Open Permits Before Selling a Jupiter Home: How to Find and Close Them

Short answer: search your address for open or expired building permits before you list. Florida law lets you, as the owner, close a permit even if a past contractor pulled it, and the standard Florida sale contract asks you to disclose any permits you know were not closed. Finding them first keeps them from becoming a price negotiation late in the deal.

I am Kyle Camerlinck, broker and owner of Taiter Realty in Jupiter. I have been a licensed Florida real estate professional since December 15, 2020, and I hold Florida broker license BK3487029. In Jupiter, the permits that surface most often in my experience are the ones tied to big-ticket items: roofs, windows and doors, pools, docks and lifts, and renovations. Specific counts for any neighborhood: TBD, I do not track a statistic on this.

Where do I find permit records for a Jupiter home?

The Town of Jupiter says permit packages, open and expired permits and re-roof permits are available through its online records search portal, with a records request option through the Building Department. Permit status, plan review and inspections run through the town's JCDS online permitting portal.

Not every Jupiter mailing address is in the Town of Jupiter. If your home is in Tequesta, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Juno Beach or unincorporated Palm Beach County, pull the record from that jurisdiction's building department instead. Your jurisdiction: TBD, confirmed from the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser record.

What does Florida law let an owner do about an open permit?

Section 553.79, Florida Statutes gives owners several tools:

• Close it yourself. Under subsection (16)(a), the owner may close a permit even if the owner is not the one listed on the application. You can retain the original contractor, hire a different licensed contractor, or act as owner-builder where sections 489.103(7) and 489.503(6) allow. A replacement contractor is liable only for the work it performs.
• Expired but substantially complete. Under (16)(b), if the local agency determines the work was substantially completed, the permit may be closed without a new permit, under the code in effect when the application was received.
• Older permits. Under (16)(c), the local agency may close a permit 6 years after issuance, even without a final inspection, if it finds no apparent safety hazard. That is the agency's call, not the owner's.

Subsection (17) protects buyers: the agency may not fine, penalize or deny a permit to an arms-length purchaser solely because a prior owner's permit was not closed. It keeps its remedies against the owner and contractor on the permit. That is one reason buyers, lenders and title agents look hard at open permits before closing.

What does the sale contract say?

Paragraph 10(b) of the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS Residential Contract is a permits disclosure. Except as disclosed in writing, the seller states that it does not know of improvements made without required permits or under permits not properly closed under section 553.79. If the seller identifies any, the seller delivers the plans and documents in its possession.

Paragraph 12(c) of the same form requires the seller to cooperate, at no required cost, if the buyer's inspection finds open or needed permits, including signing authorizations so the buyer can get estimates. In practice, a buyer who finds an open permit late often asks for a credit or more time. Clearing it before listing removes that conversation.

My pre-listing permit checklist

• Search the address for open and expired permits and print the history
• Match each major improvement (roof, windows, pool, dock, lift, additions) to a closed permit
• Call the original contractor first; if unavailable, get a licensed contractor to schedule final inspections
• Ask the building department whether an expired permit qualifies under (16)(b)
• Put closed-permit records in the listing file next to the wind mitigation report and survey

Dock and lift permits involve more than one agency, which I cover in Jupiter dock and boatlift permits. For the broader prep sequence, see what to do 6 to 12 months before selling.

Frequently asked questions

What is an open permit?

A building permit that was issued but never closed, usually because the final inspection was not completed. An expired permit is one that lapsed before the work was finished or inspected.

Can I close a permit the original contractor never finished?

Yes. Section 553.79(16), Florida Statutes, lets a property owner close a permit even if someone else applied for it. You can keep the original contractor, hire another licensed contractor, or act as owner-builder where the law allows.

Do I have to disclose open permits when I sell?

Under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract, the seller represents that, except as disclosed in writing, the seller does not know of unpermitted improvements or permits not properly closed. If you know of any, disclose them and share the related documents.

Can the town fine my buyer for my open permit?

Section 553.79(17) says a local enforcement agency may not fine, penalize or deny a permit to an arms-length purchaser solely because a prior owner's permit was not closed. The agency keeps its remedies against the owner and contractor on the permit.

Where do I look up permits for a Jupiter address?

The Town of Jupiter posts permit packages, open and expired permits and re-roof permits through its online records search portal. If your address is in another jurisdiction, the records sit with that building department.

My recommendation

Run the permit search the same week you decide to sell. Most open permits are paperwork and an inspection. Found early, they cost a phone call. Found by the buyer, they cost leverage.

If you are thinking about selling in the next 6 to 24 months, send me your address and I will put together a private value range built on recent closed sales, not list prices. No obligation, and nothing goes on the market until you decide.

This article is general information, not legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice, and it is not an appraisal. Building department procedures and fees change; confirm current requirements with your building department and closing attorney. Items marked TBD are figures I have not verified.

Kyle Camerlinck | Taiter Realty, Jupiter FL Luxury Real Estate
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