Seller Closing Costs in Florida (2026), With a Calculator
By Alon Melamed, Head of Acquisitions · Updated
Short answer: on a typical Florida home sale with two real estate agents, seller closing costs come to roughly 7% of the sale price. On a $350,000 home that is about $25,000. Commission is most of it (about 5.7% on average). The rest is the state doc stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100), the buyer’s owner’s title policy (paid by the seller in most counties) and the title company’s settlement fees, which together run about 1.5%.
This guide lists every cost a Florida seller pays at closing, shows who pays doc stamps and title insurance in each part of the state, and includes a calculator for your own price and county. The rates come from Florida statutes and the state’s title insurance rule, linked at the end.
Florida Seller Closing Cost Calculator
Enter your numbers. Doc stamps and title insurance are calculated from the official Florida rates; the commission and settlement fee are averages you can change.
What Sellers Pay at Closing in Florida
Here is the same math for a $350,000 home in Duval County, with average commissions:
| Cost | How it is set | On $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Listing agent commission | Negotiated; 2.88% is the current average | $10,080 |
| Buyer’s agent commission | Negotiated; 2.82% is the current average | $9,870 |
| Doc stamps on the deed | State tax, $0.70 per $100 | $2,450 |
| Owner’s title insurance | State-set rate (seller pays in Duval) | $1,825 |
| Settlement and title services | Set by the title company; an estimate | $750 |
| HOA estoppel letter | Only with an HOA or condo; capped by law | up to $299 |
| Total, without HOA | $24,975 (7.1%) | |
1. Real estate commission
Commission is the biggest closing cost by far. Recent national data puts the average at about 5.7% of the price: 2.88% for the listing agent and 2.82% for the buyer’s agent. Every part of it is negotiable. Since August 2024, sellers no longer advertise buyer-agent pay on the MLS, and buyers sign their own agreements with their agents. In practice many Florida sellers still offer to cover the buyer’s agent, because many buyers do not have the cash to pay it on top of a down payment.
2. Documentary stamp tax on the deed
Florida taxes every deed at $0.70 per $100 of the price, or part of $100 (Florida Statutes §201.02). That is 0.7%, or $2,450 on a $350,000 sale. Miami-Dade County is the exception: $0.60 per $100, plus a $0.45 surtax unless the property is a single-family home. The seller customarily pays this tax, and the standard Florida contracts put it on the seller.
3. Owner’s title insurance
The owner’s policy protects the buyer against old liens, forgeries and other title problems. Florida sets the premium by rule (Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003), so it is the same at every title company:
- $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 of the price
- $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million
- $2.50 per $1,000 from $1 million to $5 million
- $2.25 per $1,000 from $5 million to $10 million, and $2.00 per $1,000 above that
On a $350,000 home that is $575 + $1,250 = $1,825. Title companies add charges that are not set by the state, such as the title search and endorsements.
4. Settlement and title service fees
The title company or closing attorney charges for running the closing: a settlement fee, lien and municipal searches, document preparation, courier and recording fees. These are not set by the state and vary from company to company, commonly several hundred dollars to about a thousand. Ask for a written estimate before you sign the contract.
5. Property tax proration
Florida property taxes are paid in arrears. The bill for the year is mailed in November, with a 4% discount for paying that month, then 3%, 2% and 1% in December, January and February (Florida Statutes §197.162). So at closing the seller gives the buyer a credit for the taxes from January 1 to the closing day, and the buyer pays the full bill in the fall. Close on June 30 with a $4,800 tax bill and the credit is roughly half the bill, about $2,380.
6. HOA or condo estoppel letter
If the home is in an association, the title company orders an estoppel certificate that shows what you owe the association. Florida caps the fee: $299 since the 2022 inflation adjustment, plus up to $119 for rush delivery and up to $179 more if the account is behind (Florida Statutes §720.30851 for HOAs, §718.116 for condos). Any unpaid dues or assessments are paid from your proceeds.
7. Your mortgage payoff and any liens
Your remaining loan balance, plus interest up to the payoff date, comes out of the proceeds, along with any liens, judgments or unpaid code enforcement fines recorded against the property. These are not closing costs, but they decide what you walk away with.
8. Repairs and credits after the inspection
Most buyers inspect, and many ask for repairs or a credit afterwards. This is the cost sellers forget to budget for. On an older home it can run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
Foreign sellers: FIRPTA withholding
If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident for tax purposes (a Canadian selling a Florida home, for example), the buyer must generally withhold 15% of the price for the IRS at closing. There are reduced rates and exemptions when the buyer will live in the home and the price is under $1 million. You can claim back any overpayment on your U.S. tax return.
