Surrogate compensation
This is the payment made to the surrogate herself — separate from any medical or agency costs — and it's usually the single largest line item. It typically includes a base compensation amount plus allowances (maternity clothing, lost wages, travel, and similar). A handful of states only permit altruistic surrogacy, meaning the surrogate can be reimbursed for expenses but not paid a base fee — see the state legal guide for where that applies.
Agency fees & case management
An agency matches intended parents with a surrogate, coordinates screening, and manages the relationship through the pregnancy and delivery. This fee covers that coordination and support. It's the line item that changes the most between the two paths below — most or all of it disappears if you match independently.
Medical & IVF costs
Covers the embryo transfer, the surrogate's prenatal care, and delivery. This range assumes a single, successful transfer — costs rise substantially if donor eggs or sperm are needed, or if more than one transfer attempt is required.
Legal fees
Surrogacy agreements require separate attorneys for the surrogate and the intended parents, so this line item covers two sets of legal fees, not one. It also covers the parentage order process, which varies by state — see each state legal guide for how parentage is established where you live.
Escrow & accounting services
A neutral third party holds and disburses funds to the surrogate according to the schedule set out in the agreement, rather than intended parents paying her directly. This is standard practice regardless of which path you take below.
Insurance / maternity gap policy
Often the most underestimated cost on this list. Many individual and employer health plans specifically exclude surrogate pregnancies, even when they otherwise cover maternity care. If the surrogate's existing plan has that exclusion, a separate maternity policy has to be purchased to cover the pregnancy. See the insurance guide for how to check this before matching.
Travel & miscellaneous
Covers travel for appointments, the matching process, and the birth itself — this grows quickly if the surrogate and intended parents live in different states, which is common.