Buying a Waterfront Home in St. Augustine
Treat the waterfront as a separate due-diligence question. A beautiful view does not answer who owns the wall or what it needs.
Confirm what comes with the property
Ask for the current survey, title documents and association records where applicable. Identify who owns the wall, dock, access strip and any shared outlets. Have your closing advisers resolve easements and waterfront rights rather than inferring them from a fence or maintained lawn.
On an association property, request the relevant engineering reports and the allocation of maintenance responsibility. A wall beside your unit may not be yours to alter.
Define the inspection you are buying
- Which wall faces, supports and underwater areas will be inspected?
- What is outside the scope of the home inspection?
- Will an engineer review structural concerns?
- When will a written report arrive relative to your contractual deadlines?
- Who may rely on the report, and what further investigation may be needed?
Confirm these points in writing. This site does not guarantee inspection availability or replace advice about the purchase contract.
Search the correct authority’s records
St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach and unincorporated St. Johns County use different local permit processes. Search the wall and dock separately from the house. Ask about older records if the online search is incomplete.
For oceanfront property, request the coastal permit history too. For historic city property, ask whether a proposed repair could involve archaeology or historic review. Use the permit guide to organize the requests.
Building Permit Information: bulkhead/retaining wall · St. Augustine Beach Building · Building Department · Coastal Construction Control Line Program
Translate the report into a decision
| Finding | Next question |
|---|---|
Defined repair | Is there a written scope and property-specific quote? |
Hidden condition | What investigation is required before relying on a price? |
Access constraint | Is the proposed construction route actually available? |
Approval uncertainty | Who must determine whether the intended work is allowed? |
Discuss negotiations and deadlines with your transaction advisers. A repair allowance is only as useful as the scope and assumptions behind it.
Use the report while you still have choices
The condition is defined
Ask for a property-specific repair scope and a written quote that includes access and approvals. Discuss any proposed credit with your transaction advisers using those documents.
A significant condition is unknown
Ask which investigation could resolve it, when that can occur and when the report would be available. Discuss the timing with your advisers before relying on a provisional repair allowance.
For example, an inaccessible water-side face should remain an explicit report limitation. A seller’s recent cap invoice does not establish that the concealed support system was investigated. Keep assumptions visible in the decision record and confirm which report the buyer may rely on.
Worried about damage? Check the warning signs.Optional · 10 short questions · no contact details
Answer from what you already know. Stay on safe ground; do not go near the edge or into the water to check. You can choose “Not sure” for any question.
Skip this and go to the request form
An inspection can help answer the questions you were unsure about.
An on-site inspection is needed to assess the wall’s condition. These answers help you explain what you have noticed.
Prepare for a professional assessment · Discuss the next step
Tell us about the concern and we’ll help you work out the next step.
Continue to the request form. You can choose whether to include this check with your request.
What this check is based on
The questions cover signs shown in the City of Holmes Beach seawall manual (pages 5–13): soil loss, wall movement, open joints and damaged concrete.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Building Permit Information: bulkhead/retaining wallSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- St. Augustine Beach BuildingSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Coastal Construction Control Line ProgramSource reviewed 2026-10-26
Ask about a buyer assessment
Record what needs checking and when. Confirm the assessment, price and date directly with the professional you choose.