Buying a Waterfront Home in Jupiter, Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast: What Most Buyers Get Wrong

If you’re buying a waterfront home in South Florida, pause for a second.

Because granite countertops? Easy. New roof? Inspectable. HVAC? Replaceable.

But the shoreline? That’s a whole different animal.

During our latest team kickoff, we brought in marine permitting expert Heidi Duncan of HD Permit Solutions to walk our agents through what really matters when buying waterfront property in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast .

And if you’re even thinking about buying a waterfront home in Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, or Martin County,  this is your cheat sheet.

Waterfront ≠ “You Can Do Whatever You Want”

One of the biggest misconceptions buyers have when purchasing a waterfront home?

“If I own it, I can build what I want.” Not exactly.

In Palm Beach County and Martin County, your shoreline can be regulated by:

• Local municipality

• County

• State agencies

• Sometimes even the Army Corps of Engineers

In certain areas, especially within aquatic preserves in Jupiter and surrounding waterways, there are stricter setbacks and limitations than what you’ll see on a quick Google search .

That means:

• You may not be able to extend your dock.

• You may be limited on the number of boat lifts.

• You may have material restrictions.

• You may not even be able to rebuild the dock as-is.

And yes… we’ve seen docks that were there for 30–40 years that were never permitted. When that happens? There is no “grandfathering.” Everything must comply with current standards .

Translation: your “dream dock plan” could shrink fast.

The #1 Risk When Buying a Waterfront Home: Unpermitted Work

This is where things get real.

Heidi shared that unpermitted or partially permitted shoreline work is one of the most common issues she sees. And here’s the kicker:

If even one component of the shoreline is unpermitted, and you try to fix or modify something else, agencies can require the entire shoreline to be brought up to current code .

We’ve seen buyers: Assume a dock was fully legal. → Close. → Start a repair. → Get forced into a full redesign.

That’s not the kind of surprise anyone wants during ownership.

Seawalls, Raw Shorelines & Martin County Curveballs

If you’re buying a waterfront home in Martin County, pay extra attention. Certain areas discourage or restrict vertical seawalls, particularly on raw shoreline properties.

If there’s an existing vertical seawall without proper permitting? That can create serious limitations for future projects. We’ve also seen cases where buyers assumed they owned their submerged land, only to learn later that someone else owned the bottomlands. You can’t permit construction on property you don’t own.

Buying a Waterfront Home in North Palm Beach? Know Your Canal.

Every canal is different. Some areas (like specific pockets in northern Palm Beach County) offer more flexibility for multiple lifts and dock configurations. 

Other canals:

• Have tidal depth challenges.

• Require elevator lifts.

• May require dredging to accommodate certain boats .

And dredging? Yes, it often requires permitting at the state or federal level .

We don’t just look at “Is there water?”
We look at:

• Draft depth at low tide

• Boat size feasibility

• Rock conditions (which impact piling installation cost)

• Long-term maintenance implications

Because buying a waterfront home should enhance your lifestyle,  not limit it.

Waterfront Inspections: The Missing Layer in Due Diligence

Here’s something most buyers don’t realize…

A standard home inspection does not deeply evaluate:

• Marine permitting history

• Dock compliance

• Shoreline setbacks

• Agency jurisdiction layers

That’s why specialized waterfront assessments exist. Think of it as a shoreline inspection + permitting analysis combined. And the turnaround? Often within 48 hours,  even during inspection periods.  When you’re under contract on a waterfront home in Jupiter or Palm Beach County, seven days of due diligence can make or break your leverage. We would rather know early. Always.

Red Flags to Watch For When Touring Waterfront Homes

If you’re previewing properties with us, here’s what we’re scanning for:

• Seawall Warning Signs

• Horizontal cracking

• Cracks large enough to insert a pencil

• Rust bleeding through the cap

• Dock Red Flags

• Brand-new decking hiding aging substructure

• Extensions that look newer than the original dock (possible unpermitted additions)

Should Sellers Get a Waterfront Report Before Listing?

It’s a smart question. Pre-listing transparency can build buyer confidence, reduce contract fallout, position a waterfront property more powerfully, but in some cases, early discovery of restrictive findings may change pricing strategy or marketing positioning. Every property is different. That’s why we treat waterfront homes differently than inland homes. The strategy isn’t one-size-fits-all.

The Bottom Line on Buying a Waterfront Home in South Florida

Waterfront real estate in Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and across the Treasure Coast represents more than just a property type,  it’s a lifestyle category entirely its own. For many buyers relocating to South Florida, access to the water is the ultimate goal, whether that means keeping a boat at home, watching the sunrise over the Intracoastal, or designing a dock setup that supports weekend adventures year-round.

But what many buyers don’t realize is that waterfront ownership comes with an entirely different layer of due diligence compared to traditional residential real estate. Shoreline regulations, permitting history, environmental protections, and agency oversight all play a role in determining what is actually possible on a given property,  and assumptions based on neighboring homes or existing structures can quickly lead to unexpected limitations.

That’s why our approach to waterfront properties goes deeper. When helping clients buy waterfront homes in Palm Beach County or Martin County, we look beyond aesthetics and into functionality, long-term feasibility, and compliance. We want to understand how you plan to use the property,  the size of your boat, whether multiple lifts are important, how often you plan to navigate tidal canals, and whether future improvements are part of your vision. Those details shape how we evaluate each property and guide your decision-making process.

Ultimately, buying a waterfront home should feel exciting and empowering, not overwhelming. With the right expertise and the right questions asked early in the process, waterfront real estate becomes one of the most rewarding investments you can make in South Florida,  offering not just incredible views, but a lifestyle that truly reflects the way you want to live.

🏡 We serve buyers and sellers in:  Jupiter • Palm Beach • Palm Beach Gardens • Tequesta • Stuart • Hobe Sound • Palm City • North Palm Beach • Juno Beach

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