Understanding the Investment
in Your Family’s Future
Brownstone recognizes the immense financial burden placed on intended parents. Some of the costs are truly unavoidable. You need lawyers. You need an IVF clinic. You need to compensate your surrogate for their incredible service. Other costs are unavoidable if you want to do this the right way, such as life insurance, independent escrow, and mental health support.
We Try To Make Surrogacy More Affordable
In Three Ways:
1. By keeping our all-inclusive agency fee comparatively low and collecting it in installments to avoid large upfront sums
2. By being as transparent as possible about the anticipated costs so you can plan accordingly
3. By working with you on financing options
Let’s dive into each.
Brownstone’s All-Inclusive Agency Fee
We want you to always feel like we’ve got your back. Many agencies charge parents an extra fee for a “guarantee program” that covers rematching with a new surrogate or for a “VIP program” so that you have a single point-of-contact throughout your journey. At Brownstone, that is standard.
We always have your back
Surrogacy is expensive. As a father through surrogacy myself, trust me—I get it! But what I can promise you is this: Brownstone will never waste your time or your money.
– Jarret Zafran, Founder and Executive Director
Our all-inclusive agency fee covers:
- Management of your entire journey, from start to finish. (Many other agencies fade away you once you’re matched.)
- All costs of surrogate recruitment and screening. (Many other agencies pass along these thousands of dollars of screening costs to you.)
- All costs of intended parent screening. (Many other agencies pass along screening costs to you.)
- Coordination of any donor cycles or embryo creation. (Many other agencies charge additional fees for this.)
- Coordination of unlimited IVF cycles. (Many other agencies charge per cycle.)
- Free rematch services if your surrogate is disqualified or has three unsuccessful transfers. (Many other agencies charge for rematching you.)
- Virtually all incidental requests you might have, such as researching a local doula or food delivery service. (Many other agencies only provide the services outlined in your agency agreement and charge additional fees for anything “above and beyond.”)
We only require a small portion of the fee before you match ($7,500 for domestic parents, $10,000 for international parents), giving you more time to save for later expenses. The remainder of the fee is split between preliminary match ($15,000 due) execution of the legal contract with your surrogate ($10,000 due) and when you get heartbeat confirmation of pregnancy ($5,000 due).
Summary of Estimated Costs
Summary of Estimated Costs*
Total Anticipated Surrogacy Expenses: $130,000 – $180,000
(Best Estimate: $150,000)
Not including IVF expenses or gamete donation
| Expense | Estimated Cost | Notes |
| Agency Fees and Third-Party Expenses | ||
| Agency fee | $37,500 (domestic) $40,000 (international) |
See “Agency Fee” section above for further detail |
| Travel expenses | $2,000 – $7,000 | |
| Escrow fees | $1,500-$2000 | |
| Legal fees | $10,000 | Estimate for IP and GC for GSA, estate planning, and parentage. |
| Mental health screening | $0 – $1,000 |
Brownstone conducts psychological screening, but IVF Clinic may require additional psychological screening and testing. |
| Mental health support | $0 – $1,000+ | |
| Health insurance expenses | $6,000 – $30,000+ | Cost depends on numerous factors, including whether surrogate has pre-existing insurance that will cover surrogacy pregnancies. |
| Life insurance | $500 – $1,000 | $750,000 coverage |
| Base Surrogate Compensation | ||
| Surrogate base compensation | $50,000 – $60,000+ | Experienced surrogate compensation may be higher. |
| Monthly expense allowance | $3,900 | $300 per month ($350 for multiples) from contract signing to one month postpartum. Typically about 13 months’ duration. Meant to cover incidental expenses (e.g. travel to local doctors’ appointments, parking, FedEx, non-prescription medications) |
| Medical clearance bonus | $500 | Paid when your clinic officially clears your surrogate |
| Legal clearance bonus | $500 | Paid when you fully execute your contracts |
| Medication start fee | $500 | Per cycle |
| Embryo transfer fee | $1,000 | Per transfer attempt |
| Maternity clothing allowance | $750 (singleton) or $1,000 (multiples) |
|
| Automatic housekeeping fees | $800 | $500 paid at gestational week 34; $300 paid at delivery for postpartum recovery |
