Do I need a permit for a dock or boat lift in Martin County?

Usually yes. Martin County requires a building permit, and the state handles environmental review through one FDEP application that also covers use of state submerged land and federal authorization. Florida law exempts some single-family docks (up to 1,000 square feet over the water, 500 in Outstanding Florida Waters) and boat lifts (up to 500 square feet combined, 200 in Outstanding Florida Waters). Ask the seller for permits on existing docks, lifts and seawalls.

What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Martin County?

$832,750 for a one-unit home, which is the national baseline set by FHFA. Martin County is not a high-cost area. Many river, lagoon and oceanfront homes price above that, so jumbo financing is common. The limit resets each year, usually announced in late November.

How does flood insurance work for a Stuart waterfront home?

If the home sits in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, flood insurance is required on a federally backed mortgage. Martin County's current flood maps took effect February 19, 2020, so check the exact parcel. Unincorporated Martin County participates in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 5, which takes up to 25 percent off National Flood Insurance Program premiums in high-risk zones. Discounts in Stuart and the other towns can differ. See Florida flood zone lending.

Can I rent out a Stuart waterfront home as a vacation rental?

Possibly. Florida requires a DBPR vacation rental license when a home is rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days. Martin County collects a 5 percent tourist development tax on top of state sales tax. City and town rules vary, and the Town of Jupiter Island has its own vacation rental ordinance, so confirm the rules for the exact address before you count on rental income.

What should I know before buying a waterfront condo on Hutchinson Island?

Ask for the building's milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study. Florida requires milestone inspections for condo buildings three stories or taller, and the local building official can require the first one at 25 years for buildings near salt water. Fannie Mae will not buy loans in projects with critical repairs or more than $10,000 per unit in unfunded repairs due within 12 months, so those buildings need a portfolio or non-warrantable condo loan.

Treasure Coast · Martin County · Stuart

Stuart waterfront mortgages: docks, boat lifts and seawalls.

On the St. Lucie River, the Indian River Lagoon and Hutchinson Island, the water is what you are paying for, and it is also what trips up the loan. A tired seawall, an unpermitted lift, the wrong flood zone or a condo with open repairs can stall an appraisal or blow up the insurance. I check those before you are under contract.

Review My Deal Realtor Checklist →

Last updated: October 12, 2026

$832,750

Martin County 2026 Conforming Limit

Feb 2020

Current County Flood Maps

Up to 25%

Flood Discount, Unincorporated Martin County

$700K

Citizens Insurance Value Cap

The Short Answer

Which mortgage broker knows waterfront properties in Stuart, Florida?

Look for a broker who checks the waterfront items before you are under contract: seawall condition, dock and boat lift permits, the parcel's flood zone, wind mitigation and, for condos, the building's milestone inspection and reserve study. Those items decide the appraisal, the insurance and the payment. I'm Eli Sanderlin with The Mortgage Dock, powered by Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC, and that is how I run every Stuart and Martin County waterfront deal.

Eli Sanderlin | NMLS #1983384 | The Mortgage Dock, Powered by Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC | NMLS #376205 | Equal Housing Lender

The five things that decide a Stuart waterfront loan.

None of these show up on a listing sheet. All of them show up in underwriting.

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Seawall condition

Fannie Mae requires homes with safety or structural deficiencies to be appraised "subject to" repairs, and a home rated C6 must be repaired before the loan can be sold. A seawall bad enough to threaten the lot can fall in that bucket. Inspect it early. Under Florida law, restoring a seawall in its old spot (or within 18 inches waterward of it) is exempt from state environmental permits.

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Dock and lift permits

Martin County requires a building permit, and the state reviews docks through a single FDEP application that also covers state submerged land and federal sign-off. Some single-family docks (up to 1,000 sq ft over the water) and lifts (up to 500 sq ft) are exempt from state permits, but not from the county. I ask for permits on what's already built so there are no surprises at appraisal or insurance.

