# Sale Cost Stack

> The median published figure in the Sale Cost Stack is 20,500 USD across 2 sources' own pages (range 6,000 to 35,000 USD), read 10 November 2026.

M&A Advisor Fees · https://madvisorfees.com/datasets/sale-cost-stack/ · computed 2026-11-11

**Median published figure:** 20,500 USD (range 6,000 to 35,000 USD; 2 published figures; 2 of 34 sources read publish one).

2 of the 34 named sources read in full publish a figure; 32 publish none, read 10 November 2026.

The median is unchanged since 18 October 2026 (was 20,500 USD across 2).

## Every figure, with its source

One row per source: the figure the source's own page publishes, the page, and the day it was read.

| Source | Figure | Read |
|---|---|---|
| [hcvt.com, Business owners selling their business should obtain a quality of earnings repor](https://www.hcvt.com/article-Quality-of-Earnings-Report-QofE) | 35,000 USD | 2026-10-12 |
| [bedrockqoe.com, How Much Does a Quality of Earnings Report Cost in 2026?](https://www.bedrockqoe.com/insights/quality-of-earnings-report-cost) | 6,000 USD | 2026-11-10 |

## The sentence each figure was read from (2)

- [hcvt.com, Business owners selling their business should obtain a quality of earnings repor](https://www.hcvt.com/article-Quality-of-Earnings-Report-QofE), read 2026-10-12: "The scope of work and cost can vary, typically from $35,000 for financial analysis only to up to $150,000 depending on the complexity and quality of the books and records."
- [bedrockqoe.com, How Much Does a Quality of Earnings Report Cost in 2026?](https://www.bedrockqoe.com/insights/quality-of-earnings-report-cost), read 2026-11-10: "At Bedrock, we charge a flat fee of $6,000 to $12,000 depending on complexity."

## Read in full, publishes no figure

- [bdblaw.com, Representations & Warranties Insurance: What You Need to Know](https://bdblaw.com/representations-warranties-insurance-what-you-need-to-know/), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [bradyware.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report \| Sell Side (QoE) Reports](https://bradyware.com/quality-of-earnings-and-ma-value/), read 2026-10-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [buyouts.ai, Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney Cost: US Rates \| Buyouts](https://buyouts.ai/blog/mergers-and-acquisitions-attorney-cost), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [cooleyma.com, Representation and Warranty Insurance for M&A Deals: Cooling Market and Emerging](https://cooleyma.com/2024/05/23/representation-and-warranty-insurance-for-ma-deals-cooling-market-and-emerging-trends/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [ctacquisitions.com, Attorney Fees for Selling a Business (2026)](https://ctacquisitions.com/attorney-fees-for-selling-a-business/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [ctacquisitions.com, Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney: Selection Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-attorney/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [ctacquisitions.com, Sell-Side Quality of Earnings Report: The 2026 Seller's Deep Dive](https://ctacquisitions.com/quality-of-earnings-report-seller-deep-dive/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [ctacquisitions.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report: 2026 Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/quality-of-earnings/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [dealroom.net, 8 Types of Costs in M&A & How to Reduce Them \| DealRoom Blog](https://dealroom.net/blog/merger-and-acquisition-costs), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [exitwise.com, Attorney Fees for Selling a Business: Costs & Considerations](https://exitwise.com/blog/attorney-fees-for-selling-a-business), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [greenwichgp.com, Is a Sell](https://greenwichgp.com/2022/01/11/is-a-sell-side-quality-of-earnings-worth-it/), read 2026-10-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [iconbusinessadvisors.com, Quality of Earnings Report: Why Every Seller in the Lower Middle Market Needs On](https://iconbusinessadvisors.com/quality-of-earnings-report/), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [valorembrokers.com, Selling a Business Costs: Complete 2026 Guide](https://valorembrokers.com/selling-a-business-costs-a-comprehensive-guide/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [bakertilly.com, Quality of earnings report in pre-sale due diligence](https://www.bakertilly.com/insights/quality-of-earnings-report), read 2026-09-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [bdemerson.com, Quality of Earnings Report Cost: Fee Ranges \| BD Emerson](https://www.bdemerson.com/article/quality-of-earnings-report-cost), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [bizbuysell.com, How Much Does It Cost to Sell a Business?](https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/cost-sell-business/), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [bridgepointbb.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know](https://www.bridgepointbb.com/blog/quality-of-earnings-report-what-buyers-and-sellers-need-to-know), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [cbiz.com, Sell-Side Quality of Earnings: A Critical Part of Due Diligence](https://www.cbiz.com/insights/article/sell-side-quality-of-earnings-a-critical-part-of-due-diligence), read 2026-10-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [classvipartners.com, The Mysteries of M&A Fees - Class VI](https://www.classvipartners.com/the-mysteries-of-ma-fees/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [companycounsel.law, Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer \| Company Counsel](https://www.companycounsel.law/m-and-a-attorney), read 2026-09-12: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [deshretcapital.com, Up to 25% Lower Reps and Warranties Insurance Cost; Get Bespoke R&W Insurance](https://www.deshretcapital.com/classroom/rep-and-warranty-insurance), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [keanmiller.com, Representation and Warranty Insurance](https://www.keanmiller.com/insights/blog/louisiana-law-blog/representation-and-warranty-insurance-considerations-for-ma-transactions/), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [kmco.com, 7 Benefits of a Sell-Side Quality of Earnings Report](https://www.kmco.com/insights/7-benefits-of-a-sell-side-quality-of-earnings-report/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [leanlaw.co, Value-Based Pricing for M&A Law Firms \| LeanLaw](https://www.leanlaw.co/blog/value-based-pricing-for-ma-scoping-the-unscopable-for-law-firms/), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [midstreet.com, Unlocking the Power of Reps and Warranties Insurance in M&A](https://www.midstreet.com/blog/reps-and-warranties-insurance), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [pcecompanies.com, How Much Does It Cost to Sell Your Business: Understanding Fees and Key Advisors](https://www.pcecompanies.com/resources/ma-fees-how-much-will-it-cost-to-sell-my-business), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [pillsburypropel.com, Drafting M&A Investment Bank Engagement Letters](https://www.pillsburypropel.com/guidance/investment-bank-engagement-letters), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [stacking.capital, Quality of Earnings (QoE) 2026: The Complete Guide for Small Business Buyers and](https://www.stacking.capital/articles/quality-of-earnings-qoe-complete-guide-2026.html), read 2026-10-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [thesmallbusinessexpo.com, How Much Do Brokers Charge To Sell A Business](https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com/blog/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [thompsoncoburn.com, Top ten issues to negotiate in an M&A engagement letter during an economic downt](https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/insights/top-ten-issues-to-negotiate-in-an-ma-engagement-letter-during-an-economic-downturn/), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [venable.com, Engagement Letters with Investment Bankers: A Primer \| Insights](https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/2021/09/engagement-letters-with-investment-bankers), read 2026-09-12: every candidate on the page was refused
- [websiteclosers.com, How Much Do Business Brokers Charge? - Website Closers](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused

