A private-seller Florida station purchase has no seller-side process, so the buyer's checklist is the process. Work it in order and nothing critical gets discovered after the contingency period.
This is a sequenced checklist from first contact through the first week of ownership.
Before the Offer
Confirm whether real estate is included, obtain twelve to twenty-four months of fuel volume from the supplier, request inside sales by department, review the fuel supply agreement and remaining term, and pull the county property record and state tank registry entry.
Verify who actually owns the entity and the land, and whether both sellers are aligned. Split ownership between land and business is the single most common private-deal complication.
Contract Stage
Use counsel-drafted Florida commercial documentation with an inspection period, environmental contingency, financing contingency, licensing and permit transfer contingency, and explicit assignment language for the supply agreement and any equipment leases.
Define what is included: fuel in tanks, inventory, equipment, POS, signage, car wash, and any leased equipment that is not the seller's to convey.
Diligence Stage
Order Phase I, tank and line testing, and structural review. Run title, lien, judgment, and UCC searches. Reconcile financials to tax returns and merchant statements. Confirm license transferability and any landlord consent requirement.
Interview the fuel supplier directly. They will tell you things the seller will not.
Closing and Takeover
Coordinate inventory and fuel measurement on closing day, transfer utilities and merchant processing, confirm insurance is bound before possession, and stage license activations so you can legally sell fuel, tobacco, lottery, and alcohol from day one.
See the full diligence checklist and legal steps on an owner-direct deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Speak With a Florida Gas Station Specialist
Request a confidential consultation or off-market opportunities and pricing through our contact page, or call +1-305-518-1545. The Gas Station Group is headquartered at 8603 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33143. Principal: Bobby Berrido.