Florida inspection contingency: the buyer's playbook
Florida buyers usually sign an AS-IS contract with a free-look inspection period of 10 to 15 days. Inside that window the buyer can terminate for any reason and recover their deposit, which makes credit negotiations cleaner here than in most states. The leverage is real if you use the window correctly.
How the timeline runs
Day 0 is contract acceptance. The inspection period starts the next business day. Most Florida AS-IS contracts default to 15 days; FR/BAR repair-amendment contracts default to 10. Both are negotiable but rarely changed.
Inspections should happen in the first 3 to 5 days. Hidden findings (sewer scope, wind mitigation, four-point if needed for insurance) need to be ordered separately and take longer to schedule. Build in the time.
The credit-request letter goes out by day 7 to 10. The seller has 5 business days to respond unless you specified otherwise. If the seller does not respond by your deadline, your termination right is intact: send the cancellation notice and the deposit comes back.
Day 15 is the contingency expiration. After that, terminating costs you the deposit, so any negotiation that crosses the deadline needs a written extension signed by both parties before day 15.
The form and what it does
For AS-IS contracts (the most common today in Florida), there is no standard repair-request form. The buyer either terminates and walks with the deposit, or negotiates a closing credit through an addendum signed by both sides. The Florida Realtors Comprehensive Rider Addendum is the typical vehicle.
For FR/BAR repair contracts (less common), use the standard repair amendment. The seller can elect to repair, credit, or terminate. Most sellers credit because repairing under a 10-day timeline produces bad work.
Florida is not an attorney-state, but the Florida Supreme Court restricts non-attorneys from drafting or modifying contract language. Filling pre-printed forms with buyer-supplied information is fine; drafting custom legal language is not. Use the standard forms and add a clear letter of explanation.
Where the buyer has leverage
The AS-IS contract gives Florida buyers more leverage than buyers in most states. Inside the inspection window, terminating is unilateral and the deposit comes back. Sellers know this; credit conversations move quickly because the alternative is a clean buyer termination.
Wind mitigation and four-point inspections (for insurance) are separate from the home inspection. Findings on those reports also negotiate, especially in coastal counties. Add them to your inspection-period checklist.
Sinkhole and termite (WDO) findings are stronger leverage in Florida than in most states because lender and insurer responses are stricter. A confirmed sinkhole or active termite finding usually moves the seller to full credit.
If you need to walk
Inside the inspection period on an AS-IS contract, the buyer can deliver written notice of cancellation to the seller via the contract address or email, and the escrow agent returns the deposit. Most cancellations move in 24 to 48 hours. Outside the window, the deposit is at risk and termination usually requires a contractual default by the seller.
Questions Florida ask
How long is the Florida inspection contingency?
Standard is 10 days on FR/BAR repair-amendment contracts and 15 days on AS-IS contracts. Both are negotiable in the original contract. Hot markets see shorter periods, sometimes 5 to 7 days.
Does the seller have to fix anything I find on inspection?
Under an AS-IS contract, no. The seller has no repair obligation. Your right is to terminate and recover your deposit, or to negotiate a credit. Use that right as leverage; do not assume repairs.
Can I extend the inspection period if I am still negotiating?
Yes, with the seller's written agreement, signed before the current deadline expires. Verbal extensions are not enforceable. Get the extension in writing every time.
What happens to my deposit if I cancel inside the inspection window?
The escrow agent returns it to you in full, usually within 48 hours of receiving your written cancellation. Sellers cannot dispute a timely AS-IS cancellation; the contract is built around that right.