## Methodology

Every row is a verbatim sentence read from the named source's own page through our fetch service on the date shown, hash-pinned to the stored read (the sha of the page's visible text; the raw page is mirrored to R2). 2 of the 34 named sources that could be read published a usable figure; 32 published none and are recorded as not published, never filled in; 1 could not be read (blocked, dead or unreachable) and count nowhere. The headline figures (median, minimum, maximum, quartiles) are over ONE figure per source in USD (a source's median where its page yielded several accepted sentences), so N counts sources, never sentences; 357 candidate sentence(s) were refused by a reviewer with the reason recorded. The fuller derivation this dataset is chartered to grow into (not yet what the figures above are; they are each source's own published figure as read): the total cost of a sale as a percent of proceeds by deal size band, built by adding the fee index's effective adviser rate to every other priced line a seller pays - quality of earnings, M&A legal (hourly and flat), R&W insurance rate on line, escrow and closing - each read from the firm that publishes it; the adviser's share of the total, which is the number that reframes the whole fee question, and the count of firms publishing a price per service line versus quoting only on scope

## Sources

- [bdblaw.com, Representations & Warranties Insurance: What You Need to Know](https://bdblaw.com/representations-warranties-insurance-what-you-need-to-know/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bradyware.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report \| Sell Side (QoE) Reports](https://bradyware.com/quality-of-earnings-and-ma-value/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [buyouts.ai, Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney Cost: US Rates \| Buyouts](https://buyouts.ai/blog/mergers-and-acquisitions-attorney-cost) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [cooleyma.com, Representation and Warranty Insurance for M&A Deals: Cooling Market and Emerging](https://cooleyma.com/2024/05/23/representation-and-warranty-insurance-for-ma-deals-cooling-market-and-emerging-trends/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ctacquisitions.com, Attorney Fees for Selling a Business (2026)](https://ctacquisitions.com/attorney-fees-for-selling-a-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ctacquisitions.com, Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney: Selection Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-attorney/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ctacquisitions.com, Sell-Side Quality of Earnings Report: The 2026 Seller's Deep Dive](https://ctacquisitions.com/quality-of-earnings-report-seller-deep-dive/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ctacquisitions.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report: 2026 Guide](https://ctacquisitions.com/quality-of-earnings/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [dealroom.net, 8 Types of Costs in M&A & How to Reduce Them \| DealRoom Blog](https://dealroom.net/blog/merger-and-acquisition-costs) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [exitwise.com, Attorney Fees for Selling a Business: Costs & Considerations](https://exitwise.com/blog/attorney-fees-for-selling-a-business) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [greenwichgp.com, Is a Sell](https://greenwichgp.com/2022/01/11/is-a-sell-side-quality-of-earnings-worth-it/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [iconbusinessadvisors.com, Quality of Earnings Report: Why Every Seller in the Lower Middle Market Needs On](https://iconbusinessadvisors.com/quality-of-earnings-report/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [morganandwestfield.com, quality of earnings in ma](https://morganandwestfield.com/knowledge/quality-of-earnings-in-ma/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [valorembrokers.com, Selling a Business Costs: Complete 2026 Guide](https://valorembrokers.com/selling-a-business-costs-a-comprehensive-guide/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bakertilly.com, Quality of earnings report in pre-sale due diligence](https://www.bakertilly.com/insights/quality-of-earnings-report) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bdemerson.com, Quality of Earnings Report Cost: Fee Ranges \| BD Emerson](https://www.bdemerson.com/article/quality-of-earnings-report-cost) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bedrockqoe.com, How Much Does a Quality of Earnings Report Cost in 