Intended Parents

How Much Money Do I Need for Surrogacy?

One of the most common misconceptions about surrogacy is that it’s only for the wealthy. Intended parents from diverse financial backgrounds choose surrogacy as a family-building option.

Understanding surrogacy costs allows you to prepare, whether that’s by saving specifically for the process or setting a budget for the various expenses. With the right preparation and guidance, you can take control of the costs and build a financial plan that works for you

Ready to start planning your surrogacy journey? Fill out our online contact form to learn more about the costs that make growing your family a reality.

Below, we’ll dive into how much surrogacy costs, what those cost go toward making your dreams of parenthood a reality and what decisions you make that can impact costs

How Much Money Do I Need for Surrogacy?

On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $150,000-$179,000+ for surrogacy.

That’s a significant investment and a wide range when it comes to cost.

Knowing how much money you’ll need for certain parts of the process when it comes to affording surrogacy is important and working with a reputable professional can help you get a clearer picture of what these costs entail.

Knowing what services they offer, what they provide and how much they cost allows you to budget accordingly and find the resources needed for whatever isn’t provided.

Example Breakdown of Surrogacy Costs

Because no two surrogacy journeys look the same, it’s hard to visualize where your costs go. Here’s an example of what your cost breakdown could look like and where your investment goes toward making you a parent:

Service	Cost
Agency Fees	21%
Surrogate Compensation	35%
Screening and Matching	21%
Legal Costs	11%
Medical Costs	12%

When it comes to affording surrogacy, it can be broken down into two categories, your fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs are predetermined and won’t change with examples including agency, medical and legal costs.

Variable costs, on the other hand, will depend on the choices you make such as:

Professional: Reputable professionals should be able to answer your questions upfront about how their services and cost directly impact your goal of becoming a parent.
Insurance Policy: This is a variable cost because it’s dependent on your surrogate’s existing coverage and if it covers surrogacy-related expenses. Some surrogates may have insurance policies that cover surrogacy-related expenses while others may need gap insurance.
IVF: Different clinics have their own standards and practices for everything revolving around IVF from the medications to the procedures and timelines. Use of donor gametes also plays a factor into needing IVF or not.
Surrogate Compensation: Depending on the surrogate you match with, you could end up spending more based on their location and experience with surrogacy.

What Is a Realistic Income for Surrogacy?

A “realistic” income doesn’t exist for surrogacy.

There isn’t a specific figure when it comes to how much money for surrogacy is needed because your choices impact the final cost.

Mark and Cody, two former intended parents had a combined annual income of $205,000 with a total cost of $236,150 for their surrogacy journey.

Through a number of avenues, such as work benefits, a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), their personal savings and more, they were able to afford it.

Learn more about Mark and Cody’s story

Even if affording surrogacy is a concern for you, beyond your choice of professional, there are resources and programs you can take advantage of to help finance this life-changing opportunity.

Does Insurance Pay for Surrogacy?

The answer to this question is ultimately dependent on a few factors such as where you are located and what your insurance provider covers. RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, has a map detailing infertility insurance coverage by state.

Although most insurance policies do not cover surrogacy-related expenses, pregnancy-related medical expenses could be covered.

Reputable surrogacy agencies can review your and your surrogate’s insurance plans to ensure coverage will is part of what you pay for and if its not, they can help you find gap insurance to make sure you are covered.

Which is Cheaper, IVF or Surrogacy?

In general, IVF is cheaper than surrogacy as IVF is part of the overall surrogacy process. The average cost of IVF in the U.S. is anywhere from $15,000-$20,000 while the average cost of surrogacy comes in much higher at an average of $150,000-$179,000+.

Is Surrogacy Worth the Money?

Surrogacy is a life-changing journey that gives you the chance to experience what it’s like to be a parent.

This journey requires the services and expertise of a number of professionals to ensure that your experience is as smooth and straightforward as possible.

Although their benefits are wide-ranging, here are three of the most important benefits that make your surrogacy-costs worth the money:

One of the most important things that your agency will help you do is to find a surrogate quickly. Wait times are the difference between starting life with your new family and waiting longer to experience what that’s like. Some agencies are able to find you a match within months while others take years.

Becoming a surrogate requires screenings to ensure that they can safely carry a pregnancy. Reputable agencies have their own requirements in addition to thorough screenings to help decrease the chance of issues later on in the process. An unqualified surrogate could lead to additional time and money to find a qualified one.

Reputable agencies will offer financial protection for any issues that can arise during the process, ensuring your investment is protected.

How Can I Afford Surrogacy?

Learning more about the cost of surrogacy may have wondering how to pay for it. You’re not alone.

Affording surrogacy is more possible than ever thanks to different loans and grants available from family building professionals that help families dealing with infertility:

Grants

Loans

There are also additional options such as:

Work Benefits
Equity
Fundraising
Personal Savings

Contact us online if you still need to find a surrogacy professional. Whether it’s a fertility clinic near you or a surrogacy agency that will be there for each and every step of the process, we’ve got you covered.