Can you sell a house with sinkhole damage or a sinkhole claim in Florida?

The short answer

Yes. Nothing in Florida law makes you repair a sinkhole before you sell. Many buyers purchase houses with sinkhole damage as-is, and the price reflects the work needed. What you cannot do is hide a sinkhole problem you know about.

Howler Property Group LLC, a Tampa-based company that buys Florida houses directly, publishes this guide. It is general information, not legal or engineering advice.

Where are sinkholes a Florida concern?

Sinkholes form where limestone under the sand dissolves, which is common across west-central Florida and parts of the north. Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties see the most claims, and Polk and Marion are also affected. Cracks in walls, doors that stick, sagging floors and depressions in the yard are the usual first signs, but cracks alone can also come from ordinary settling.

What must you disclose?

• Florida case law (Johnson v. Davis, 1985) expects a seller to disclose known problems that materially affect the value of the house and that the buyer cannot easily see. A known sinkhole, a sinkhole investigation, or foundation movement qualifies.
• If an insurer paid a sinkhole claim, tell the buyer, and say whether the money was used for repairs. A buyer and the title company will ask for the engineering report and the claim file.
• Keep every engineering report, repair contract, permit and photograph. They are the evidence of what was done.

See what you must disclose in an as-is sale.

How does insurance affect the sale?

• Florida homeowners policies cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, and sinkhole coverage beyond that is a separate matter set by your policy (sections 627.706 through 627.7074 of the Florida Statutes). Check what yours says.
• An open claim, a denied claim or an unfinished repair affects what a buyer, a lender and an insurer will accept. Ask your insurer in writing what happens to an open claim if you sell.
• If a repair was done under an engineer's plan, ask the engineer for a certification that the repair was completed.

Why do conventional buyers walk away?

A buyer using a mortgage generally needs an appraisal and homeowners insurance, and lenders and insurers hesitate over a house with unresolved sinkhole history. That is why damaged houses often move to cash buyers who do not depend on either. If the house also has liens or a storm claim, see selling a house with liens and selling a hurricane-damaged house.

Where does Howler Property Group fit in?

Howler Property Group buys Florida houses as-is for cash, including houses with sinkhole or foundation damage, without repairs, clean-out or an agent. We still run a title search and put the deal in a written contract, and we tell you plainly what we can and cannot do with the paperwork you have.

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

• Can you sell a hurricane-damaged house in Florida without fixing it first?
• What does selling a house as-is mean in Florida, and do you still have to disclose problems?
• Sell a house in any condition
• All Florida home-selling guides