What goes into the cost of a patent
A US patent's cost has three parts. USPTO fees are set by the official fee schedule, so they are the same for everyone at your fee level. Professional fees, paid to the patent attorney or agent who prepares and files the application, depend on the firm and on how complex the invention is. Drawings depend on who makes them. For most filers the USPTO fees are the smallest of the three, which is why this calculator shows them exactly and the other two as ranges you can replace with real quotes.
The cost also comes in two stages. Filing is what you pay to get the application in: USPTO filing fees, the drawings, and the attorney or agent who prepares it. After filing, a USPTO examiner reviews the application, and most utility applications are rejected at least once before approval. Each rejection, called an office action, needs a written response from your attorney or agent, usually $2,000 to $4,000 each. The calculator assumes 2 for a utility application, close to the average for applications that end in a patent, and lets you change the number. When the patent is approved, the USPTO charges an issue fee.
USPTO fees by entity size
The USPTO charges three fee levels. Large entities pay the full fee, small entities pay about 60% less, and micro entities pay 80% less. These are the fees most applications pay, from the schedule effective January 19, 2025.
Small entities filing online pay $70 for the utility filing fee (fee code 4011), not the $140 paper rate.
Provisional vs. non-provisional: what each costs
A provisional application holds your filing date for 12 months. The USPTO fee is small ($65 to $325) and the application is never examined, so it cannot become a patent by itself. Within 12 months you file the non-provisional application, which is examined and can be granted. Starting with a provisional usually costs a little more in total, because two applications are prepared, but it spreads the cost out and gives you a year before the larger fees are due. Read more about provisional vs. non-provisional drawings and how many drawings a provisional needs.
What a design patent costs
A design patent protects how a product looks, not how it works. USPTO fees are lower than for a utility patent and there are no maintenance fees. Published attorney flat fees are lower too, about $1,500 to $3,500. Rejections are less common: about 4 in 10 design applications are approved with no rejection, and a design response usually costs $1,000 to $2,500. The drawings are the claim, so a design application needs a full set of views, usually 7, and drawings are a larger share of the cost. See our design patent drawings guide.
What patent drawings cost
Drawings are usually a few hundred dollars of the total. A freelancer typically charges $25 to $75 a sheet, a specialized drafting firm $50 to $150, and a premium illustrator $150 to $500. PatentDrawingAI turns photos, sketches and CAD renders into USPTO-formatted drawings on a monthly plan, from $19 for about 5 drawings. Our patent drawing cost guide compares every option, and the patent drawing services guide covers how to choose one.
How to lower the cost of a patent
- Claim the right fee level. Most individuals and small companies qualify for small entity fees, about 60% off. Check the micro entity rules too.
- Keep claims within what is included. The filing fees cover 20 claims, 3 of them independent; each extra claim adds a fee.
- File the text in DOCX. A utility application filed in another format pays a non-DOCX surcharge of $86 to $430.
- Ask for a flat-fee quote. Many firms publish flat fees; compare two or three and enter yours above to see your real total.
- Compare drawing options for utility and provisional filings. Drawings are a small part of the total, but they are the part you can finish today.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a patent cost?
Most of the cost is the attorney's fee. Published flat fees for preparing and filing a utility application run about $6,500 to $10,000. USPTO fees to file are $400 for a micro entity, $730 for a small entity and $2,000 for a large entity, and the issue fee adds $258, $516 or $1,290 when the patent is approved. After filing, most applications are rejected at least once, and each written response to the examiner usually costs $2,000 to $4,000. Drawings usually add several hundred dollars. Use the calculator above for your case.
How much does a provisional patent cost?
The USPTO filing fee is $65, $130 or $325 depending on entity size. Published attorney flat fees for preparing a provisional run about $3,000 to $5,000, plus the drawings.
How much does a design patent cost?
USPTO fees are $520, $1,040 or $2,600 from filing to grant, depending on entity size. Published attorney flat fees for a design application run about $1,500 to $3,500. Design patents usually need 7 views, so drawings are a larger share of the cost.
How many office actions does a patent application get?
Most utility applications are rejected at least once before approval: about 4 in 5. Applications that end in a patent average about 2 rejections, and some need 4 or more. Each rejection, called an office action, needs a written response from your attorney or agent, usually $2,000 to $4,000. Design applications are rejected less often: about 4 in 10 are approved with no rejection, and a design response usually costs $1,000 to $2,500.
Do I qualify for small or micro entity fees?
Small entities, such as most individuals and companies with 500 or fewer employees, pay about 60% less. Micro entities pay 80% less: each inventor must also have been named on no more than 4 earlier US non-provisional applications and had gross income at or below $262,380 last year (the limit since September 15, 2026). Check the USPTO's rules before you claim a lower fee.
How much do patent drawings cost?
A freelancer typically charges $25 to $75 a sheet, a specialized drafting firm $50 to $150, and a premium illustrator $150 to $500. PatentDrawingAI plans start at $19 a month, which includes about 5 drawings.
How much does it cost to keep a patent for 20 years?
A utility patent needs maintenance fees 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years after grant: $2,894 in total for a micro entity, $5,788 for small and $14,470 for large. Design patents have no maintenance fees. This calculator covers filing to grant, so it leaves them out.
Is this estimate a quote?
No. It uses the public USPTO fee schedule and flat fees published by 15 US patent law firms, so your firm's quote may differ. Enter it in the calculator to see your own total. This is an estimate, not legal advice.
Sources: USPTO fee schedule, effective January 19, 2025 (last revised August 14, 2026); USPTO small and micro entity rules; attorney ranges from flat fees published by 15 US patent law firms, collected October 10, 2026; response prices from 8 of those firms and the AIPLA 2025 Report of the Economic Survey; rejection counts from USPTO first-action allowance rates, the USPTO Office Action Research Dataset and USPTO Design Day 2023 and 2024 statistics. Checked October 10, 2026. This is an estimate, not legal advice. USPTO fee schedule.