What Is Landlocked Land Worth, and Can You Sell It?

Yes, you can sell landlocked land, and it is legal in every state. It is usually worth less than similar land with road access. How much less depends on the cost to get legal access, what the land can be used for, and what similar parcels nearby have sold for.

Would you rather sell the land than sort out the access? We buy landlocked land as it is. Get My Same-Day Offer

There is no standard discount for landlocked land. Anyone who quotes you a set percentage without looking at your parcel is guessing. Value comes down to three questions: can access be fixed, what would that cost, and who would want the land if it never is.

This guide explains how value is worked out, who the buyers are, and what each way of selling really gets you. If you are not sure your parcel counts, start with what landlocked means.

Yes, it is legal to sell landlocked land

No law stops you from selling a parcel because it has no road access. You own it, you can deed it to someone else. The sale closes the same way any land sale does, with a deed recorded at the county.

What changes is the paperwork around the sale and the number of people willing to buy.

• Disclosure. Disclosure rules differ by state, and hiding a known access problem can lead to a claim against you after closing.
• Title. A title search will show whether any easement is recorded. Some title insurers will not insure access on a landlocked parcel, or will list it as an exception in the policy.
• Financing. Most buyers who need a loan will not be able to get one. That leaves buyers who pay cash.

You also do not have to fix the access before you sell. Land can be sold as it is, with the buyer taking on that work. That is legal.

Can you build on it?

Sometimes, but usually not until the access problem is solved. Three separate gatekeepers each have a say, and each looks at access for a different reason.

The county or city

Building permits are a local matter. Many counties ask for proof of legal access, such as a recorded easement or frontage on a public road, before they will issue a permit or approve a driveway or septic system. Hillsborough County, Florida, for example, wants a recorded easement to a county road before it issues permits for a lot with no road frontage. Some counties also set a minimum width for the access. The rules differ from one county to the next.

The lender

Banks want to know they can reach and resell the property if the loan goes bad. Fannie Mae's appraisal rules, which many home lenders follow, say a site must have adequate vehicular access and should front on a publicly dedicated and maintained street. Where the street is private, the Fannie Mae Selling Guide calls for a legally enforceable agreement for its maintenance. A parcel with no legal access at all does not meet that standard, so a normal construction loan or mortgage is very hard to get. HUD's minimum property standards at 24 CFR 200.926d likewise call for access by a public or private street, with private streets protected by a permanent easement.

The fire department

Fire codes adopted by states and counties commonly require a road that a fire engine can use to reach a new building. Minnesota's version of International Fire Code section 503, at Minnesota Rules 7511.0503, calls for an approved fire apparatus access road for new buildings, with some exceptions for small residential sites. The width, surface and turnaround rules depend on the code your area has adopted. A footpath or a handshake deal to cross a neighbor's field will not satisfy it.

Uses that need no permit are a different story. Depending on local rules, owners still use landlocked parcels for hunting, timber, grazing or camping when a neighbor allows them to cross. That permission can be withdrawn, which is why it adds little to the price.

How appraisers value landlocked land

Appraising landlocked land follows the same standards as any other appraisal. State-licensed and certified appraisers work under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), published by The Appraisal Foundation. When the federal government buys land, appraisers also follow the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions, known as the Yellow Book, which the U.S. Department of Justice Land Acquisition Section helps maintain.

Neither standard gives a fixed discount for landlocked land. They require the appraiser to study the parcel and the market and to explain the reasoning. The appraised value of land is lesser if it is landlocked in nearly every case, and these are the factors that decide by how much.

Highest and best use

An appraiser starts by asking what the most valuable realistic use of the land is. Under section 1.4.5 of the Yellow Book, the use has to be legally permitted, physically possible and financially feasible. Without legal access, a home site is often off the table, because the permit and the loan are both out of reach. The highest and best use may drop to recreation, timber, or adding the land to a neighbor's holding. A lower use means a lower value.

Cost to cure the access

If access can be fixed, the appraiser looks at what the fix would take. That includes the likely price of an easement, attorney and survey fees, court costs if a lawsuit is needed, the cost of building a road, and the months or years it may take. The appraiser also weighs the chance that the effort fails. A parcel with a strong claim to an easement is worth more than one with no clear path.

