San Mateo County
Deed Recording
In Atherton, Hillsborough, and Burlingame, losing your Prop 13 base year can cost $50,000+ a year in property taxes — and one wrong deed can do it. Adding a spouse, transferring to a child, moving property into your LLC, funding a trust, or splitting with a sibling all trigger reassessment unless the correct exemption is filed. We prepare grant, quitclaim, interspousal, trust transfer, and entity LLC/Corp deeds — from $325 (LLC entity deeds from $400), e-recorded same day at the County Clerk-Recorder.
One wrong filing can trigger property tax reassessment costing $50,000+ per year on high-value Peninsula properties. TruPoint prepares the San Mateo County grant deed — plus quitclaim, interspousal, trust transfer, and Affidavit of Death of Trustee documents — from $325 (LLC/Corp entity deeds from $400) with the correct exemption language. Same-day e-recording in all 58 California counties, California LDA #268 ↗, CALDA member ↗.
TruPoint Legal is a Registered Legal Document Assistant serving San Mateo County — a flat-fee San Mateo County deed preparation and recording service. We prepare quitclaim deeds, grant deeds, interspousal transfers, trust-transfer and transfer-on-death documents, and LLC and entity transfers for owners in Redwood City, San Mateo, Burlingame, and across the Peninsula — e-recorded the same day for a flat $325, with no escrow, no attorney, and no office visit.
Most San Mateo County owners come to us ready to take action — to add a spouse to title, remove an ex after a divorce, transfer ownership to a child, put a house in a living trust, change how title is held, or move a rental into an LLC. We handle each one online, the same day, without an attorney or escrow — a flat-fee title transfer prepared and recorded for you, so there is no trip to the recorder and no office visit. Because title companies record deeds only during a sale, updating ownership on its own — adding a spouse, funding a trust, or moving a rental into an LLC — is exactly the work we handle.
Need a specific document? We also prepare and e-record San Mateo County quitclaim deeds, interspousal transfer deeds, trust transfer deeds, and LLC and corporation deeds — the same flat fee, recorded the same day.
Recording in a neighboring county? We also prepare and e-record deeds in San Francisco, Santa Clara County, and Alameda County.
Three California exemptions a wrong filing will lose you.
In high-value Peninsula homes, a wrong San Mateo County grant deed filing can erase a Prop 13 base year worth $50,000+ a year — permanently. The City of San Mateo also charges $5 per $1,000 city conveyance tax (5× the county rate). And moving property into your LLC sounds simple until the change-in-ownership rules reassess it because the ownership split changed.
Lost Prop 13 base year on a high-value home
Atherton, Hillsborough, and Burlingame properties often carry base years from the 1970s-90s when values were a fraction of today’s. A wrong parent-to-child San Mateo County grant deed without timely BOE-19-P resets the base year to market value — permanently.
Example: $300K Hillsborough base year (1985) at ~$3,750/yr tax becomes $62,500/yr at $5M market. $58,000 more, every year.City of San Mateo $5/$1,000 transfer tax
It is the only city in the county charging an additional municipal transfer tax — $5 per $1,000, or 5× the county rate. Spousal, trust funding, and parent-child transfers qualify for exemption with the right recital.
Example: $2M City of San Mateo interspousal without exemption wording — ~$10,000 city tax billed instead of $0. Cannot be refunded after recording.Entity transfer reassessment trap
Moving property into your own LLC sounds simple — until the change-in-ownership rules reassesses it because the ownership split changed by more than 50%. Wrong member percentages, missing authority recital, or unfiled Form BOE-100-B = full market reassessment.
Our entity deed workflow: 7-14 day review of your operating agreement, member percentages, and BOE-100-B reporting before recording — so the transfer holds.What we do differently. You tell us the relationship, the city, the property purpose, and the deed you need. We draft it with the exemption recital and prepare any BOE forms or declaration statements as optional add-ons — filed together.
Three steps —
from intake to recorded.
Schedule a free consultation
Book online or call. We review your situation in English, Vietnamese, or Spanish, note the deed type you identify, and confirm a flat fee.
We prepare your document
We draft your San Mateo County grant deed (or other document type) and PCOR — pre-checked against the county’s indexing rules and (if applicable) the City of San Mateo conveyance tax recital. Entity deeds add a 7-14 day ownership-change review. One revision included.
We e-record same day
Your signed original is e-submitted to the County Clerk-Recorder at 555 County Center, Redwood City — typically returned recorded within an hour to next business day. Stamped copy emailed.
No hourly billing. No surprises.
San Mateo County grant deed, quitclaim, interspousal, trust transfer, or Affidavit of Death of Trustee
- One document (any of the five types above)
- PCOR (Preliminary Change of Ownership Report)
- One revision
Property transfer into your LLC or corporation
- Grant document with authority recital
- PCOR
- Declaration statement
- 7-14 day the change-in-ownership rules reassessment review
- One revision
À la carte services for complex filings
- Electronic Recording $50
- Title Search $30
- BOE Form (Prop 13 / Prop 19) $100
- Transfer Tax Affidavit $50
- Notary $15 / sig
When property owners come to us.
Add spouse to a Burlingame or Redwood City deed
Interspousal San Mateo County grant deed — exempt from reassessment under the family-transfer exclusion and from documentary transfer tax. Recorded same day.
Atherton or Hillsborough parent-to-child transfer
On high-value Peninsula homes, a wrong filing can erase a Prop 13 base year worth $50,000+/yr. We prepare it plus the BOE-19-P claim (add-on) so the exemption is filed on time.
Affidavit of Death of Trustee
When a trustee of your living trust passes, the surviving trustee must record an Affidavit of Death of Trustee to clean up title. Same flat $325 base preparation fee as our other documents.
