The Repair Requests After Home Inspection Seller Playbook for Florida Homes

Which Florida contract decides what a seller must fix: AS IS or standard?

Most Florida resale homes go under contract on one of two forms written jointly by Florida Realtors and The Florida Bar, and the two forms assign repair risk in opposite ways. The standard form obligates the seller to fix certain items up to a capped amount; the AS IS form obligates the seller to fix nothing but lets the buyer walk away during the inspection period.

An AS IS contract is the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar form in which the seller makes no repair promise and the buyer receives an inspection period to cancel in its sole discretion. The current version is form FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar-ASIS-7x, built on the Rev. 12/24 edition and updated by Florida Realtors in February 2026 (Florida Realtors, “FinCEN Rule, Rider Updates to Take Effect,” February 2026). The standard FR/BAR contract is the companion form, FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar-7x, in which the seller agrees to repair items that are not in working condition up to dollar caps called repair limits.

A repair limit is the maximum amount a seller must spend under the standard FR/BAR contract on one category of repairs; if left blank, each limit defaults to 1.5% of the purchase price. The standard form has three: a General Repair Limit, a WDO Repair Limit for wood-destroying organisms such as termites, and a Permit Limit for open or missing permits (FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar-7x, paragraph 9(a)).

Sources for the table: the FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar-ASIS-7x and FloridaRealtors/FloridaBar-7x contract texts as redlined by Florida Realtors in February 2026, with Williams Parker, “Residential Inspections and Repairs — Procedures and Pitfalls” (2020) and the Miami Realtors FR/BAR AS IS contract training guide (revised November 2021) for how the procedures work in practice, accessed October 2026.

Two beliefs the contract text corrects

Belief one: “My contract is AS IS, so there is nothing to negotiate.” The AS IS form removes the seller’s repair duty, but it gives the buyer a cancellation right for the whole inspection period. A buyer who finds a roof leak on day six can cancel and recover the deposit, so the seller’s real choice is not “repair or nothing” but “negotiate or relist.” The AS IS form changes who holds the option, not whether a negotiation happens. Attorney Jeffrey Grebe of Williams Parker describes exactly that pattern: to avoid termination, sellers often agree to repairs, a credit or a price reduction under AS IS contracts.

Belief two: “Writing $0 in the repair limits turns the standard form into AS IS.” The same Williams Parker analysis says it does not. With a $0 limit, all of the standard contract’s inspection and repair procedures still apply, and a missed step can still hand the buyer a right to terminate. The AS IS form also gives the seller better disclaimer language. A seller who wants AS IS terms should use the AS IS form from the start, or convert the standard form with the AS IS addendum.

Florida also has hybrid paperwork. The “Right to Inspect and Right to Cancel” addendum to the standard form lets the buyer cancel during the inspection period, as in AS IS, while keeping the seller’s repair obligation if the buyer proceeds. A seller who signs a standard contract with that addendum carries both risks at once, and should read the addendum before accepting an offer, not after the inspection.

For advice on your specific contract and addenda, consult a Florida real estate attorney before you sign or answer a repair request.

Which repair requests are reasonable, and which can a seller decline?

A repair request is reasonable when the item affects safety, keeps water out, blocks insurance or financing, or is not in working condition; it is weakest when the item works and is simply old, cosmetic or below today’s code. Under the AS IS form, any item can be declined, but declining a strong item gives the buyer a good reason to cancel; under the standard form, the “working condition” test decides what the seller must fix.

The standard FR/BAR form defines what the seller owes. According to the Williams Parker analysis, the seller must repair or replace items that are not in working condition, meaning not operating in the manner the item was designed to operate, and the form names torn screens, fogged windows and missing roof tiles as examples. The seller is not required to repair cosmetic conditions such as tears, spots, discolorations, nail holes, dents, chips or minor cracks, and is not required to replace cracked roof tiles, curling or worn shingles, or a roof with a limited remaining life. As long as an item is in working condition, the seller is not obligated to replace it under the standard form, whatever its age.

Classification follows the FR/BAR form as summarized by Williams Parker (2020) and the Miami Realtors guide (2021). The “strength” column is the author’s negotiating view, not a legal standard.

How a seller should read the request

Repair lists generally take one of three shapes. The first is short and focused on two or three real defects; agree to most of it. The second is long, mixes real defects with upgrades, and usually arrives with a credit figure attached; separate the defects, price them with licensed quotes, and answer the defects only. The third is a renegotiation of price dressed as a repair list, often after the buyer’s appraisal or insurance quote came in high; answer the actual cause, not the list.

Gray areas exist. The Williams Parker analysis notes that rodents are not wood-destroying organisms, so they fall outside the WDO provisions, although the entry point can be argued to be a defect the seller must fix. Heaved driveways and walkways are listed among cosmetic conditions only for minor cracks, so a major heave is arguably a defect. Items like these are where a calm, specific written answer from the listing agent saves days.