| Potential Surrogate Compensation | ||
| Multiples fee | $10,000 | |
| Termination or reduction fee | $1,000 | |
| C-Section fee | $5,000 (or $2,500 if repeat) | |
| Breast milk fees | $350/week (plus supplies and shipping) | |
| Lost wages | Varies, at cost | Paid as needed for physician-ordered bed rest, required travel, and hospital stay throughout journey. Postpartum recovery up to six (6) weeks for vaginal delivery and eight (8) weeks for c-section (no physician’s order required). Cap of 10 days for spouse/partner lost wages. |
| Childcare expenses | Up to $150/day | Paid as needed for physician-ordered bed rest, required travel, hospital stay, and postpartum recovery. Intended to cover additional expenses, not normal childcare arrangements. |
| Potential housekeeping fees | $80/week | For physician-ordered bed rest prior to gestational week 34 |
| Additional variable expenses | ||
| IVF expenses: | $10,000 – $40,000 (estimate) |
|
| Egg donation expenses: | $30,000 – $50,000 (estimate; based on directed retrieval) |
|
| Sperm donation expenses: | $2,000 – $8,000 (estimate) | |
| Additional expenses for international IPs: | Variable |
|
| Best Estimate Surrogacy with IVF + Egg Donation Expenses: $215,000 | ||
Three Important Things To Note
about These Costs:
- First, here’s the disclaimer: These are estimates and your actual costs might be higher or lower than these estimates (depending on multiple factors beyond the agency’s control), or include additional, related expenses not listed.
- Second, we have tried to be conservative with our estimates, despite our better marketing instincts. We would much rather you suffer some sticker shock now than lure you in under false pretenses—in other words, we’d rather the total expense fall short of our estimate than ultimately blow up your budget. If you believe you have identified an agency that is significantly cheaper, we would urge you to make an apples-to-apples comparison of different categories and double-check that they account for the same expenses, make realistic estimates, or cover the same services in their agency fee.
- Third, ultimately the negotiated terms of any surrogacy agreement are left up to the individual set of parent(s) and surrogate. The estimates above are best viewed as our program “default.” Certain supports and protections are non-negotiable for the safety of all involved, and Brownstone will discuss financial expectations with both parties to prevent any surprises. That said, if a Brownstone surrogate is willing to accept base compensation at the lower end of typical fee ranges to help out a more financially-constrained set of parents, we would happily approve that arrangement. For parents who need a “lower cost” match, it may require some additional patience to find a surrogate with those reduced compensation expectations.
Discounts and Financial Planning
If you are worried about being able to afford our program, do not hesitate to contact us anyway. We would be happy to discuss how your dreams of building your family through surrogacy may still be financially achievable through discounts and other financing options. Our resources page also contains a partial list of grant-making organizations and fertility financing programs.
Brownstone proudly participates in the Men Having Babies GPAP program, offering discounted and pro bono services. We are also the officially agency partner for the deserving grant recipient of A Damn Good Life, a breast cancer charity, and have pledged discounted services to them. We offer discounts for active military personnel, public school teachers, and first responders. If you bring your own surrogate to Brownstone or return to Brownstone for a sibling journey, we’ll happily manage your journey at a discounted rate. Finally, we will provide needed documentation for reimbursement if you have employer-provided benefits through Progyny, Carrot, Maven Clinic, or another fertility or family building benefits provider.
Have Questions about Affording Surrogacy?
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Brownstone Surrogacy is licensed as a surrogacy matching program by the New York State Department of Health. Our license number is GS221023. We are proud to be among the few agencies licensed by a governmental regulator.
“Gestation is a marvel, no matter how it is accomplished. But gestation isn’t the real magic. Love is the magic. Love is the only magic.” – Early: An Intimate History of Premature Birth and What It Teaches Us About Being Human by Sarah DiGregorio