Sellers in coastal Palm Beach County and northern coastal Broward County generally pay documentary stamp tax on the deed, the owner’s title insurance premium, title company settlement and search fees, and any HOA or condo estoppel charges. Florida law sets the doc stamp rate and regulates the title insurance premium schedule, but which party pays each cost is determined by contract and local custom — not statute — and is negotiable in every transaction. Your actual net depends on your sale price, your community’s association rules, any open permits or special assessments, and what you agree to in the purchase contract.
The cost categories every coastal seller needs to understand
Before we go any further: this post explains what these costs are and how they work — not what they’ll add up to for your specific home. Every seller’s number is different, and I’ll tell you exactly why below. If you want a personalized estimate before you list, that’s what a pre-listing consultation is for.
Documentary stamp tax on the deed
Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax on deeds at a statutory rate of $0.70 per $100 of consideration, as published by the Florida Department of Revenue. Palm Beach County and Broward County both use this standard statewide rate — Miami-Dade is the only Florida county with a different surtax structure for most residential transactions. As of mid-2026, the Florida DOR’s current Tax Information Publications still list $0.70 per $100; there has been no statewide rate change for 2025–2026.
Here’s the part that surprises a lot of sellers: Florida law does not assign this tax to the seller. The Florida Department of Revenue is explicit that who pays the documentary stamp tax is a matter of contract, not statute. In coastal Palm Beach County markets — Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach — it is customary for the seller to cover the doc stamps on the deed, but that custom can and does shift based on how the offer is written. I’ve seen buyers request seller credits that effectively shift this cost. Always confirm the allocation in your purchase contract, not in a blog post.
Title insurance
Florida title insurance premium rates are promulgated and regulated by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Unlike most states, Florida title insurers must charge the approved rate per $1,000 of coverage — they cannot discount or inflate the premium. The rate structure adopted by OIR in 2013 remains in effect through 2026.
What is negotiable is who pays it. The Florida OIR’s title insurance FAQs confirm that Florida law does not assign the obligation to either party — payment is purely contractual. In South Florida coastal markets, local custom generally has the seller pay the owner’s title insurance premium and the buyer pay the lender’s policy (if they’re financing), according to Florida Realtors® regional custom guides. But this flips in some contracts, particularly in northern coastal Broward communities like Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, and Lighthouse Point, where I’ve seen both configurations depending on how the deal is structured.
The practical takeaway: the premium itself is fixed by the state, but whether it lands on your side of the settlement statement is a negotiation point.
Title company and closing agent fees
Florida is a title company or attorney closing state — not an escrow-company state. According to the Florida Bar’s consumer pamphlet on buying and selling a home, closings in Palm Beach and Broward are handled by either a licensed title insurance agency or a Florida real estate attorney acting as closing agent. That closing agent coordinates mortgage payoffs, disburses funds, prepares the settlement statement, issues title policies, and remits doc stamps and recording fees to the county.
The fees title companies charge for this work are not set by statute — they are market-driven and vary by firm, transaction type, and complexity. Per the Florida OIR, no official body publishes a standard fee schedule. What you’ll typically see itemized in a coastal Palm Beach or Broward closing includes:
- Settlement/closing fee — flat fee per closing, varies by company
- Title search and examination charges
- Lien search and municipal search fees — particularly relevant in cities with active code enforcement like Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Pompano Beach
- Wire, courier, and document preparation fees
Condos and properties in incorporated coastal cities often require more association and municipal research, which affects the total fee package. Some title companies offer bundled “seller packages” or “cash-closing packages” — these are marketing tools, not regulated products, and their contents differ widely. Get a written quote before you assume what’s included.
One more local nuance worth knowing: Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® contract training materials note that buyers and sellers often negotiate which side chooses the title company, and the choosing party sometimes agrees to cover certain administrative fees as part of the offer strategy. This matters in competitive situations.
Recording fees
The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller records deeds and related instruments and publishes current recording fees; these are set by Florida statute with some local surcharges. The 2025 fee schedule has remained stable into 2026. For closings in northern coastal Broward, the Broward County Records, Taxes & Treasury Division posts a parallel fee schedule mirroring the statewide statutory structure.
Recording fees are typically itemized on the closing statement. Whether they fall on the buyer or seller side is — you guessed it — decided by contract and local custom, per the Florida Bar.
HOA and condo estoppel and transfer fees
Many coastal communities in Palm Beach County and northern Broward are governed by condominium associations or HOAs, which commonly charge estoppel fees, transfer or application fees, and occasionally move-in/move-out fees in high-rise oceanfront buildings. Florida’s estoppel fee caps for condo and homeowners’ associations are set by statute under Florida Statutes § 718.116 and § 720.30851, but whether the seller or buyer pays the estoppel and transfer fees is determined by contract.
