these commissions for extraordinary services, or deny or reduce them where the representative has not faithfully discharged the duties. W. Va. Code § 44-4-12a(f) lets a testator depart from these commissions by express language in the will.

The West Virginia commission schedule, band by band

Each rate applies only to its own band of the compensable figure:

West Virginia executor commission rate by band of the compensable figure
Band of the compensable figure	Rate
on the first $100,000	5%
on the next $300,000	4%
on the next $400,000	3%
on the balance above $800,000	2%

The bands are read against the figure the estate’s court accounting establishes, which is not the same as the gross value on an opening statement.

Compensation source

Statute

W. Va. Code § 44-4-12a

West Virginia Personal Representative Compensation

The section’s own words

§44-4-12a. Compensation and expenses of personal representatives. (a) Personal representatives, as defined in section one, article one, chapter forty-two of this code, shall be allowed any reasonable expenses incurred by the personal representative as such and commissions upon the amount of all the personal estate which is subject to administration, including the income from the personal estate, that is received and accounted for by them and upon the proceeds of real estate that is sold, as follows: (1) For the first $100,000, at the rate of five percent; (2) All above $100,000 and not exceeding $400,000, at the rate of four percent; (3) All above $400,000 and not exceeding $800,000, at the rate of three percent; and (4) All above $800,000, at the rate of two percent.

West Virginia Legislature · Rechecked October 3, 2026

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

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