Comparable sales

The best evidence is what other landlocked parcels in the area have sold for. Those sales are rare and often happen between neighbors, so they can be hard to find. When there are few, the appraiser may use sales of similar land with access and adjust downward, explaining the adjustment in the report. IRS Publication 561 lists accessibility and road frontage among the factors an appraiser should weigh when comparing sales of bare land.

Other things that move the number

• How many neighbors border the parcel, and whether any of them wants it
• Whether there is an old road, a recorded plat, or a past common owner that supports an easement claim
• Distance to the nearest public road and the ground a road would have to cross
• Size, timber, water, and how good the land is for hunting or grazing
• Local demand for rural land in general

A county tax assessment is not an appraisal and may not reflect the access problem at all.

Who buys landlocked land

The pool is small, but it is real. Four kinds of buyers account for most sales of landlocked property.

• Neighbors. An adjoining owner is the natural buyer. Once your parcel is joined to theirs, it is no longer landlocked, so the land is worth more to them than to anyone else. A neighbor also knows they may be your only strong buyer and may offer less because of it, or may not be interested at all.
• Hunters and recreational buyers. Some people want a private place to hunt or camp and can live with walk-in access or a permission arrangement. They pay cash and look hard at game, timber and seclusion.
• Investors. These buyers plan to hold the land, or to pursue an easement and resell. They price in the legal cost, the wait and the risk of losing.
• Cash land buyers. Companies like ours buy parcels as they are, without asking you to fix the access first. The trade is speed and certainty for a lower price.

All of these buyers weigh the same things: what access is recorded, what it would cost to cure, and what the county allows. They tend to pay a price that still makes sense if the access is never fixed.

Selling to a neighbor vs listing vs a cash buyer

Each route has a real cost. The table below compares them on price, time, work and risk.

We are a cash buyer, so here is the plain version. A cash buyer pays less than you might get from a patient retail sale or a motivated neighbor. What you get in return is a firm number and a closing that does not depend on a bank, a permit, or an easement lawsuit. For owners who are paying taxes every year on land they cannot reach or use, that trade is often worth it. If that is where you are, you can ask for a cash offer on your landlocked parcel and weigh it against your other options.

Tax-sale and inherited parcels

Many landlocked parcels reach their owners in one of two ways, and each comes with its own value problems.

Parcels bought at a tax sale

Landlocked lots show up at county tax auctions often, because earlier owners stopped paying taxes on land they could not use. The low opening bid reflects that. Three things affect what a tax-sale parcel is worth to the next buyer.

• What you actually hold. A tax lien certificate is different from a tax deed. Florida Statutes section 197.102, for one, defines a tax certificate as a lien on the parcel for unpaid taxes. With a certificate, you may not own the land yet.
• Redemption rights. In some states the former owner can pay the back taxes and take the land back for a period after the sale. Missouri Revised Statutes section 140.340 gives the owner a right to redeem during the year after the sale. The length varies by state.
• Title. Title insurers are often cautious about tax deeds. Some want a waiting period or a quiet title action in court before they will insure the next sale. Florida Statutes section 65.081 is one law that lets a tax deed holder bring that kind of suit.

Each of these narrows the buyer pool further, on top of the access problem. A buyer will ask for less to cover the cost of clearing the title.

Inherited parcels

Heirs often learn the land is landlocked only after a parent dies. Before you can sell, title has to be in the heirs' names, through probate or whatever process your state allows for small estates. A sale made during probate can need a judge's approval. Under Florida Statutes section 733.613, when the will gives no power of sale, title does not pass until the court authorizes or confirms the sale. If several heirs own the parcel together, all of them generally need to sign the deed.

For taxes, the starting point for inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of death, as explained in IRS Publication 551. For landlocked land that value reflects the access problem. A tax professional can tell you how this applies to your sale.

How our same-day offer works

We buy landlocked land as it is. You do not need to get an easement, hire a surveyor, or settle things with a neighbor before you contact us.

You fill out the form with the county, the parcel number if you have it, and what you know about the access. We look at the parcel and its surroundings and come back with a cash offer. You can accept it or turn it down. Read the full walk-through of how our offer works before you decide.

Our offer will be below what a patient retail sale might bring, for the reasons covered above. It is one real number to hold against the others, and asking for it does not commit you to anything.

Common questions

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state. Talk to a real estate attorney about your parcel.