What It Actually Costs to Sell a House in Florida (2026, Fee by Fee)
The state-set taxes, the regulated title rates, the county customs on who pays what, and the parts that are purely negotiable — with statute citations, so you can check every line.
The quick answer
Selling costs in Florida split into three buckets. State-set: the documentary stamp tax on your deed ($0.70 per $100 of price; Miami-Dade $0.60 for single-family) and recording fees. State-regulated: owner’s title insurance — Florida promulgates the rate ($5.75/$1,000 on the first $100k, $5.00/$1,000 above), so shopping title companies changes service and junk fees, not the premium; who pays it is county custom (buyer in most counties; seller customarily in Sarasota; often split-negotiated in Manatee). Negotiable: commission — set in your listing agreement, including whether and what you offer a buyer’s agent. On a $400,000 sale the non-commission costs typically land around $5,000–$6,000 before payoffs and prorations.
| Line item | Rate / basis | On $400,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary stamp tax on the deed | $0.70 per $100 of price (Fla. Stat. §201.02) | $2,800 |
| — Miami-Dade County exception | $0.60 per $100 (+$0.45/$100 surtax on non–single-family) | $2,400 (SF home) |
| Owner’s title insurance (state-promulgated) | $5.75/$1,000 first $100k, then $5.00/$1,000 | $2,075 |
| Real estate commission | Fully negotiable — set in your listing agreement, and any buyer-agent offer is your choice | varies |
| Recording & small fees | $10 first page + $8.50/page (§28.24); courier/estoppel vary | $50–$500+ |
| Property tax & HOA/CDD proration | Your share through closing day; HOA/CDD estoppel fees where applicable | prorated |
| Payoffs | Mortgage balance + any liens, assessments, solar loans | your balance |
Statute citations in-line. Prorations and payoffs depend on your parcel and loan. Run your exact numbers in the net-proceeds calculator.
The cost most sellers miss: time on market
Every month your house doesn’t sell, you pay its full carrying cost — mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA/CDD — while the eventual price drifts with the market. Median community market time in the 12 months ending August 2026 ran 46–72 days across Florida’s largest counties, and 201,552 listings failed outright. Pricing against current closings from day one is the cheapest “fee” reduction available — the data on that is on our failed-listing page and should-I-sell page.
It won’t quote your commission — that’s a conversation, not a table, and any brokerage publishing one number for every situation is telling you about their needs, not yours. It also isn’t legal or tax advice: doc-stamp treatment on unusual deals (divorce transfers, entity sales, short sales) has exceptions a closing attorney should confirm.
Rates from Florida Statutes §201.02 (deed doc stamps), §201.08 (note stamps), §199.133 (intangible tax), §28.24 (recording), and Florida’s promulgated title insurance rates, as in effect August 2026, cross-checked against Florida closing-cost references. County payment customs are conventions, not rules; contracts control. Market-time figures from recorded MLS data, 12 months ending August 15, 2026.