What are your options for repairs after a home inspection in Florida?
After a home inspection in Florida, you have three real moves: ask the seller to make repairs before closing, ask for a price reduction or closing credit, or cancel the contract within your inspection period and get your earnest money back in full. An "as-is" contract does not mean you're stuck with every problem the inspector finds. It means the seller is not obligated to fix anything, but you still hold the right to walk for any reason before the inspection deadline, usually 15 calendar days from the effective date. The catch most buyers miss: a verbal or email "yes" from the seller is worth nothing. Any agreement has to be in a signed addendum before that clock runs out.
By Amber Welch | June 10, 2026
Your inspector just sent over a report with a list of items, and now there's a number ticking down in your contract. This is one of the most stressful moments in a Clermont home purchase, and it's also where buyers make the most expensive mistakes. Let me walk you through exactly how this works on a Florida as-is contract, what your three moves are, and the one step that protects you no matter which one you choose.
The as-is contract gives you leverage, not a dead end
Most Clermont and Lake County homes go under contract on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar "AS IS" Residential Contract. The "as-is" label scares buyers into thinking they have no say. That's backwards.
Here's what as-is actually means: the seller is not required to make any repairs or give you any money. What it does not mean is that you're trapped. During your inspection period, you have an absolute right to cancel for any reason at all, including something the inspection turned up, and walk away with your full earnest money deposit. That cancellation right is your leverage. It's why a seller will often come to the table even though the contract says they don't have to.
The default inspection period is 15 calendar days from the effective date unless you and the seller wrote in a different number. Fifteen days sounds like plenty until you're scheduling an inspector, waiting on the report, getting quotes on a flagged item, and trying to reach an agreement, all at once. The clock does not stop for the weekend.
Your three moves after the report comes in
Once you've read the inspection report, you're choosing between three paths. A fourth option is always on the table too: accept the home as-is and move forward, which is the right call when the findings are minor.
- Ask the seller to make repairs before closing. You request that specific items be fixed by closing, often by licensed contractors. This is cleanest when a lender or insurer is requiring the fix, for example a roof condition that has to be corrected before the policy will bind.
- Ask for a price reduction or a closing credit. Instead of the seller coordinating work, they either lower the price or give you money at closing to handle it yourself. For most situations, this is the stronger ask, and I'll explain why below.
- Cancel within the inspection period. If the findings are serious enough that no reasonable repair or credit fixes the deal for you, you notify the seller before the deadline and cancel. Your deposit comes back in full. This is the last resort, but it's a real one.
If you're still early in the process and want the full picture of how inspection fits into the timeline, I broke down the whole sequence in what happens after you accept an offer in Clermont. The inspection period is just one of several deadlines that all run at once.
Why a credit usually beats a repair
When a seller is willing to address something, you'll often get to choose: do you want them to fix it, or do you want a closing credit for the same value? Take the credit in most cases. Here's the reasoning.
A seller who is moving out has no incentive to hire a good contractor or supervise the work. They want the cheapest fix that checks the box. When you take a credit instead, you control the money, you choose your own people, and you make sure the work is done to a standard you'll be living with. A credit also keeps the deal simple, because you're not waiting on a contractor's schedule to hit your closing date.
Repairs make sense in one main scenario: when your lender or insurer requires the item corrected before closing. A roof at the end of its life, an open electrical hazard, or active water intrusion can hold up financing or an insurance binder, and in those cases the work genuinely has to happen first. Closing credits, by the way, are a close cousin to the concessions buyers negotiate up front. I covered how those work in Clermont's current market in my guide to seller concessions for 2026 buyers.
The mistake that costs buyers their leverage
This is the part I make sure every client understands, because it's where deals quietly go sideways.
A verbal agreement or an email exchange about repairs is not enforceable in Florida. If the seller emails "sure, we'll replace the water heater" and you relax, let the inspection period lapse, and the seller later decides not to do it, or shows up at closing without it done, you have waived your right to cancel and you have no recourse. The promise wasn't in the contract.
The fix is simple but it has a hard deadline: any repair, credit, or price reduction has to be written into an addendum and signed by both parties before the inspection period ends. Not after. Not "we'll paper it later." Before the clock hits zero. Until that signed addendum exists, the only thing protecting you is your right to cancel, and that right disappears the moment the inspection period lapses.
This is exactly the kind of deadline I track for my clients so it never sneaks up on them. When the report lands, we move fast: figure out what's worth pushing on, structure the ask, and get it signed while you still hold the cards.
What's actually worth fighting for
Not every line on an inspection report deserves a negotiation. Inspectors list everything, including normal wear and cosmetic items, and a buyer who asks the seller to fix all of it usually gets nowhere. Focus your asks on the items that affect safety, financing, and insurability:
- Roof. In Florida, a roof over 15 years old can create insurance and financing problems on its own, even if it isn't actively leaking. This is often the single biggest item on the table.