Funding a living trust in Foster City
An unfunded trust doesn’t avoid probate. We prepare the trust transfer that moves your home into the trust — excluded from reassessment.
LLC or corporation entity transfer
Moving property into your LLC, partnership, or corporation. Our entity service includes the authority recital, declaration statement, and a 7-14 day ownership-change review — so the transfer holds. From $400.
Sibling, gift, or divorce transfer
Brother-to-sister, gift, or interspousal pursuant to a marital settlement. We prepare the right document, confirm whether an exemption applies, and add any needed BOE form or Transfer Tax Affidavit as a la carte items.
Real reviews from real clients.
She clearly explained the differences between each business structure so I could decide what was best. She got everything done within just a few hours! Highly recommended for business owners.
Bay Area Building ServicesGoogle Review · Nov 2025
They prepared each deed carefully and recorded all our deeds electronically. Every deed came back recorded properly. Excellent deed preparation service.
Regino M.Google Review · Nov 2025
Quinnie was amazing! She was super responsive and even worked late hours to make sure my legal papers were ready on time. Thanks to her expertise, I saved thousands of dollars.
Irene W.Google Review · Oct 2025
Common questions —
answered honestly.
How much does it cost to prepare and record a property deed in San Mateo County?
Standard preparation is $325 base fee, which includes the document (San Mateo County grant deed, quitclaim, interspousal, trust transfer, or Affidavit of Death of Trustee) and PCOR. Entity deeds for LLC or Corp transfers are $400 base fee with a 7-14 day ownership-change review. Optional add-ons include Electronic Recording $50, Title Search $30, BOE Form $100, Transfer Tax Affidavit $50, and Notary $15 per signature.
Is the $325 fee all-inclusive?
$325 is the base preparation fee. It includes the deed and PCOR plus one revision. County recording fees (about $98 for a standard one-page document) and documentary transfer tax (if applicable) are pass-through costs paid directly to the Clerk-Recorder. Optional add-ons (electronic recording, title search, BOE form, Transfer Tax Affidavit, notary) are billed only if you need them and disclosed at quote.
What is the transfer tax in the City of San Mateo?
The City of San Mateo is the only city in the county charging an additional municipal transfer tax — $5 per $1,000 on top of the $1.10 per $1,000 county documentary transfer tax. Spousal, parent-child, and trust funding transfers qualify for full exemption if the correct recital is included on the deed.
How do I transfer property into my LLC in California?
You need a grant deed with the proper authority recital, a PCOR, and (in most cases) a declaration statement plus BOE-100-B filing within 90 days. Under the change-in-ownership rules, if ownership splits change by more than 50% the property is reassessed at market value. Our entity deed service ($400 base) includes a 7-14 day review of your operating agreement and member percentages before recording so the transfer is reassessment-protected.
What is an Affidavit of Death of Trustee and when do I need one?
An Affidavit of Death of Trustee is recorded when a trustee of a living trust passes away and a successor trustee takes over property held in the trust. It removes the deceased trustee from title without going through probate. We prepare and e-record the affidavit, certified death certificate copy, and supporting trust pages for the same $325 base preparation fee as our other documents.
Can I add my spouse to a San Mateo County deed without reassessment?
Yes. The spousal exclusion removes reassessment for spousal transfers, and they are exempt from documentary transfer tax. We prepare an interspousal San Mateo County grant deed with the correct exemption recital so neither the County nor the City of San Mateo (if applicable) charges transfer tax.
Can you e-record a San Mateo County deed remotely?
Yes — same-day e-recording through authorized ERDS submission to the County Clerk-Recorder at 555 County Center, Redwood City. We prepare the document (remotely or at our San Jose office), you sign with any California notary, and we e-submit electronically. Stamped copy emailed back within 1 business day.
How do I look up who owns a property in San Mateo County?
The Assessor-Clerk-Recorder offers a free Online Grantor-Grantee Database for public record searches. If you’d rather have us run a title search and pull recorded documents for you, our Title Search add-on is $30. For most clients researching their own property, the County’s free database is sufficient.
Do you serve California counties besides San Mateo?
Yes — all 58 California counties. Same flat $325 base fee, same same-day e-recording. If your property is in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, or any other California county, we handle it remotely from our San Jose office. See all California services →
Are you attorneys?
No. TruPoint is a Registered & Bonded California Legal Document Assistant (LDA #268). We prepare documents at your direction. Verify on the County Clerk-Recorder ↗.
A deed moves the property today.
A living trust keeps it out of probate later.
Many San Mateo County clients who transfer a property also choose to place it in a living trust — so the next transfer (when a parent passes) doesn’t land their family in San Mateo County probate court. We prepare the trust documents at your direction.
Skip probate
Property held in a living trust passes directly to your beneficiaries — no San Mateo County probate case, no court timeline, no public filing.
Keep it private
Probate is part of the public record. A living trust keeps who-gets-what, and the property’s value, out of public view.
Stay in control
You keep full use of your home while you’re living, name who manages it after, and can change it any time. We prepare it — you decide the terms.
TruPoint Legal is a registered Legal Document Assistant, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. We prepare living trust and deed documents at your specific direction. If a living trust isn’t the right fit for your situation, that decision is yours — we’ll prepare whatever you choose.
Not sure which document you need?
Talk to us first.
If you’d rather discuss your situation before starting the intake form, schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll walk through your situation in English, Vietnamese, or Spanish, note the deed type you identify, and confirm a flat fee — no commitment.
California LDA #268 · Registered & Bonded in Santa Clara County · Verify on the.gov registry ↗ · CALDA Member ↗
Not sure who currently holds title, or whether a lien is recorded against the property? Run a property title report first to confirm the owner of record and any recorded liens before you proceed.