Before you buy land in Florida, confirm six things in writing: what the zoning and future land use allow, that you have recorded legal access, where the boundaries and easements are, whether the soil will take a septic system, whether wetlands or a flood zone shrink the usable area, and what utilities will cost. Write the contract with a feasibility period long enough to finish that work, and compare parcels on usable acres, not gross acres.
Zoning and future land use
Every parcel carries two layers of rules. The zoning district sets permitted uses, minimum lot size and setbacks. The future land use category in the comprehensive plan caps density. Where they disagree, plan on the more restrictive one unless the planning office tells you otherwise.
Do not rely on a listing's summary of either. Give the planning and zoning office the parcel number and ask four questions: what is the zoning, what is the future land use, how many homes are allowed on this parcel, and can it be split. Ask for the answer by email or in a zoning verification letter.
Robert's two active land listings show the range: 21.4 acres in Center Hill zoned A10C / RR5C in Sumter County, where the listing tells buyers to confirm permitted uses and split potential with the County, and 3.43 acres in Leesburg zoned R-6 in Lake County, where the question is how many homes fit.
A density figure in listing remarks is a claim to verify, not a fact to underwrite. Get the maximum from the county in writing before you price the land on it.
Density on paper versus net yield
Maximum density times gross acres is a paper number. What you can plat is lower, because roads, stormwater ponds, buffers, wetlands and open space come out of the site first.
Take the Leesburg parcel: 3.43 acres at $250,000. The listing remarks say R-6 allows up to seven homes an acre; a Lake County planning staff report dated June 4, 2025 gives the R-6 maximum as six dwelling units per net acre. Confirm the figure with Lake County.
- Paper yield: at the listing remarks' seven, 3.43 × 7 = 24.01, so 24 homes, or $250,000 ÷ 24 = $10,417 of land per lot. At the staff report's six, 3.43 × 6 = 20.58, so 20 homes, or $250,000 ÷ 20 = $12,500 per lot.
- Net yield: suppose roads, a pond and open space take 25% of the site (an illustration, not a rule). 3.43 × 0.75 = 2.5725 net acres; 2.5725 × 7 = 18.01, so 18 homes, or $250,000 ÷ 18 = $13,889 per lot.
- At six per net acre: 2.5725 × 6 = 15.44, so 15 homes, or $250,000 ÷ 15 = $16,667 per lot.
The land did not change, yet the cost per lot rose from $10,417 to $16,667. A civil engineer's concept plan finds the real yield, and it belongs inside your feasibility period.
Price per acre, worked
| Parcel | Acres | Price | Per acre | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Street Lot 2, Leesburg (active) | 3.43 | $250,000 | $72,886 | Vacant; gravel drive, cleared pad |
| E County Road 478, Center Hill (active) | 21.4 | $689,000 | $32,196 | 1973 farmhouse, workshop, two wells, pond |
| Center Hill (sold March 2023, Robert listed it) | 74 | $825,000 | $11,149 | Land |
| Umatilla (sold June 2026, Robert represented the buyer) | 10 | $800,000 | $80,000 | Acreage with a 2,122 sq ft home |
The arithmetic: $250,000 ÷ 3.43 = $72,886 an acre, or $1.67 a square foot (3.43 × 43,560 = 149,411 square feet). $689,000 ÷ 21.4 = $32,196 an acre, or $0.74 a square foot.
Three things distort the comparison. Smaller parcels usually cost more per acre than larger ones. Improvements are buried in the price: the Center Hill figure includes a farmhouse, a workshop and an irrigation well. And entitlements matter more than size: residential land near a city is priced on homes per acre, pasture on what it produces. Subtract a value for improvements, then divide by usable acres. The land calculator does both.
Legal access, easements and surveys
A driveway is not proof of access. You need a recorded right to reach a public road: frontage on a publicly maintained road, or a recorded easement with a stated width and purpose. Ask the title company to confirm that the commitment insures access with no exception. Then read every easement that crosses the parcel. Power, drainage, pipeline and conservation easements can remove buildable ground without changing the acreage on the deed.
Order a new boundary survey from a Florida-licensed surveyor, and ask that it show recorded easements, fences, encroachments, any flagged wetland line and the flood zone. Rural fence lines are often not on the boundary.
Wells and septic
Septic. In Lake, Orange and Sumter counties, septic permits are issued by the Florida Department of Health's county health department on the state application (form DEP 4015). It requires a site plan, a floor plan and a site evaluation of soil, topography and other conditions, done by a qualified professional or by the health department for a fee. This is Florida's version of a "perc test." The result decides if a conventional system will do or a costlier engineered one is needed, and where it can go. Orange County reports that in the Wekiwa Springs Priority Focus Area, which covers much of the Apopka area, lots under one acre with conventional septic systems face a requirement to convert to sewer or an alternative system.
