Before You Buy
Know Your Ground
Find Out if Your Florida Property is in Wetlands
Wetlands on a Florida property can limit what you can build and where. Here's the free tool to check before you buy — and what to do if the property has wetlands.
If you're looking for Florida land, knowing whether the property has wetlands tells you a lot about its value and what you can do with it. Here's how to check for free.
What Are Wetlands?
Wetlands are areas where the soil is constantly or nearly constantly saturated with water. In Florida, wetland types include tidal salt marshes, mangrove swamps, freshwater marshes, and cypress swamps. They're common throughout the state given Florida's low elevation and abundant water.
Why Wetlands Matter When Buying Land
Building on wetlands in Florida requires special permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and Florida DEP. In many cases, you simply cannot build on wetland areas. This significantly affects the usable portion of your parcel and its development potential.
How to Check If Your Florida Property Has Wetlands
Step 1: US Fish and Wildlife Service Wetlands Mapper
Go to the FWS National Wetlands Inventory at fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory/wetlands-mapper. Type in the property address or navigate to the parcel. Wetland areas are shown in color-coded overlays on the map. This is your first and fastest check.
Step 2: Florida DEP ERP Viewer
Florida's Department of Environmental Protection has an Environmental Resource Permit viewer that shows permitted wetland impacts and mitigation areas. Useful for understanding whether previous owners have already dealt with wetland issues on the parcel.
Step 3: County GIS Maps
Most Florida counties have GIS mapping systems with wetland layers. Search for your county name plus GIS map, turn on the wetlands layer, and check your parcel.
What to Do If the Property Has Wetlands
Having some wetlands on a parcel doesn't automatically kill the deal. Key questions: What percentage of the total acreage is wetland? Is there a buildable high-ground area? What permits would be required for your intended use? A small wetland fringe around a pond on a 5-acre parcel is very different from a parcel that's 80% marsh.
Bottom Line
Check the FWS Wetlands Mapper and your county GIS map before you buy any Florida land. Wetlands aren't always a dealbreaker, but you need to know what you're working with before you commit.
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Andrew
Co-founder, Compass Land USA
Andrew co-founded Compass Land USA after buying and selling land for years without needing a single bank. He's been on both sides of hundreds of owner-financed deals across five states.
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