The FHA loan limit is the most the Federal Housing Administration will insure as a base loan in a county. HUD resets it every January from a formula tied to local home prices. In most Florida counties the 2026 one-unit limit is the national floor of $541,287, and the costliest areas in the country top out at $1,249,125.
The floor for 1 to 4 units
The floor applies wherever home prices are moderate, which covers most of the state:
- 1 unit: $541,287
- 2 units: $693,050
- 3 units: $837,700
- 4 units: $1,041,125
HUD starts with 115% of the area's median sale price and holds the result between the floor (65% of the national conforming baseline) and the ceiling (150% of it). Counties in one metro area share the highest figure in that metro, which is why Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach carry one FHA limit above the floor. The larger limits on 2 to 4 units are what make an FHA duplex, triplex or fourplex possible with 3.5% down when you live in one unit.
What counts against the limit
Only the base loan counts. FHA charges an upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) of 1.75%, a one-time fee that nearly every buyer adds to the loan, and it rides on top of the base without breaking the cap.
| Step | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment at 3.5% on a $400,000 home | $400,000 × 3.5% | $14,000 |
| Base loan, the amount the limit measures | $400,000 − $14,000 | $386,000 |
| UFMIP financed | $386,000 × 1.75% | $6,755 |
| Total FHA loan | $386,000 + $6,755 | $392,755 |
At a 5.75% rate on a 30-year fixed, principal and interest on $392,755 run $2,292.01 a month. The $386,000 base sits under the one-unit floor, so this purchase works in any Florida county.
To find the highest price you can buy at 3.5% down in your county, divide the limit by 0.965. A buyer right at the limit still finances the full 1.75% on top.
Buying above the line
Once the price passes that point, the base loan stops at the limit and the down payment absorbs the rest. A home priced $30,000 above your county's limit needs exactly $30,000 down, because FHA lends the limit and no more. Those dollars can come from savings or a gift from family.
Two other paths open up at higher prices. The conforming limit for Conventional loans ($832,750 for one unit) runs well above the FHA floor, with 3% down for first-time buyers on a single-family home and 5% on 2 to 4 units. A veteran with full VA entitlement faces no county cap at all.
Run your county on the loan limits tool and then try your price on the affordability calculator, which applies the limit for you. For a home that lands near the line, AAA Capital Funding can compare FHA and Conventional at that exact price; call 888-601-8344.