USPTO fees for a US provisional ($65 to $325), what attorneys and agents typically charge to prepare one, and what filing it yourself costs.
Small entity covers most individuals, small companies and universities (37 CFR 1.27); micro entity adds an income limit and a cap of four earlier applications, not counting provisionals (37 CFR 1.29). Claiming a status you do not qualify for can make a later patent unenforceable.
Published ranges as of September 2026 (UpCounsel): a limited review of an inventor's own draft often costs $500 to $1,500; attorney preparation often $1,500 to $3,500 or more, and detailed applications can exceed $3,000 to $5,000; professional drawings often $300 to $500; a prior-art search often $1,000 to $3,000. Some firms quote flat fees in the same range, for example $3,600 for a provisional (Patentext). These are typical published prices, not quotes.
An inventor may prepare and file a provisional without a practitioner; the cost is the USPTO fee plus your time (step-by-step guide). The risk is not the paperwork, which the USPTO keeps simple, but a description too thin to support the claims you will want later (35 U.S.C. 119(e)(1), 112(a)).
iPatent drafts the description for free and checks every draft claim against it, so you see what is still unsupported before you file. A sensible middle path: draft with iPatent, then pay a registered practitioner only for a review.
The nonprovisional application, filed within twelve months, costs considerably more in USPTO fees (filing, search and examination) and in professional fees; see the USPTO fee schedule and provisional vs nonprovisional.
Draft a disclosure, freeSee a real run