One more rule of thumb: never answer a repair request from the summary page alone. The summary of a Florida inspection report compresses “monitor,” “service” and “replace” into the same bullet style. Ask for the full section, the photos and the inspector’s reason, then decide.

Should a seller repair, give a credit or lower the price?

A seller should make the repair when the item blocks financing, insurance or the appraisal, or when a licensed contractor can fix it for less than the buyer would accept as a credit; a credit works best for large, uncertain or taste-driven items when the buyer’s lender allows it; a price reduction is the fallback when a credit exceeds the lender’s cap. Each tool moves money differently and carries different closing risk.

Seller concessions are amounts a seller pays toward the buyer’s costs, such as closing costs or prepaid items, recorded on the closing statement. Mortgage investors call them interested party contributions. Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide, section B3-4.1-02 (dated May 7, 2025), limits financing concessions on a principal residence or second home to 3% of the price when the loan-to-value ratio is above 90%, 6% between 75.01% and 90%, and 9% at 75% or less, and to 2% on an investment property. The guide allows those contributions only for the borrower’s closing costs and prepaids, or for HOA assessments covering up to 12 months after settlement; contributions above the limit are treated as sales concessions and deducted from the sales price for underwriting (Fannie Mae, accessed October 2026).

That rule is why a “repair credit” on the addendum usually becomes a “seller credit toward closing costs” on the closing statement. Williams Parker’s analysis makes the same point: lenders will typically not allow a repair credit, but they usually allow a closing-cost credit. If the buyer’s closing costs are smaller than the agreed credit, the unused part can be lost, so the seller’s agent should confirm with the buyer’s lender how much credit the loan can absorb before the addendum is signed.

FHA and VA loans have their own caps: 6% of the sales price for FHA (HUD Handbook 4000.1, Interested Party Contributions) and 4% of the reasonable value for VA. Under current agency guidance, a customary seller-paid buyer-agent fee generally isn’t counted toward those caps. Confirm the current limit with the buyer’s lender. The series guide on seller concessions in Port St. Lucie covers when to offer them in the first place; this section covers only concessions that come out of an inspection.

Two details often decide the choice. First, a repair performed by the seller can uncover more work; Williams Parker gives the example of a leaking pipe that turns out to have caused water damage behind a wall. A credit fixes the seller’s cost even when the job grows. Second, a price reduction lowers the documentary stamp tax on the deed, which Florida charges at 70 cents per $100 of consideration (section 201.02(1)(a), Florida Statutes, 2026). Documentary stamp tax is the state excise tax on documents that transfer real property. When the seller pays the deed stamps, a $6,000 price reduction saves the seller $42, which is real but small; it rarely tips the decision by itself.

For questions about how a credit or price change affects your taxes, ask a Florida CPA.

Who should make the repairs, and what proof does the buyer get?

Agreed repairs should be made by contractors licensed for the trade, with permits where the local building department requires them, and documented with paid invoices; that standard is built into the standard FR/BAR form and should be written into any AS IS repair addendum. A repair that is cheap today but unlicensed or unpermitted can become an open-permit problem for the buyer and a liability question for the seller.

The standard form requires repairs by appropriately licensed persons, such as roofers, plumbers and electricians, in a good and workmanlike manner, with paid receipts, and requires replacement items of equal or greater quality or value; a handyman or the seller may make a repair only if it does not require a licensed person (Williams Parker, 2020). The AS IS form has no repair standard, so the addendum must supply one. Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation lets anyone verify a contractor’s license online before the job starts.

Permits for repair work in Port St. Lucie

An open permit is a building permit that was issued but never received its final inspection; unpermitted work is work that required a permit and never had one. The City of Port St. Lucie’s Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Guide lists roof replacements or substantial repairs, structural repairs, electrical service restoration or replacement, HVAC system replacement, window and door replacements, water heater replacement, and screen enclosure repairs or rebuilds as work that requires a permit; it lists fence repairs, minor cosmetic repairs such as paint and carpet, drywall removal or replacement, glass panel replacement in existing windows and doors, and screen-only replacements as work that does not (City of Port St. Lucie Building Department, accessed October 2026). The department is at 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Building B, Port St. Lucie, FL 34984, and permits are filed through the City’s online permit portal.

A permit for an agreed repair must be closed before closing, or it becomes the open-permit problem the buyer was trying to avoid. The series guide on open permits when selling a house in Florida and the site’s guide to unpermitted work in a Port St. Lucie home sale cover the closing side.

