Surrogacy: What Are the Fees Involved? 

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Surrogacy: What Are the Fees Involved? 

Surrogacy means someone, usually, either a couple or a single person, arranges for another woman to carry a baby for them. The person or couple who made an agreement with this woman will become the baby’s parent or parents once they are born.  There are several reasons why people set up this arrangement. Often, the couple can’t have a child through traditional means.   

 Surrogacy can be an excellent arrangement for both the woman carrying the child and the person or persons wanting the baby. However, if you are setting up one of these arrangements, you might want to know about US surrogacy costs.  

 We will discuss those right now.    

There’s No Set Amount for Surrogacy 

First, it’s important to understand that there is not a set amount that you can expect to pay to a surrogate in the US. The amount varies depending on whether you’ve found a private surrogate or whether you’re going through an agency.  The average cost to hire a surrogate in the US and have them carry a baby to term is $100,000. However, it might also cost considerably more or less. Some surrogacies happen for as little as $15,000. In other cases, as much as $250,000 goes into the process. 

 One Example 

As an example, we’ll look at a clinic in California for a moment. This particular clinic charges the couple or individual who wants the child $60,000. That is for a first-time surrogate outside of the state. In-state surrogates get $65,000.   

At that same clinic, an experienced surrogate, which is to say a woman who has gone through the process before, gets $80,000 outside the state, and $85,000 within California. These prices are for non-employed surrogates.  

Additional Fees 

At that same clinic, there is a one-time bonus of $3,000 paid to the surrogate at the time they sign the contract with the expectant parent or parents. There is a $300 monthly allowance paid by the parent or parents to the surrogate during pregnancy.  Throughout the pregnancy’s nine months, there is a $3,000 non-accountable fee paid in installments. That covers things like housekeeping, massages, clothing, etc.   

There is a $1,500 embryo transfer fee. There is a $3,000 fee if the baby must be delivered through Cesarean section. There is an additional $10,000 fee paid to the surrogate if they have twins. There is an extra $20,000 fee for triplets. There may be more fees for incidentals. The most crucial thing to remember is that in almost all cases, it’s the would-be parent or parents who are paying for all of these fees. Hiring a surrogate is an expensive prospect, and if you go through an agency, they want their cut as well. 

 Since every surrogate and agency charges different amounts, you should make sure you discuss and read through a contract’s details before moving forward. As a would-be parent, you must feel confident you can pay for everything stipulated in the contract.