2026?](https://www.bedrockqoe.com/insights/quality-of-earnings-report-cost) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bizbuysell.com, How Much Does It Cost to Sell a Business?](https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/cost-sell-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [bridgepointbb.com, Quality of Earnings (QoE) Report: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know](https://www.bridgepointbb.com/blog/quality-of-earnings-report-what-buyers-and-sellers-need-to-know) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [cbiz.com, Sell-Side Quality of Earnings: A Critical Part of Due Diligence](https://www.cbiz.com/insights/article/sell-side-quality-of-earnings-a-critical-part-of-due-diligence) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [classvipartners.com, The Mysteries of M&A Fees - Class VI](https://www.classvipartners.com/the-mysteries-of-ma-fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [companycounsel.law, Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer \| Company Counsel](https://www.companycounsel.law/m-and-a-attorney) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [deshretcapital.com, Up to 25% Lower Reps and Warranties Insurance Cost; Get Bespoke R&W Insurance](https://www.deshretcapital.com/classroom/rep-and-warranty-insurance) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [hcvt.com, Business owners selling their business should obtain a quality of earnings repor](https://www.hcvt.com/article-Quality-of-Earnings-Report-QofE) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [keanmiller.com, Representation and Warranty Insurance](https://www.keanmiller.com/insights/blog/louisiana-law-blog/representation-and-warranty-insurance-considerations-for-ma-transactions/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [kmco.com, 7 Benefits of a Sell-Side Quality of Earnings Report](https://www.kmco.com/insights/7-benefits-of-a-sell-side-quality-of-earnings-report/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [leanlaw.co, Value-Based Pricing for M&A Law Firms \| LeanLaw](https://www.leanlaw.co/blog/value-based-pricing-for-ma-scoping-the-unscopable-for-law-firms/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [midstreet.com, Unlocking the Power of Reps and Warranties Insurance in M&A](https://www.midstreet.com/blog/reps-and-warranties-insurance) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [pcecompanies.com, How Much Does It Cost to Sell Your Business: Understanding Fees and Key Advisors](https://www.pcecompanies.com/resources/ma-fees-how-much-will-it-cost-to-sell-my-business) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [pillsburypropel.com, Drafting M&A Investment Bank Engagement Letters](https://www.pillsburypropel.com/guidance/investment-bank-engagement-letters) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [stacking.capital, Quality of Earnings (QoE) 2026: The Complete Guide for Small Business Buyers and](https://www.stacking.capital/articles/quality-of-earnings-qoe-complete-guide-2026.html) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [thesmallbusinessexpo.com, How Much Do Brokers Charge To Sell A Business](https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com/blog/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [thompsoncoburn.com, Top ten issues to negotiate in an M&A engagement letter during an economic downt](https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/insights/top-ten-issues-to-negotiate-in-an-ma-engagement-letter-during-an-economic-downturn/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [venable.com, Engagement Letters with Investment Bankers: A Primer \| Insights](https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/2021/09/engagement-letters-with-investment-bankers) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [websiteclosers.com, How Much Do Business Brokers Charge? - Website Closers](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)

## Cite or embed

- The median published figure in the Sale Cost Stack is 20,500 USD across 2 sources' own pages (range 6,000 to 35,000 USD), read 10 November 2026.
- 2 of the 34 named sources read in full publish a figure; 32 publish none, read 10 November 2026.
- The median is unchanged since 18 October 2026 (was 20,500 USD across 2).

Cite as: "madvisorfees.com Sale Cost Stack", updated 2026-11-11, https://madvisorfees.com/datasets/sale-cost-stack/.

CSV: https://madvisorfees.com/datasets/sale-cost-stack.csv
JSON: https://madvisorfees.com/datasets/sale-cost-stack.json
Embed (plain HTML, static link back): see https://madvisorfees.com/datasets/sale-cost-stack/#median