Wells. A well construction permit is required before drilling. In the St. Johns River Water Management District, which includes Lake and Orange counties, the District or a delegated county health department issues it; the District itself permits wells six inches or more in diameter. Sumter County falls under the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which notes that where a water use permit is required it must be obtained first. The Center Hill listing has a six-inch irrigation well and a current water use permit: ask how and whether it transfers.
- Existing well: completion report, depth, casing size, pump age and a water quality test.
- Existing septic: the permit, tank and drainfield location, and a pump-out and inspection.
- Vacant land: a site evaluation before the feasibility period ends, not after.
- Any water use permit: number, permitted quantity and expiration date.
Wetlands and flood zones
Dredging or filling in wetlands is regulated under Florida's Environmental Resource Permit program, and the Department of Environmental Protection advises getting every state, local and federal authorization first. In practice, wetland acres are rarely buildable acres. If aerials suggest wet ground, have an environmental consultant flag the line.
Flood zones are a separate question. Look up the parcel on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. A Special Flood Hazard Area has a 1% chance of flooding in any year, and it is where flood insurance is mandatory on federally backed loans.
Utilities and the cost to build
Ask each provider in writing how far the nearest line is and what it costs to extend: electric, water, sewer and internet. Then add the fees charged with a building permit. Inside Apopka city limits, a detached home of 1,501 to 2,499 square feet carries about $20,807 in city impact fees plus an Orange County school fee of $8,829 to $12,015 (read November 2026).
Agricultural classification ("greenbelt")
Under section 193.461, Florida Statutes, land used primarily for bona fide agricultural purposes, meaning good faith commercial agricultural use, is assessed on its agricultural use instead of its market value.
- The county Property Appraiser decides, and a return must be filed on or before March 1 each year.
- The appraiser may weigh how long the land has been farmed, whether use is continuous, the purchase price, size relative to the use, how the land is cared for, and any lease. No minimum acreage may be required.
- A house does not disqualify the land, but the residence and its curtilage are assessed separately.
- Land diverted to a non-agricultural use must be reclassified.
The statute was amended in 2026, with changes first applying to the 2027 tax roll; ask the Property Appraiser what changed.
A low tax bill on classified land tells you nothing about yours. The short-form renewal is only for an owner whose ownership and use have not changed, so plan to file your own application by March 1 and to show real commercial agricultural use. If you intend to build homes, budget taxes at market value.
Land loans, the contract and the feasibility period
Lenders treat raw land as riskier than a house. Compared with a home mortgage, a land loan typically requires a larger down payment, carries a higher rate and runs for a shorter term, and fewer lenders offer one. Many land sales close with cash or seller financing.
Land is normally written on a vacant-land contract, not the residential As Is form. Its key protection is the feasibility study period: a negotiated number of days to investigate the property and decide whether it suits your intended use.
Size the period to the work
Title, survey, site evaluation and zoning letter each take time. Ask each vendor for a turnaround first.
State your intended use
Write what you plan to do with the land, so "not suitable" has a clear meaning.
Give written notice before the deadline
The form calls for written notice of your decision before the period expires. Never rely on silence to protect your deposit.
When access depends on an unrecorded or disputed easement, when the parcel is being split from a larger tract, when a water use permit, lease or mineral right is part of the deal, or when you plan to subdivide.
Questions land buyers ask
How do I work out price per acre?
Divide the price by the acreage: $250,000 for 3.43 acres is $72,886 an acre. To compare fairly, subtract the value of improvements first, then divide by usable acres.
Who issues septic permits in Lake, Orange and Sumter counties?
The Florida Department of Health's county health department, using the state construction permit application. A site evaluation of soil and site conditions is required.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Florida?
Yes, before installation. Depending on the county and well size, the water management district or a delegated county health department issues it.
Does the agricultural classification transfer when I buy?
Do not assume so. It depends on bona fide commercial agricultural use and a return filed by March 1, and the short-form renewal applies only when ownership and use have not changed.
Is it harder to get a loan for land than for a house?
Usually. Land loans typically need a larger down payment and carry a higher rate and shorter term.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, lending or insurance advice. Zoning, permitting and tax rules vary by county and change; confirm each point with the agency named.
Sources: Section 193.461, Florida Statutes (2026), Florida DEP Onsite Sewage permitting FAQ, St. Johns River Water Management District well permits, Southwest Florida Water Management District well permits, Florida DEP, ERP dredging and filling, FEMA Flood Map Service Center, FEMA NFIP terminology, City of Apopka impact fees. Checked November 2026.
