A surrogacy journey usually runs 12 to 24 months and costs well into six figures, with the agency involved in screening, matching, payments and support. California law requires surrogacy facilitators to hold client funds with an independent, bonded or licensed escrow holder, which makes the question of where the money sits as important as any match timeline.

Every agency ranked in this guide lists an office in Southern California. Southern California Surrogacy ranks first for parents who want a smaller Orange County team and steady contact with their surrogate throughout the pregnancy.

Quick Comparison Table: SoCal Surrogacy Agencies

Rank

Company

Location

Good Fit For

Google Rating

1

Southern California Surrogacy

Irvine

Small team, close contact

5.0

2

Growing Generations

Los Angeles

Match-timeline guarantee

4.9

3

Hatch Fertility

Westwood

Birth guarantee in one price

4.6

4

Los Angeles Surrogacy

Los Angeles

Bringing a known surrogate

4.9

5

International Surrogacy Center

Murrieta

Inland Empire rematch cover

5.0

6

Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute

Beverly Hills

Overseas parents needing a donor

4.8

7

Great Beginnings Surrogacy

San Diego

Physician-led San Diego agency

4.8

#1: Southern California Surrogacy

Location: 300 Spectrum Center Dr., Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92618

Service Area: Orange County and the rest of Southern California; out-of-state and overseas parents welcome

Phone: (949) 878-8698

Rating: 5.0 on Google

Pricing: Quoted per journey; the agency’s Irvine guide puts typical totals at $90,000 to $130,000

Website: southerncaliforniasurrogacy.com

Why they lead the list: Large agencies can leave parents talking to a different coordinator at each stage. Southern California Surrogacy keeps the circle small: every journey gets its own group chat that includes the intended parents, the surrogate and agency staff, so questions about an appointment or a test result reach everyone at once. Parents fund a trust account before the surrogate becomes pregnant, and the surrogate’s payments go out on a set schedule, so neither side has to chase money mid-pregnancy. The agency works with married, single and same-sex parents from Orange County and from abroad.

What They Do Well

  • Everyone in one thread: Parents, surrogate and coordinator share a single chat for the whole journey, and staff follow up after each doctor visit.
  • Money set aside early: A trust account funded before pregnancy and a fixed payment calendar for the surrogate.
  • Donor eggs in-house: An egg donation program for parents who need a donor as well as a carrier.

Ideal Customers: First-time parents in Orange County and across Southern California, including same-sex couples and single parents, who would rather work with a small team than a national brand. On the surrogate side, the agency says most applicants are matched within 1 to 3 months.

Standout Features

  • Surrogate support package: Compensation packages up to $120,000 with monthly allowances and coverage for insurance, travel, childcare and lost wages, per its site.
  • Open to every family type: Married, single, LGBTQ+ and international parents.
  • Its own record: According to the agency, every surrogate it has placed has handed the baby to the intended parents as agreed.

Bottom line: The pick for parents who value being able to reach their surrogate and their coordinator in the same conversation.

What Reviewers Say: Reviews come mostly from surrogates, who praise quick answers, the shared chat and support from application through delivery, including a twin pregnancy. No recurring complaint appeared.

Good fit for: Parents wanting a small team and close contact.

#2: Growing Generations

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Service Area: Nationwide, with a large share of clients from overseas

Phone: (323) 965-7500

Rating: 4.9 on Google

Pricing: Four tiers, from $213,000 to $267,000 (Legacy) up to $456,000 to $517,000 (Heritage+)

Website: growinggenerations.com

What They Do Well

  • Tiered service: Programs range from a standard journey to concierge tiers that guarantee a match within a set time.
  • Donors through the same agency: It recruits both egg and sperm donors, so a donor search does not mean a second contract.
  • Families from abroad: The agency says more than 30 percent of last year’s parents lived outside the U.S.

Ideal Customers: LGBTQ+, single and international parents with the budget for a full-service agency that has done this since 1996. The agency reports more than 2,400 babies born through its program.

Bottom line: The choice for parents who will pay more for a long track record and a guaranteed match window.

What Reviewers Say: Surrogates and egg donors name their specialists, such as Amy and Serenity, and describe steady updates by text, email and video. One egg donor says the time commitment was greater than she expected.

Good fit for: Parents wanting a match-timeline guarantee.

#3: Hatch Fertility

Location: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 370, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Service Area: Domestic families plus clients from over 50 nations

Phone: (818) 791-1430

Rating: 4.6 on Google

Pricing: Published packages from $180,000 (surrogacy only) to $239,000 (guaranteed birth with donor eggs)

Website: hatch.us

What They Do Well

  • Costs fixed up front: Its Peace of Mind packages bundle surrogacy, IVF and donor eggs at set prices, and the top package runs until a live birth.
  • Rematches covered: The agency says it absorbs the cost of rematches and additional transfers.
  • Medical screening before matching: Surrogate records are reviewed by an in-house IVF medical director, with a mock cycle before the match.

Ideal Customers: Parents who want a single price that covers the egg donor, IVF and surrogate, and who prefer an agency working alongside a fertility clinic in the same Westwood building. Hatch traces its egg donation program to 1991.

Bottom line: A strong option for parents who want their total cost and outcome guarantee settled before they start.