- Electrical. Outdated or hazardous panels are a safety issue and a common insurer flag.
- Plumbing and water intrusion. Active leaks, past water damage, and any sign of mold are worth pushing on, both for cost and for what they signal.
- Structural and major systems. Foundation movement, HVAC at the end of its life, and similar big-ticket items.
- Safety items. Anything that's an immediate hazard.
The backsplash, a sticky door, a worn carpet, a missing outlet cover: those are cosmetic. Spending your negotiating capital there usually means the seller digs in on the items that actually matter. Pick the fights that protect your money and your insurability.
It's worth remembering that the inspection isn't your only protection. Florida sellers have a legal duty to disclose known material defects that affect the home's value or safety, even on an as-is deal. I explained how that works, and where it has real teeth, in my guide to the Florida Seller's Property Disclosure.
Where Clermont's 2026 market changes the math
Timing matters here. In Clermont's hot seller's market a few years ago, asking for repairs could get your offer thrown out. That's not today's market.
As of mid-2026, Clermont is balanced and in many segments favors buyers. The typical home value sits in the mid-$400,000s, homes are taking roughly 40 to 80 days to sell depending on the source, and most listings draw only a couple of offers. Inventory is up. In that environment, a seller has far less leverage to refuse a reasonable credit, because they know how long it could take to find another buyer. You have more room to negotiate post-inspection than buyers did in 2021 through 2023. That doesn't mean you'll get everything, but a well-supported, focused ask lands more often now.
A quick word on the deposit at the center of all this. Your earnest money, usually 1 to 3 percent of the price and due within three business days of the effective date, sits in escrow with the title company, not with the seller. It's a neutral third party, and the funds can only be released by written agreement of both sides or a legal resolution. During the inspection period, that money is fully refundable if you cancel. After the period ends, it's protected only by your remaining active contingencies, like financing, appraisal, or insurance. If the appraisal is what's worrying you, that's a separate decision with its own playbook, which I covered in your options when the appraisal comes in low in Clermont.
If you're the seller, get ahead of this
Everything above is the buyer's side of the table. If you're selling, the lesson is to remove these surprises before they ever reach a buyer's inspector. A pre-listing inspection lets you find and price the roof, electrical, and plumbing issues on your own timeline instead of under a buyer's repair demand with a deadline attached. It's a big reason fewer of my listings fall apart at the inspection stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ask for repairs on an as-is contract in Florida?
Yes. The as-is contract lets you ask the seller for repairs, a price reduction, or a closing credit during your inspection period. The seller isn't required to agree, but many do to keep the deal together. If you can't reach terms you accept, you can cancel within the inspection period and get your full earnest money back.
How long is the inspection period on a Florida as-is contract?
The default is 15 calendar days from the effective date unless you and the seller wrote in a different number. During that window you can cancel for any reason, including inspection findings, and receive your full deposit back.
Is it better to ask for a repair or a closing credit?
A closing credit usually gets you further. A seller who is moving out would rather hand you money than manage contractors, and a credit lets you hire your own people and control the quality. Ask for the actual repair when a lender or insurer requires the fix done before closing.
Is a seller's email promise to fix something binding?
No. Verbal and email promises are not enforceable in Florida. Any repair, credit, or price reduction has to be in a written addendum signed by both parties before the inspection period ends. If the period lapses without it, you waive your right to cancel.
What happens to my earnest money if I walk away?
If you cancel within the inspection period, your earnest money is fully refundable. After that, it's protected only by your remaining active contingencies. The deposit is held in escrow by the title company and released only by written agreement of both parties.
The bottom line
An as-is contract doesn't strip your power, it just means the seller isn't obligated to act, so the right move depends on reading the report, the comps, and your leverage correctly, and getting it in writing before the clock runs out. That's the part worth having a local expert on.
If you're buying in Clermont or the surrounding area, every client I represent gets a free home warranty included, because protecting your investment from day one matters. And the moment your inspection report lands, I'll tell you exactly what's worth pushing on, whether a credit or a repair is the smarter ask, and we'll get it into a signed addendum before your deadline. Ready to start your search? Let's talk through what you're looking for and build a plan that fits your budget. Start at amberinorlando.myflodesk.com/homepage.
About Amber Welch
Amber Welch is a Realtor® and SFR (Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource) with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Results Realty, serving buyers, sellers, and investors in Clermont, FL and across Lake, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Polk counties. Before real estate, Amber guided multimillion-dollar companies as a CFO, and she brings that same precision and strategy to every transaction. She specializes in affordable housing, first-time buyers, and helping sellers maximize their equity in Central Florida's rapidly growing market. Connect with Amber at amberinorlando.com.
