Patent Cost Estimates from our Patent Attorney

3 Patent Cost Estimates with Examples

1. Estimated Utility Patenting Costs: A general utility invention cost estimate is $10,000 total. The specific example provided below is $8,260 from search to issued patent.
2. Estimated Design Patenting Costs: A general design invention cost estimate is $5,900 total. The specific example provided below is $4,960 from search to issued patent.
3. Estimated Plant Patenting Costs: A general plant invention cost estimate is $8,500 total.

These estimates include the professional fees for all 5 patent steps: [1] prior art search, [2] patentability study, [3] application writing, [4] application filing, and [5] patent prosecution.

Important Note: These estimates presume USPTO micro entity filing status. Read more about entity status and USPTO fee reduction.

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We offer payment plans that are structured to provide transparency and predictability for our clients. Learn more about our all-inclusive patent application service fees. Learn more about our prior art search and patentability study costs. Try our easy-to-use patent application cost calculator.

Want to maximize the value of your search budget? Use our free keyword brainstorm template as a starting point.

Understanding Patent Cost: The 5 Key Fee Events in the Patent Process

The total patent cost of obtaining a patent includes more than just filing a single form with the USPTO. At Carson Patents®, we believe in transparency—so we’ve broken down the process into five distinct, chronological fee events. These events represent the typical stages where professional services and government fees apply during the life of a patent application and issuance. Each event is billed separately and reflects a meaningful step in moving your invention toward patent protection.

Patent Search and Patentability Evaluation

The first patent cost you’ll encounter is the professional fee for conducting a prior art search and preparing a patentability opinion. This step is crucial to determine whether your invention is likely to meet the legal standards of novelty and non-obviousness.

This phase includes:

• A comprehensive search of U.S. and international patent databases
• A written Patent Search Report identifying similar inventions
• An attorney’s evaluation of your invention’s patentability

Estimated cost range: $1,300 – $2,600 Learn more about our prior art search and patentability study costs. 

Why it matters: Investing in a patent search can help you avoid spending significantly more on filing and prosecution if your invention isn’t likely to qualify for a patent.

Drafting the Patent Application

Once your invention is determined to be patentable, the next major patent cost is the professional fee for writing your patent application. This includes drafting the specification, claims, abstract, and formal drawings (if needed), tailored to your invention and industry.

What’s included:

• Detailed technical description
• Custom claims strategy
• Attorney-prepared forms and documentation
• Coordination with a patent illustrator (if applicable)

Estimated cost range:

• Utility Patent: $4,500 – $7,500+
• Design Patent: $1,800 – $3,600+

Application Filing and Government Fees

The third phase of patent cost covers filing the application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This includes both the professional fee for preparing and submitting the application as well as the USPTO’s filing fees.

This typically includes:

• Professional fee for preparing final documents and submitting to the USPTO
• USPTO filing fees (based on entity size and patent type)

Estimated USPTO filing fees:

• Utility Patent: $500 (micro entity) – $2,500 (large entity)
• Design Patent: $400 (micro entity) – $1,600 (large entity)

Patent Prosecution and Office Action Responses

After submission, your application enters the examination phase. During this time, the USPTO may issue Office Actions—official communications requesting clarifications, rejections, or amendments. Responding to these is a critical part of the patent process and contributes to total patent cost.

Professional fees are charged for:

• Reviewing and interpreting examiner’s Office Actions
• Preparing legal responses and amendments
• Strategic claim revisions and legal arguments

Estimated cost per response: $1,200 – $2,400+

Important Note: The number and complexity of Office Actions can vary widely depending on your invention and the patent examiner assigned.

Patent Issuance and Post-Grant Representation

If your claims are allowed, you’ll enter the final stage of the patent process: issuance. This includes the USPTO’s issue fee, as well as the professional fee for monitoring and managing the issuance process.

Patent cost here includes:

• Preparing and submitting the issue fee payment
• Ensuring correct publication and grant of your patent
• Ongoing communication with the USPTO

Estimated issue fee:

• USPTO Utility Patent Issue Fee: $500 – $2,000 depending on entity size
• Professional fee for issuance: $880

Transparent Patent Cost Estimates

Carson Patents® offers flat-rate pricing wherever possible to help you budget for each step. You only pay for the services you need—no subscriptions, ongoing retainers, or hidden fees.

Important Tip: Patent expenses may be eligible for tax deductions. For more information, check out our article on the relationship between patents and taxes.

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The USPTO’s 3 Entity Statuses’ Impact on Filing Fee Costs

1. Regular Entity: Regular entities are inventors and patent applicants that do not qualify for small entity or micro entity status. Regular entities pay the full/usual USPTO filing fee costs.
2. Small Entity: Small entities are inventors and patent applicants that have fewer than 4 other patent applications, fewer than 500 employees, and would qualify as a small business. Small entities pay 60% less than the full/usual USPTO filing fee costs for nearly everything.
3. Micro Entity: Micro entities are inventors and patent applicants that qualify as small entities and whose gross income is less than $241,830 in the previous year (This is the current data for 2025). Micro entities pay 80% less than the full/usual USPTO filing fee costs for nearly everything. Read more in our article on entity status and USPTO fee reduction.

4 Reasons Patent Applications Have Extra Costs

1. Long application filing fees: When patent applications for inventions exceed 100 pages in total (forms included), there is an extra USPTO filing fee for additional pages in increments of 50 pages.
2. Extra claim fees: Patent application filing fees only include a maximum of 20 claims. When patent applications for inventions can benefit from having more than 20 claims, there is an extra USPTO filing fee for each additional claim. For a U.S. micro entity, each claim over 20 is $20 per additional claim.
3. Late filing fees: Responding to office actions (letters from the USPTO) is required within 3 months or less (called the shortened statutory period) from receiving the office action. Nearly all responses can be delayed to 6 months, however, there is an extra USPTO filing fee for each additional month that increases by month.
4. Petition fees: Sometimes petitions are needed, such as when requesting continued examination time. There is an extra USPTO filing fee for each petition (with very few exceptions).