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Flood zone

Martin County's flood maps took effect February 19, 2020. In a high-risk zone, flood insurance is required on a federally backed loan. Unincorporated Martin County is Class 5 in FEMA's Community Rating System, worth up to 25% off flood insurance premiums in high-risk zones. Town discounts can differ, so I check the exact parcel.

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Wind insurance

A wind mitigation inspection (state form OIR-B1-1802, revised April 2026) can lower the wind premium and stays good for five years. Citizens Property Insurance won't write homes with $700,000 or more in replacement cost, and Citizens wind policies now require flood coverage on homes at $400,000 and up, with all homes added January 1, 2027.

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Condo inspections

Florida requires milestone inspections on condo buildings three stories or taller, and local officials can move the first one up to 25 years near salt water. Reserve studies must be done by December 31, 2026 at the latest. Buildings with critical repairs or more than $10,000 per unit in unfunded repairs due within a year are ineligible for Fannie Mae, so they need a portfolio loan. Non-warrantable condo guide →

Where the Water Is

Martin County's waterfront, area by area.

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Stuart: St. Lucie River frontage and canal homes close to downtown and the river's mouth.
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Sewall's Point: A peninsula between the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon, with water on both sides.
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Palm City: River and canal frontage on the St. Lucie west of Stuart.
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Jensen Beach: Indian River Lagoon frontage north of Stuart.
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Hutchinson Island: The barrier island, with oceanfront and lagoon condos where milestone inspections matter most.
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Port Salerno and Manatee Pocket: A protected harbor near the St. Lucie Inlet.
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Hobe Sound: South Martin County. The Town of Jupiter Island is its own town with its own vacation rental ordinance.

Boat access shapes value

Which boats a home can serve changes who will buy it next, and that changes the comparable sales an appraiser uses.

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Ocean access runs through the St. Lucie Inlet, a federal navigation project the Army Corps of Engineers dredges periodically.
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Cross-state access runs up the St. Lucie River into the Okeechobee Waterway to Fort Myers.
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The FEC railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River has about 7 feet of clearance when closed. In August 2026 Stuart received a $79 million federal grant toward replacing it with a higher span. No construction date has been set.

Stuart deal types and how I structure them.

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Jumbo waterfront

Much of the river, lagoon and oceanfront inventory crosses the $832,750 Martin County limit. Jumbo covers primary homes, second homes and investment property. Jumbo programs →

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Conventional and second home

Canal and interior waterfront homes can fit inside the conforming limit. Spending winters here? A second-home loan is often a better fit than an investment loan. Book a call →

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Condo and non-warrantable

Hutchinson Island and riverfront condos with open repairs or special assessments can fail agency rules. Portfolio financing closes the gap. Non-QM →

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Investment and DSCR

Long-term rentals and permitted vacation rentals can qualify on the property's rental income instead of your tax returns. Florida requires a DBPR license for stays under 30 days, and Martin County adds a 5% tourist tax. DSCR loans →

For Martin County Realtors

The waterfront checklist to run before your buyer writes an offer.

Five documents save most waterfront deals from a late surprise. Ask the listing agent for them up front.

1
Seawall inspection or age. When was it built or last repaired, and are there cracks, tiebacks failing or soil loss behind it?
2
Dock, lift and seawall permits. County building permits for what's on the water. Unpermitted structures raise appraisal and insurance questions.
3
Elevation certificate. It drives the flood insurance quote, and the flood quote drives the payment.
4
Wind mitigation report. Inspections on or after April 1, 2026 use the new form. A current report can lower the wind premium.
5
For condos: milestone inspection and reserve study. Plus any special assessment, which tells you early whether agency financing works.

Send me the address and I'll tell you what I'd check first. Realtor partner program →

Stuart waterfront mortgage FAQ.

Get Started

Buying on the water in Martin County? Send me the address.

Give me the address, the price and how you plan to use it. I'll flag the seawall, dock, flood, wind and condo items to check, and build the insurance into the numbers before you offer.