The owner-builder trap for sellers

Florida lets an owner pull a permit as an owner-builder for work on their own property, but section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, says “proof of the sale or lease, or offering for sale or lease, of any such structure by the owner-builder within 1 year after completion of same creates a presumption that the construction was undertaken for purposes of sale or lease” (Florida Statutes, 2026, accessed October 2026). A seller who is already under contract and pulls an owner-builder permit to do the buyer’s repairs is in exactly the situation that presumption describes. Hire the licensed contractor, and ask the building department or a Florida real estate attorney before relying on the owner-builder exemption during a sale.

Termite and WDO work

A wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspection is a report by a licensed pest control business on visible evidence of termites, wood-boring beetles and wood-decay fungi. Section 482.226, Florida Statutes, requires the report to be made on a form prescribed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and reported to the person who requested the inspection (Florida Statutes, 2026). If the seller agrees to treatment, the addendum should name the treatment type, the licensed company and any transferable warranty; the AS IS form already provides that, at the buyer’s option and cost, the seller assigns repair and treatment contracts and warranties at closing (Miami Realtors guide, 2021).

The proof package

• Paid invoices on contractor letterhead showing license number, address and scope.
• Permit number and final inspection result for any permitted work.
• Before-and-after photographs, especially for roof, plumbing and electrical work.
• Transferable warranties and treatment contracts.
• A re-inspection window written into the addendum, if the buyer wants one, with a date.

What must a seller disclose if the deal falls apart after the inspection?

If a buyer cancels after the inspection, the seller now knows what the report found, and Florida’s disclosure duty applies to known, material, hidden defects whether or not the seller agreed with the inspector. A cancelled contract does not erase that knowledge; it moves it into the next buyer’s disclosure.

The rule comes from Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 1985), in which the Florida Supreme Court held that when the seller of a home knows of facts materially affecting its value that are not readily observable and are not known to the buyer, the seller must disclose them (The Florida Bar Journal, accessed October 2026). The Williams Parker analysis applies the rule to inspections directly: if a deal falls through, the seller is still obligated to disclose to a new buyer the defects identified in the previous inspection report, and an AS IS contract does not remove the seller’s duty to disclose hidden defects.

Three practical consequences follow for sellers:

• Read the report before you decline it. Once a buyer’s report is in the seller’s hands, “I didn’t know” becomes a hard position. Decide early whether to fix, disclose, or both.
• Update the seller’s disclosure statement. A seller’s disclosure is a written statement of the seller’s knowledge of the property’s condition. If the first buyer’s inspection found a roof leak, the disclosure given to the next buyer should say so, along with any repair made since.
• Fixing can be cheaper than disclosing. A repaired defect, documented with a permit and invoice, is usually a simpler disclosure than an open one, and the next buyer’s inspector will likely find the same issue anyway.

Disclosure also has statutory pieces that apply regardless of the inspection, including Florida’s flood disclosure for residential sales. The series guides on Florida seller disclosure requirements and Florida’s flood disclosure for home sellers cover those rules in full.

For advice on what your disclosure must include, consult a Florida real estate attorney.

What should a seller and listing agent prepare before the inspection happens?

The cheapest repair negotiation is the one prepared before the home is listed: the likely inspection items are identified, priced into the strategy, and either fixed, disclosed or left for negotiation on purpose. Preparation turns a two-week scramble into a decision made with numbers and dates.

A listing agreement is the contract between a seller and the brokerage that sets the listing price, term, marketing and the compensation the seller agrees to pay; commissions are negotiable. The work below sits on the seller’s side of that agreement and starts before the first showing.

Before listing

• A written pricing analysis built from recent closed sales, so the condition of the roof and major systems is reflected in the list price rather than negotiated away later.
• A decision on whether to order a 4-point inspection and wind mitigation report before listing, so the seller sees what the buyer’s insurer will see.
• A permit history check with the City of Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County or the Palm Beach County jurisdiction that covers the address, so open permits are closed before buyers find them.
• A review of HOA and CDD documents, including architectural review rules that affect exterior repairs and the time those approvals take.
• A decision on contract form and inspection-period length, made before any offer is countered.

During the inspection period

• Access and utilities confirmed for every inspection appointment.
• The request triaged within a day of receipt, with full report pages requested where the buyer sent only a summary.
• Licensed contractor quotes for the items most likely to be agreed.
• A question to the buyer’s lender about how much closing-cost credit the loan can absorb, before any credit is offered.
• A written counterproposal and signed addendum before the deadline, or a written extension if more time is needed.

Between the addendum and closing

• Contractor scheduling, permit tracking and paid invoices collected for the buyer.
• Agreed repairs completed before the appraiser’s visit where possible.
• The home in the agreed condition, with utilities on, for the walk-through on the day before or day of closing.

Sellers comparing representation can read more about Jeannie Jacobson’s home seller representation across Port St. Lucie, the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County, or start with the guide to selling a home in Port St. Lucie. She has lived in Port St. Lucie for more than seventeen years.