In practice, listing agreements in Boca Raton, Highland Beach, and Pompano Beach often assume the seller pays estoppel, while transfer and application fees are more commonly assigned to the buyer. This is not universal — check every contract individually.
What can change your net in ways you might not expect
Seller concessions and closing cost credits
In 2025 and into 2026, higher interest rates have increased buyer negotiation pressure on closing costs throughout coastal South Florida. Monthly market reports from Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® show more contracts requesting seller credits toward buyer closing expenses rather than outright price reductions. The NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers confirms this trend nationally — seller-paid concessions (closing cost credits, home warranties, repair allowances) are running higher than pre-pandemic norms. When you give a buyer a closing cost credit, it appears as a line item on the settlement statement and reduces your net proceeds directly.
This is exactly the kind of negotiation I walk my clients through before we ever agree to a contract. A credit can be the right move strategically — or it can be more expensive than a price adjustment, depending on how the deal is structured.
Open permits, special assessments, and coastal-specific risk factors
Title companies in coastal markets pay close attention to open permits — roof, seawall, dock, pool — because municipalities may refuse to sign off on new work until prior permits are closed. Resolving these can require seller action or credits that reduce your net in ways that don’t show up in any generic closing cost estimate.
For condo sellers specifically: special assessments for building repairs (concrete restoration, roof replacement, impact window installation) are common in older oceanfront buildings in Palm Beach and Broward. Contracts must specify whether pending or recently approved assessments are paid by the seller at or before closing or assumed by the buyer. Florida’s insurance market volatility has also led some associations to increase master policy premiums and pass costs through as higher monthly dues or special assessments — changes that can affect buyer perception of your unit’s carrying costs and show up in your negotiation.
Seller’s property disclosure
Florida does not have a single mandatory, state-issued disclosure form. Instead, Florida relies on case law — specifically the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling in Johnson v. Davis, 480 So.2d 625 (Fla. 1985), which established a seller’s duty to disclose known facts materially affecting value that are not readily observable and not known to the buyer. In practice, most Palm Beach County and Broward County listings use a standardized multi-page Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement provided by local REALTOR® associations.
For coastal properties, that disclosure has extra weight: hurricane and storm history, roof age, impact-rated windows and doors, flood zone and elevation, and seawall and dock condition all get scrutiny from buyers and out-of-area agents. The Florida Bar Journal has noted that omitting or downplaying known water intrusion or roof issues is a recurring source of litigation in coastal Florida — and Johnson v. Davis gives buyers a strong basis for non-disclosure claims. Getting the disclosure right before you list isn’t just good practice; it’s how you protect your net.
How the numbers actually come together — and why a local analysis matters
| ost Category | Rate / Structure | Set By | Who Pays (Coastal Palm Beach custom) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentary stamp tax on deed | $0.70 per $100 of consideration | Florida statute (fixed rate) | Customarily seller — but negotiable by contract |
| Owner’s title insurance premium | Regulated rate per $1,000 of coverage (OIR promulgated) | Florida OIR (fixed rate) | Customarily seller in Palm Beach — negotiable |
| Lender’s title insurance policy | Regulated rate (separate policy) | Florida OIR (fixed rate) | Customarily buyer — negotiable |
| Title company settlement/closing fee | Market-driven, varies by firm | Title company (not regulated) | Negotiable — sometimes split |
| Title search, lien & municipal search | Market-driven, higher for condos/coastal cities | Title company (not regulated) | Negotiable |
| Recording fees | Set by Florida statute + county resolution | Statute / county | Negotiable by contract |
| HOA/condo estoppel fee | Capped by Florida statute (§§ 718, 720) | Statute (cap) / association (actual fee) | Customarily seller — negotiable |
| HOA/condo transfer/application fee | Set by association | Association | Customarily buyer — negotiable |
| Broker compensation (listing side) | Fully negotiable — no standard rate | Listing agreement | Agreed in listing contract |
| Buyer-agent compensation (if offered) | Fully negotiable — optional, separate from listing fee | Contract / buyer-broker agreement | Seller’s choice — not automatic |
A few things this table makes clear: the costs with fixed rates (doc stamps, title insurance premiums) are actually the easier part of the calculation. The variables — title company fees, concessions, open permits, special assessments, HOA charges, and what you agree to in the purchase contract — are what make every seller’s net different from every other seller’s net.
From my experience working in coastal markets from Delray Beach to Hillsboro Beach, I can tell you that the sellers who are surprised at the closing table are almost always the ones who estimated their net from a generic online calculator instead of running through the actual line items for their specific home and community.
