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Before making any decisions, get clear on what you’re dealing with. Find out what work was done, when, and by whom, whether it touches safety systems like electrical, plumbing, or the structure, whether any permit is open or expired, and whether you’ve received a code enforcement notice. Quotes from a licensed contractor on what it would cost to permit or remove the work will tell you what each option really costs.
Florida law gives owners some tools for open and expired permits. Under Fla. Stat. § 553.79, you can close an open permit by retaining the original contractor or hiring a different licensed contractor, who isn’t liable for the original contractor’s defects, and a local building department may close a permit six years after it was issued, without a final inspection, if it finds no apparent safety hazard. The statute also bars local governments from fining or penalizing an arm’s-length purchaser solely because a previous owner never closed a permit, which can reassure your buyer (Florida Realtors summary; Florida Senate bill summary). These tools are aimed at open and expired permits, and they don’t work the same way for work that was never permitted.
Yes. Florida has no law that prohibits selling a house with unpermitted work, and you can sell it as-is. What Florida does require comes from the Florida Supreme Court’s 1985 decision in Johnson v. Davis: a seller must disclose known facts that materially affect a home’s value and aren’t readily observable, and that duty applies even when you sell as-is.
Known unpermitted work and open permits fall inside that duty. The Florida Realtors Seller’s Property Disclosure form, which most Florida sellers use, asks about open permits and additions made without permits. Florida courts require proof that the seller actually knew about the problem, but hiding work you know about can lead to claims for damages or, in some cases, to the sale being undone.
When you have unpermitted work, tips for selling a house quickly through conventional means often fall short. Buyers’ lenders may not fund a loan while a permit is open, appraisers may give unpermitted space little or no value, and insurers can raise questions about the work. Permit fixes take time and money before you can list, and the median Florida single-family sale already takes 87 days from listing to closing (Florida Realtors).
Florida’s permit rules, fees, and enforcement are set by your city or county, so the process in one county can differ from another, and condo and HOA properties may also need association approval on top of a government permit. If a local code enforcement case is opened, a board can fine up to $250 a day for a first violation, $500 a day for a repeat violation, and up to $5,000 for a violation that can’t be reversed. A recorded fine order becomes a lien on the property that shows up at closing, and Florida law requires you to disclose a pending code enforcement proceeding when you sell.
You can apply for the permit the work should have had. The building department reviews and inspects the work, which may mean opening walls or getting an engineer’s or architect’s letter, and many jurisdictions charge higher fees for work done without a permit. If the work doesn’t meet current code you’ll have to correct it, and the HB 803 exemption can’t be used to legalize earlier work. A permitted house can make the sale simpler, but the cost and time come before you can list.
If the work is a safety hazard, is poor quality, or would cost more to permit than it adds in value, removing it and restoring the area may be the cheaper route. Demolition and restoration may themselves need a permit, so confirm with your building department first.
You can list the house, disclose the work, and price it below comparable homes or offer a credit. The median Florida single-family sale took 87 days from listing to closing in September 2026 (Florida Realtors), which can be too long. Agent commissions typically run 5-6%, buyers may ask for more concessions after inspection, and their lenders, appraisers, and insurers may still require the permit to be resolved.
In September 2026, the median sale price for single-family existing homes in Florida was $415,000, up 1.2% from a year earlier, with a 4.4-month supply of inventory, according to Florida Realtors. Single-family closed sales fell 3.5% year over year, and the group’s chief economist says higher mortgage rates are weighing on sales. About 28.0% of closed sales were all-cash purchases.
Single-family homes that closed in September took a median of 47 days to go under contract and 87 days from listing to closing, with sellers receiving a median of 95.7% of their original list price (Florida Realtors September 2026 data). For buyers who finance, the average purchase loan took 36.8 days to close nationally in March 2026, according to ICE Mortgage Technology.
Those figures describe a standard financed sale. With unpermitted work, a financed buyer’s lender, appraiser, and insurer may each ask for the permit to be resolved first, which can add weeks to that timeline or end the deal. All-cash buyers, who made up 28.0% of September’s closed sales, don’t depend on those approvals.
Florida Home Selling Stats (2026)
A traditional sale assumes the buyer’s mortgage, appraisal, and insurance all come through, which is the hard part with unpermitted work. Selling to The Best Cash Home Buyer takes those requirements out of the equation, so you can close in as little as 7–14 days on a date that works for you.
Sources: Florida Realtors, ICE Mortgage Technology (2026). Last updated: November 2026.
Get My Cash OfferThe Best Cash Home Buyer buys houses with unpermitted work in every ZIP code across St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Bradenton, Brandon, Largo, Dunedin, and Seminole, FL. If your ZIP code isn’t listed, call (727) 291-9712 and we’ll still evaluate it.
Permits are issued by the city or county building department where the property is located, and permit rules and fees are local. We buy as-is, for cash, with no repairs, permits, or cleanup required, in each area below.
Unpermitted Work
33701, 33702, 33703, 33704, 33705, 33706, 33707, 33708, 33709, 33710, 33711, 33712, 33713, 33714, 33715, 33716
33602, 33603, 33604, 33605, 33606, 33607, 33609, 33610, 33611, 33612, 33613, 33614, 33615, 33616, 33617, 33618, 33619, 33624, 33625, 33626, 33629, 33634, 33635, 33637, 33647
33755, 33756, 33759, 33760, 33761, 33762, 33763, 33764, 33765, 33767
34201, 34202, 34203, 34205, 34207, 34208, 34209, 34210, 34211, 34212
33510, 33511
33770, 33771, 33773, 33774, 33778
34698
33772, 33776, 33777
Don’t see your ZIP code? Call (727) 291-9712. We buy houses throughout Florida, not just in these cities, and we’ll give you a straight answer either way.
Yes. Florida doesn’t prohibit selling a house with unpermitted work, but you must disclose what you know about it. You can sell on the market, get the work permitted first, remove it, or sell as-is to a cash buyer.
Yes. Under the Florida Supreme Court’s 1985 decision in <a href="https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/the-return-of-the-pink-panther-or-johnson-v-davis-redux/" target="_blank">Johnson v</a>. Davis, sellers must disclose known facts that materially affect a home’s value and aren’t readily observable, and that duty applies even when you sell as-is. Known unpermitted work and open permits fall within it.
The buyer can sue for damages and, in some cases, to undo the sale. Florida courts require proof that you actually knew about the problem, but hiding work you know about is the riskiest path, and a code enforcement case can add fines and a lien on top.
An open permit was issued but never received its final inspection, and an expired permit timed out before it did. Unpermitted work never had a permit at all. Open and expired permits are usually easier to close out, and Florida law lets an owner hire a new contractor to do it.
In most cases, yes. You can apply for an after-the-fact permit, and the building department reviews and inspects the work, may charge higher fees, and can require corrections or an engineer’s letter. The 2026 HB 803 exemption for work under $7,500 doesn’t apply to work that was already done without a permit.
Yes. If a local code enforcement case is opened, a board can fine up to $250 a day for a first violation, $500 a day for a repeat violation, and up to $5,000 for a violation that can’t be reversed. A recorded fine order becomes a lien on the property, and a pending code enforcement proceeding must be disclosed when you sell.
Often not until the issue is resolved. Many lenders won’t fund a loan while a permit is open, appraisers may give unpermitted space little or no value, and insurers can raise questions about the work. Cash buyers don’t need a lender, so they can close without those steps.
We buy houses fast in any condition. No repairs, realtors, fees, or commissions. Call Us (727) 291-9712