What Reviewers Say: Surrogates praise case managers who were former surrogates themselves and answered at any hour, and several are on repeat journeys. One applicant who was declined after screening criticizes how the decision was handled.

Good fit for: Parents wanting a birth guarantee in one price.

cl#4: Los Angeles Surrogacy

Location: 640 S. San Vicente Blvd., Suite 251, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Service Area: Families from the U.S. and overseas

Phone: (800) 204-7129

Rating: 4.9 on Google

Pricing: Total journey $150,000 to $250,000, including an agency fee of $20,000 to $40,000

Website: losangelessurrogacy.com

What They Do Well

  • Costs posted publicly: A total range and agency fee range on its site.
  • Second match at no charge: A new match without added cost if the first does not work out.
  • Bring your own surrogate: Parents can work with a friend or relative as their carrier.

Ideal Customers: Los Angeles parents on a first journey who want to see costs before calling, including those who already know who will carry. Parents’ deposits go to a bonded escrow company separate from the agency, and egg donors can be matched through the same office.

Bottom line: A sensible pick for mid-range budgets and for parents who already have a surrogate in mind.

What Reviewers Say: Surrogates single out match specialists Arthur and Shawn and case manager Elizabeth for patience and consistent contact. No recurring complaint appeared in the Google sample.

Good fit for: Parents bringing a known surrogate.

#5: International Surrogacy Center

Location: 26359 Jefferson Ave., Unit D, Murrieta, CA 92562

Service Area: Domestic and overseas parents; coordinators work in English, French and Spanish

Phone: (619) 591-9113

Rating: 5.0 on Google

Pricing: Total journey from about $170,000 to $190,000; agency fee $48,000, due after the surrogate is medically cleared

Website: internationalsurrogacycenter.com

What They Do Well

  • Protection if a surrogate withdraws: No added agency fee for a new match before the first transfer, and an optional $10,000 three-year unlimited rematch package.
  • Parents pick their own lawyer: To avoid conflicts, parents interview and hire their own attorney.
  • Staff who have done it: The agency says 80 percent of its team are former surrogates.

Ideal Customers: Riverside County and Temecula households, plus overseas couples, who want coordinators who have carried a pregnancy for someone else. Unused escrow funds are returned within six months after delivery.

Bottom line: The pick for parents who want a defined plan if a match falls through.

What Reviewers Say: Surrogates and parents describe a friendly team that answers every question and stays involved from application through delivery. No recurring complaint appeared.

Good fit for: Inland Empire families wanting rematch cover.

#6: Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute

Location: 8624 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Service Area: U.S. households and parents from Europe, Asia and the Middle East

Phone: (310) 209-1898

Rating: 4.8 on Google

Pricing: Total journey $150,000 to $220,000; agency services $30,000 to $60,000

Website: eggdonorandsurrogacy.com

Founded by Parham Zar in 2001, EDSI runs egg donation and surrogacy under one roof, with an international program for parents from Spain, France, Germany, the UK, China, Japan, Israel and the UAE. Client funds are held by independent, bonded escrow providers, and an optional $7,000 guarantee covers unlimited matching. Reviewers describe careful matching and a calm, well-organized process.

Good fit for: Parents abroad who also need a donor.

#7: Great Beginnings Surrogacy Services

Location: 3420 Carmel Mountain Rd., Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92121

Service Area: San Diego and parents nationally

Phone: (858) 299-5552

Rating: 4.8 on Google

Pricing: Not published; financing available through a third-party lender

Website: greatbeginningssurrogacy.com

Great Beginnings is owned and led by reproductive endocrinologist Samuel Wood, MD, PhD. Surrogates complete medical and psychological screening, background checks and in-person interviews before parents see their profiles, and each side has separate legal counsel through the pre-birth order. Parents and surrogates name coordinators Denise and Fan for steady support, though one parent reports slow updates. It has fewer than 50 Google reviews and publishes no costs.

Good fit for: San Diego parents wanting a physician-led agency.

How We Ranked These Companies

Primary factors

  • Built for parents: The agency explains its process and costs from the intended parents’ side, not only the surrogate’s.
  • A Southern California office: An office in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside or San Diego County.
  • Time in business: At least 2 years.
  • Review base: Public client reviews and ratings

Secondary factors

  • Money handling: How the agency describes escrow, trust accounts and refunds.
  • Published costs and guarantees: Price ranges, rematch terms and outcome guarantees.
  • Distinct fit: No two agencies serve the same kind of family best.

Final Word

Southern California parents have a wide choice of agencies, and the right one depends on budget, family situation and how much contact you want. Southern California Surrogacy ranks first for its small team, shared journey chat and trust account funded before pregnancy. Growing Generations and Hatch suit parents who want guarantees built into the price, Los Angeles Surrogacy and ISC publish mid-range costs and rematch terms, and EDSI and Great Beginnings serve international and San Diego families.

Before signing, ask every agency who holds your escrow funds and whether that holder is independent and bonded, what happens financially if a surrogate withdraws, and which costs are not included in the quoted total.

Author Profile

Millard Davis
Millard Davis
Along with leading the team, Millard also works alongside different Fortune500 companies as their management Consultant/Financial Analyst, which shows his passion in helping other businesses grow.