Can you sell a hurricane-damaged house in Florida without fixing it first?

The short answer

Yes. Nothing in Florida law makes you repair storm damage before you sell. Many buyers purchase damaged houses as-is, and the price reflects the work the house needs. What you cannot do is hide damage you know about: under Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 1985), a seller who knows of a serious problem the buyer cannot easily see has to disclose it.

Howler Property Group LLC, a Tampa-based company that buys Florida houses directly, publishes this guide. It applies to damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022, Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, and any later storm.

What happens to the insurance claim if you sell?

• Whether an open claim stays with you or can go to the buyer depends on your policy and your insurer. Ask the insurer in writing before you sign anything.
• Florida sets deadlines for filing, reopening and supplementing hurricane claims (section 627.70132 of the Florida Statutes). Those deadlines were shortened in 2022, so check the current ones with your insurer or an attorney before you list the claim as a reason to wait.
• Keep every estimate, photo, adjuster letter and payment record. A buyer and a title company will ask what has already been paid and for what.
• If your mortgage company holds claim checks in a loss-draft account, the lender controls when that money is released.

Do open permits and unfinished repairs stop a sale?

They do not stop a sale, but they do not disappear either. A permit that was pulled and never closed stays attached to the property, and the county building department's permit search will show it. A buyer takes the house with that history, so tell the buyer and the title company about any half-finished work.

Houses in a mapped flood zone have one more rule. Under local floodplain ordinances that follow the National Flood Insurance Program, a house whose repair cost reaches half of its market value before the damage is treated as substantially damaged and generally has to be brought up to current flood standards before it is rebuilt. Your county's floodplain administrator makes that call, and it can change what the lot is worth to a buyer.

What if a contractor started work and was not paid?

A contractor or supplier that goes unpaid can generally record a claim of lien against the property under Chapter 713 of the Florida Statutes. A recorded lien shows up in the title search and is normally paid from the sale proceeds at closing. If you paid a contractor but never collected lien releases, the release matters now, because the title company will want it. More on this in selling a Florida house that has liens on it.

What does a buyer look at on a storm-damaged house?

• The roof, the structure and anything that stayed wet, since moisture is what turns storm damage into mold and rot
• Whether the electrical and plumbing systems were affected
• What the insurer has already paid, and what it denied
• The permit record and the flood zone
• Clear title: mortgage payoff, liens and property taxes

You do not need to clean up before anyone looks. Photos and the documents above are more useful than a tidy yard.

Where does Howler Property Group fit in?

Howler Property Group buys Florida houses as-is for cash, including houses with storm damage, without repairs, clean-out or an agent. We still run a title search and put the deal in a written contract. See also selling a house in any condition and what you must disclose in an as-is sale.

Written 2026-10-27. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice, and we are not a law firm. For your own deadlines and rights, talk to a Florida attorney.

Related questions

• What does selling a house as-is mean in Florida, and do you still have to disclose problems?
• Can you sell a house with liens on it in Florida?
• Sell a house in any condition
• All Florida home-selling guides