Closing costs · St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay

What closing could cost, before you sign

Florida has its own closing costs: state doc stamps, a mortgage tax, and title rates the state sets. Enter a price and see every line, each one marked as an estimate. Free with three quick details, and no credit check.

The home

Price

Where

I'll live in it (homestead lowers the tax estimate)It has an HOA or condo association

Paying for it

Down payment

Interest rate (estimate)

Freddie Mac weekly average for a 30-year fixed, Oct 15, 2026. Your rate will differ.

Closing date

Homeowners insurance (yearly)

A typical figure for the area. Real quotes vary a lot.

Who pays for the owner's title policy?

Fine-tune the estimates

Title company closing fee

Lender fees

Appraisal

Home inspection

Wind mitigation and 4-point

Survey

Days of prepaid interest

Tax escrow (months)

Insurance escrow (months)

Estimated closing costs

$12,834

About 3.2% of the price, before any seller or lender credits.

Your loan

$2,050

Lender fees (placeholder)Origination, underwriting, processing, credit report. Your Loan Estimate lists the real ones.: $1,500
Appraisal: $550

Title and closing

$833

Title company closing feeNot set by the state. Ask for a quote.: $595
Lender's title policyIssued with the owner's policy, so it's a small flat charge.: $25
Lender's endorsements (estimate): $213

Florida taxes and recording

$2,128

Doc stamps on the note$0.35 per $100 of the loan.: $1,260
Intangible tax on the mortgage0.2% of the loan.: $720
Recording the deed: $19
Recording the mortgage: $129

Prepaids and escrow

$6,774

Prepaid interest15 days, closing to the first of next month.: $1,095
First year of homeowners insurancePaid before closing or at closing.: $3,600
Escrow deposit for property taxes3 months, estimated.: $1,479
Escrow deposit for insurance2 months, estimated.: $600

Inspections and reports

$1,050

Home inspection: $450
Wind mitigation and 4-point reportsOften lower your insurance.: $150
Survey: $450

Credit from the seller for this year's taxesFlorida taxes are paid at the end of the year, so the seller pays their share at closing.−$5,429

Estimated cash to close$47,405

Your $40,000 down payment plus closing costs, less the tax credit. The good-faith deposit you paid with your offer counts toward it.

These figures are estimates only and are subject to change.

An estimate for planning, not a loan offer or a quote. Title rates are set by Florida rule; doc stamps and the intangible tax are set by Florida law. Lender fees, inspections and title company fees vary. Taxes are the new owner's estimate at last year's rates. Who pays what is negotiable in your contract. Your lender's Loan Estimate and your title company's settlement statement are the numbers to rely on. Get an exact quote

Next: making an offer, step by step

Who pays what

The Pinellas custom, at a glance

Custom is where a contract starts, not where it has to end. Every line below is negotiable, and your contract decides.

Cost	Customarily paid by	Good to know
Owner's title policy	Seller, customarily	The Pinellas custom. Your contract decides, and it can say otherwise.
Title search and lien searches	Whoever pays the owner's policy	Usually the seller in Pinellas.
Lender's title policy and endorsements	Buyer	Issued with the owner's policy, so it costs little.
Doc stamps on the deed ($0.70 per $100)	Seller	Set by Florida law.
Doc stamps on the note ($0.35 per $100)	Buyer	Only with a loan.
Intangible tax on the mortgage (0.2%)	Buyer	Only with a loan.
Recording the deed and mortgage	Buyer	The county clerk's fees.
Association estoppel certificate	Seller, under the common Florida contract	Florida law caps the fee.
Property taxes for the year	Split by the day	The seller credits the buyer for January 1 to closing.

Get an exact quote

Just out of curiosity, would an exact number help?

A title company can quote your real figures in a day or two: the state-set premium, their closing fee, and the searches. Blue Brick Title and Escrow works with our clients and is glad to quote yours.

Meet Blue Brick Title and Escrow

Founding sponsor of CE at Sea, an event hosted by Inspired Nooks Realty. You may choose any provider. You may choose any provider, and using a partner is never a condition of working with us. Partner disclosures

Your loan's side

The lender's fees are the lender's to quote

Origination, underwriting, prepaid interest and escrow all appear on a Loan Estimate, a standard three-page form any lender gives you after you apply. Compare two or three side by side.

I'm not sure if it's for you, but our Preferred Lender, Matt Keelin, is happy to walk you through his. Meet Matt

Matt Keelin is married to our broker, so Inspired Nooks Realty has a business relationship with him. You are free to choose any lender. Disclosure

Questions

Florida closing costs, answered

How much are closing costs in Florida for a buyer?

With a loan, buyers in Pinellas often pay somewhere around 2% to 5% of the price, counting prepaid interest, insurance and the escrow deposit. Cash buyers pay much less, because the loan items drop away. The calculator above shows each line for your price.

Who pays for title insurance in Pinellas County?

By local custom, the seller pays for the owner's title policy in Pinellas, and the buyer pays for the lender's policy. It's negotiable, and your contract decides.

Are Florida title insurance rates the same everywhere?

The premium is. Florida sets title insurance rates by rule, so every insurer charges the same premium for the same amount. The title company's own closing and search fees are not set by the state, so it pays to ask for a quote.

What are doc stamps?

Florida's documentary stamp tax. It's $0.70 per $100 of the price on the deed (usually the seller's) and $0.35 per $100 of the loan on the note (the buyer's, only with a loan).

What is the intangible tax on a mortgage?

A one-time Florida tax of 0.2% of a new mortgage, paid when it's recorded. A $300,000 loan means about $600.

Why does the seller give me a credit for property taxes?

Florida property taxes are paid at the end of the year for the whole year. At closing, the seller pays their share from January 1 to the day before closing as a credit to you, and you pay the full bill in November.