On the commission side: broker fees are fully negotiable and not set by law — there is no standard, typical, or customary rate, and I won’t quote one here. Your listing-side fee is agreed in your listing agreement. Any compensation you choose to offer a buyer’s agent is entirely optional and separately negotiable — it is not automatically part of your costs, and it is not shared on the MLS. The National Association of REALTORS® has published clear guidance that commissions are negotiable in every U.S. state.
For financed purchases, the CFPB’s TRID rules require that buyers receive a Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing — this form itemizes both buyer and seller charges, including doc stamps, title insurance premiums, and title company fees, so you’ll have a final, locked-in view of your numbers before you sign. For cash transactions — common in coastal Palm Beach luxury markets — the settlement statement format is contractual, often ALTA style, per the American Land Title Association. Title companies and agents in Florida must be licensed and are regulated by the Florida Department of Financial Services and the OIR.
If you’re thinking about listing a waterfront or coastal property in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, or anywhere along this stretch of coast, you might also find my post on when to list your Boca Raton or Delray Beach waterfront home for top price useful context — timing affects not just what you net but how much negotiating leverage you have on the cost side. And if you’re also curious about what buyers are paying in closing costs on the other side of the table, I’ve covered that in detail for buyers in Boca Raton as well.
Frequently asked questions
In Palm Beach County, who usually pays the documentary stamp tax when I sell my house — me or the buyer?
By custom in most coastal Palm Beach County markets, the seller pays the documentary stamp tax on the deed. But the Florida Department of Revenue is clear that this is a matter of contract, not statute — there is no law requiring the seller to pay it. A buyer can negotiate for the seller to cover additional costs, or the allocation can shift entirely depending on how the offer is structured. Always confirm in your purchase contract.
How are title insurance rates set in Florida, and can my title company charge me more or less than another company?
Florida title insurance premium rates are promulgated and regulated by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — title insurers must charge the approved rate per $1,000 of coverage and cannot deviate from it. What does vary between title companies are the ancillary fees they charge for settlement services, title searches, lien searches, and document preparation — those are market-driven and not regulated. Get itemized quotes from more than one company if you want to compare.
Is the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement required by Florida law, or is it just a REALTOR® form?
Florida does not have a single mandatory state-issued disclosure form, but sellers have a common-law duty to disclose known material defects under the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling in Johnson v. Davis (1985). In practice, most Palm Beach County and Broward County listings use a multi-page disclosure form promoted by local REALTOR® associations — it’s not statutory, but skipping it or completing it carelessly creates real legal exposure, especially for coastal properties with water intrusion, roof, or seawall history.
Are doc stamps, recording fees, and title company charges negotiable between buyer and seller in South Florida?
The rates for doc stamps (set by Florida statute) and title insurance premiums (set by the Florida OIR) are fixed — neither party can negotiate them down. But who pays each of those costs, along with recording fees and title company service fees, is entirely negotiable in the purchase contract. Local custom gives you a starting point, but every offer is its own negotiation, and I’ve seen all of these items move depending on market conditions and buyer strategy.
When I sell a condo in coastal Broward, what fees will the title company charge me besides title insurance?
Beyond the regulated title insurance premium, coastal Broward condo sellers typically see itemized charges for a settlement/closing fee, title search and examination, lien and municipal search fees (particularly relevant in cities with active code enforcement), and wire or document preparation fees. Condo transactions also involve association-specific costs — estoppel fees capped under Florida Statutes §§ 718 and 720, and transfer or application fees set by the association. Title company service fees are not regulated and vary by firm, so request a written fee quote early in the process.
The bottom line: understanding your cost categories before you list puts you in a much stronger negotiating position — and protects you from surprises on the settlement statement. Your specific net depends on your home, your community, your contract terms, and the current market. That’s the conversation I have with every seller before we go live.
Ready to run through the real numbers for your home? Schedule a pre-listing consultation and I’ll walk you through exactly what to expect — line by line.
About Maureen Harmonay
Maureen Harmonay is a Global Luxury Specialist with Coldwell Banker Realty, serving buyers and sellers from Delray Beach to Hillsboro Beach, where she specializes in waterfront and coastal homes. With more than twenty-eight years of experience, a Feng Shui certification, and a grounding in biophilic design, she helps clients find a home that supports the way they want to live — or present the one they have so that buyers feel it too.
Equal Housing Opportunity. This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Closing costs, tax obligations, and contract terms vary by transaction — confirm your specific numbers with your real estate attorney, tax advisor, lender, or closing officer before you list or sign.