Who Pays Doc Stamps in Florida?
The seller pays the doc stamps on the deed ($0.70 per $100). The buyer pays the doc stamps and intangible tax on a new mortgage, if they take one. On a cash sale there is no mortgage, so only the deed stamps apply.
Who Pays Title Insurance in Florida?
| Where the home is | Owner’s title policy is usually paid by |
|---|---|
| Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Flagler and most other Florida counties | Seller |
| Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, Collier | Buyer |
| Lender’s policy, anywhere in Florida | Buyer (only when there is a mortgage) |
The custom is only a starting point. The contract decides, and whoever pays for the owner’s policy usually also picks the title company.
Costs the Buyer Usually Pays
- The lender’s title policy, and the doc stamps ($0.35 per $100) and intangible tax (0.2%) on a new mortgage
- The home inspection, appraisal and survey
- Loan origination fees and prepaid interest, insurance and escrow
- The owner’s title policy in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier
How to Lower Your Closing Costs
- Negotiate the commission. It is the only large cost you control. Ask what the listing fee covers and whether the buyer-agent part is required.
- Get a settlement fee quote from two title companies. The title premium is fixed by the state; their own fees are not.
- Fix the cheap items before you list so the inspection report gives the buyer less to negotiate with.
- Sell without an agent. You save the listing commission but take on pricing, marketing, showings and the contract yourself.
- Sell to a cash buyer who pays the closing costs. No commission and no closing costs, in exchange for a price below what a fully repaired home would list for.
What Changes When You Sell for Cash
A cash sale to a company like ours removes most of the table above. There is no commission, we pay the closing costs (doc stamps, title and settlement fees included), there are no showings or repair requests, and you choose the closing day. Your net from a cash offer is simply the offer price minus your mortgage payoff and anything else you owe on the house, such as this year’s property taxes.
The trade-off is the price: a cash buyer who takes the house as-is offers less than the house would list for after repairs. The fair way to decide is to compare nets, not prices. Run your numbers in the calculator above, then see how a cash offer is priced and compare it with ours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage are seller closing costs in Florida?
With two agents, a Florida seller usually pays roughly 7% of the sale price at closing, and most of that is commission. On a $350,000 home that is about $25,000. Without any commission, the remaining costs (doc stamps, the owner’s title policy and settlement fees) come to about 1.5% of the price.
Does the seller pay doc stamps in Florida?
Yes, by custom the seller pays the documentary stamp tax on the deed in Florida. The rate is $0.70 per $100 of the price ($0.60 in Miami-Dade for a single-family home), so $2,450 on a $350,000 sale. The buyer pays the separate doc stamps on a new mortgage.
Who pays title insurance in Florida?
In most Florida counties, including Duval and the rest of northeast Florida, the seller pays for the buyer’s owner’s title policy. In Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier the buyer usually pays. It is negotiable either way, and a buyer who gets a mortgage always pays for the lender’s policy.
Do sellers have to pay the buyer’s agent in Florida?
No. Since the August 2024 changes to the national realtor rules, sellers no longer offer buyer-agent pay through the MLS, and it is a matter of negotiation. Many sellers still agree to pay part or all of it to attract buyers, so ask your listing agent what is typical for your price range.
How are property taxes prorated when you sell a house in Florida?
Florida property taxes are paid in arrears: the bill for a year arrives in November of that year. So at closing the seller credits the buyer for the taxes from January 1 up to the closing day, and the buyer pays the whole bill later. Contracts commonly base this on the latest tax figures with the early-payment discount applied.
Are seller closing costs tax deductible?
They are not deducted like an expense, but selling costs such as commission, title fees and doc stamps reduce the amount you realize on the sale, which lowers any taxable gain. Many homeowners owe no tax anyway because of the federal exclusion of up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly). Florida has no state income tax.
Alon Melamed is Head of Acquisitions at CASA One Residential, the Jacksonville company behind Florida Cash Home Buyer. He leads the team that reviews each house and makes the cash offers to homeowners across northeast Florida.
Sources
- Florida Statutes §201.02: documentary stamp tax on deeds ($0.70 per $100)
- Florida Department of Revenue: documentary stamp tax, including the Miami-Dade rate
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 69O-186.003: promulgated title insurance rates
- Florida Statutes §720.30851: HOA estoppel certificates and fee caps
- Florida Statutes §197.162: property tax early-payment discounts
- Real Estate Witch: average real estate commission, 2026 data
- IRS Topic 701: sale of your home (gain exclusion)
- IRS: FIRPTA withholding for foreign sellers
This guide is general information about Florida real estate, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; check your own situation with a Florida real estate attorney, title company or tax professional.