Selling a House With Well Water Contamination Issues in Florida
4 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Joseph Mena, CFO of Cash Flow Deals. · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Cash Flow Deals gives you two choices for your house with a well water problem: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. An FHA or VA buyer's lender requires your well to test clean and meet a minimum flow rate before funding, and a failed test can stall your sale for months. With Cash Flow Deals, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | An FHA or VA lender requires a clean water test and adequate flow rate before funding; a failed result restarts the clock | You compare the Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer before choosing. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. On Premium, lender-required well work is covered and settled from the sale proceeds out of our share; a failed test can affect timing. |
| Repairs | Seller pays for a treatment system, a new well, or extended casing depending on the contamination source | Cash Flow Deals prices the contamination into the net number instead of requiring treatment upfront |
| Fees / Costs | Commission plus a water treatment system plus retesting fees | Cash Flow Deals is paid as a line item on the closing statement, not a markup on price |
Why Well Water Contamination Stalls an FHA or VA Sale
FHA Handbook 4000.1 requires an existing well to deliver a continuous flow of at least 3 gallons per minute, tested over a continuous 4-hour period, and the water has to meet local health authority or EPA standards. VA loans apply a comparable standard. A well that tests positive for bacteria, nitrates, or another contaminant fails that test, and the lender won't fund until the water is treated and retested clean. That leaves a seller paying for a treatment system, a new well, or a deeper casing before a traditional buyer's financing can close, often on a timeline the buyer isn't willing to wait through.
What Cash Flow Deals Is, In Plain Terms
With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your Florida house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. On Premium, only what your buyer's lender requires gets fixed, including required well treatment or repairs, with costs settled from the sale proceeds out of our share. With Fast Cash, you sell as-is without making repairs. On Premium, your home may be listed through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage, with a licensed agent and scheduled showings. Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor, not a brokerage.
What Florida Requires (and Doesn't) for Well Water Testing
The State of Florida doesn't mandate well water testing at the point of sale. The Florida Department of Health strongly recommends testing a private well annually for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and testing for lead every three years, but that's a health recommendation, not a sale requirement. The requirement that actually stops a traditional sale comes from the buyer's lender: FHA and VA loans both require proof the well water meets local or EPA standards and flows at the minimum rate before the loan funds. A known contamination problem still has to be disclosed to a buyer under Florida's Johnson v. Davis rule, regardless of whether state law requires a test.
Cash Flow Deals' Process for a House With a Well Water Problem
Cash Flow Deals' Process: 1. Request a walkthrough that accounts for your known well water issue and compare your Fast Cash Offer, where we buy as-is and close, with your Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. 2. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. 3. On Premium, Cash Flow Deals brings your buyer, whose lender funds the purchase; only lender-required work gets fixed, with repair costs covered and settled from the sale proceeds out of our share, so nothing comes out of your pocket. 4. Your Premium buyer signs a new contract directly with you, and title transfers once, directly from you to that buyer. Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement. 5. You disclose test results and any treatment history, and we handle them alongside closing. If your Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number instead of the Premium Cash Offer.
When Your Agreed Number Can Change
The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. A known contamination result on record at offer time gets priced in from the start. This clause covers a source, like a failing casing underground, that a standard water test wouldn't have caught.
Common questions
Does Florida require well water testing before selling a house?
No. The State of Florida doesn't mandate well water testing at the point of sale. The Florida Department of Health recommends annual testing for bacteria and nitrate and testing for lead every three years, but that's a health recommendation, not a sale requirement.
Will a failed well water test stop my closing?
It can if the buyer is using FHA or VA financing. FHA Handbook 4000.1 requires an existing well to flow at least 3 gallons per minute and meet local or EPA water quality standards before the loan funds.
Do I have to tell a buyer about a known well contamination problem?
Yes. A known water quality problem is a material fact under Florida's Johnson v. Davis disclosure rule and has to be disclosed regardless of an as-is clause.
What contaminants does Florida recommend testing a private well for?
The Florida Department of Health recommends annual testing for coliform bacteria and nitrates, plus lead testing every three years. Local county health departments may recommend additional testing depending on the area's land-use history.