What Are the Closing Costs When Buying a House in Florida?

Florida buyers typically pay between 2% and 5% of the purchase price in closing costs — meaning roughly $5,000 to $12,500 on a $250,000 home, or $8,000 to $20,000 on a $400,000 home. The actual number depends on the loan type, the county, and which costs are negotiated to the seller in the contract. Florida’s specific tax structure — the documentary stamp tax, the intangible tax, and county-level title insurance customs — creates closing-cost line items that many out-of-state buyers don’t recognize until they see the closing disclosure.

Here’s the itemized breakdown of what Florida buyers actually pay, what each line item is, and who customarily pays it.

The Two Florida-Specific Taxes Buyers Don’t Expect

Florida’s two real estate transfer taxes catch most first-time and out-of-state buyers off guard.

Documentary Stamp Tax on the Mortgage Note (Buyer Pays)

Section 201.08, Florida Statutes charges $0.35 per $100 of the mortgage amount, capped at $2,450 on the note itself. On a $320,000 mortgage, that’s $1,120 in note doc stamps.

Intangible Tax on the Mortgage (Buyer Pays)

Section 199.133, Florida Statutes charges 2 mills per dollar — $0.002 per dollar — of the mortgage principal. On a $320,000 mortgage, that’s $640. There is no cap.

Together, these two state taxes alone add roughly $1,760 to the closing of a buyer financing $320,000.

Documentary Stamp Tax on the Deed (Seller Customarily Pays)

Section 201.02, Florida Statutes charges $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price ($0.60/$100 in Miami-Dade for single-family residential, plus a $0.45/$100 surtax on non-single-family Miami-Dade transfers). Customarily paid by the seller, but negotiable in the contract.

The seller, on the same transaction, would pay approximately $1,750 in deed doc stamps ($250,000 × 0.007) plus title insurance and other costs.

Title Insurance: Florida’s Promulgated Rate

Florida is a “promulgated rate” state — title insurance premiums are set by the Office of Insurance Regulation and not negotiable. The rate schedule:

• $5.75 per $1,000 of the first $100,000 of insured value
• $5.00 per $1,000 of insured value between $100,001 and $1,000,000
• Lower rates apply above $1 million

For a $400,000 home with a full owner’s policy at the same value as the purchase price, the premium runs approximately $2,075. Lender’s title insurance (insuring the lender’s interest in the loan amount only) is generally cheaper.

Who pays for title insurance varies by Florida county. This catches a lot of buyers and sellers off guard:

• Most Florida counties: Seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy and selects the title agent
• Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange, and Miami-Dade: Buyer customarily pays for title insurance and selects the agent
• Sarasota, Manatee: Seller pays
• All counties: Custom is contractual — anything in the contract overrides custom

The Florida Bar / Florida Realtors purchase contract has a checkbox that resolves who pays. Always verify the box matches the local custom you expected.

Florida Closing Costs: Who Pays What (Customary)

All allocations are negotiable and the executed contract controls.

What a Florida Real Estate Attorney Reviews at Closing

Many states only permit attorneys to perform real estate closings— and for many transactions, an attorney closing adds a layer of legal review a title company alone cannot provide. A Florida real estate attorney at closing reviews:

• The deed for legal sufficiency under Chapter 689 — including homestead spouse signature requirements, witness post-office addresses (required after Jan 1, 2024), and parcel ID
• The title commitment for unresolved exceptions, easements, restrictions, and liens
• Loan documents for terms that differ from the original loan estimate
• Survey for encroachments, setback violations, and easement issues
• HOA estoppel for outstanding dues and assessments
• Closing disclosure for math errors, misprorated taxes, and improper charges
• Documentary stamp and intangible tax calculations
• Property tax prorations
• Insurance binder for adequate coverage and lender requirements
• Power of attorney requirements if any party is signing remotely

In Florida, attorney fees for closing are typically $500 to $1,500 — a fraction of the cost of fixing problems discovered after recording.

How to Reduce Florida Closing Costs

A few legitimate strategies:

• Negotiate seller credits. In a buyer’s market, sellers often agree to contribute toward buyer’s closing costs to close the deal. This is a contract negotiation issue, not a fee waiver.
• Compare lenders. Origination fees, discount points, and rate lock fees vary significantly between lenders. The CFPB Loan Estimate provides direct apples-to-apples comparison.
• Shop title insurance providers in counties where the buyer pays. Florida title insurance is promulgated, but the premium is the same anywhere. The closing agent’s settlement fees, title search costs, and ancillary charges are not promulgated and do vary.
• Understand customary allocations in your county before signing the contract. Defaulting to the FAR/Bar contract’s checkboxes without checking county custom can shift thousands of dollars to the wrong party.
• Bundle with a refinance later. If buying with a high interest rate, a future refinance will trigger another round of intangible tax and note doc stamps. Some lenders offer “no closing cost” refinances that fold the costs into the rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are closing costs on a $400,000 house in Florida? Buyer closing costs on a $400,000 Florida home with a 20% down payment financed conventionally typically run $8,000 to $14,000, or 2-3.5% of the purchase price. Seller closing costs (excluding agent commissions) run roughly $3,500 to $6,000, including the deed documentary stamp tax of $2,800.

How much are closing costs on a $250,000 house in Florida? Buyer closing costs on a $250,000 Florida home with a 20% down payment typically run $5,500 to $9,500, or 2-4% of the purchase price. Seller closing costs for the deed doc stamp alone are $1,750.

How are closing costs calculated in Florida? Closing costs are itemized by line item, not calculated as a single percentage. Some are fixed (recording fees, appraisal), some are based on the mortgage amount (note doc stamp at 0.35%, intangible tax at 0.2%), some are based on the purchase price (deed doc stamp at 0.70%, title insurance), and some are negotiable (origination, settlement fees). The Closing Disclosure provided by the lender three days before closing itemizes every cost.

Are Florida closing costs higher than other states? Florida closing costs are average to slightly above average nationally. The state’s documentary stamp tax and intangible tax add costs not present in many states, but Florida has no state income tax — a tradeoff that often favors residents long-term.

Who picks the title agent in Florida? The party paying for the owner’s title insurance customarily picks the agent. In most Florida counties, that’s the seller. In Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, and Pinellas, that’s the buyer. The contract controls.

What’s the difference between owner’s and lender’s title insurance? Owner’s title insurance protects the buyer against title defects discovered after closing — for the duration of ownership. Lender’s title insurance protects only the lender’s interest in the loan amount. Lender’s policy is required by every Florida lender; owner’s policy is optional but strongly recommended. Florida’s promulgated rates often allow a “simultaneous issue” discount when both are issued at closing.

Can I waive title insurance? The lender’s policy is mandatory if you’re financing. The owner’s policy is optional, but waiving it leaves the buyer without coverage for fraud, forgery, undisclosed heirs, recording errors, and other defects that can surface years later.

Get a Florida Real Estate Attorney to Review Before You Close

Florida real estate closings have specific tax and procedural requirements that catch even experienced buyers off guard. Vollrath Law’s real estate attorneys review purchase contracts before signing, calculate closing costs against the actual contract terms, and represent buyers and sellers at closings throughout Central Florida. 

Schedule a consultation before you sign — the small attorney fee at the front end is far less than the cost of correcting a closing problem after recording.