Bulkhead Inspections in Destin: A Guide for Agents
A Destin bulkhead inspection has to fit inside your client’s contract clock. Start with the deadline, the wall’s records and the one question your client needs answered.
Book the bulkhead before the inspection period runs out
A standard home inspection will not settle the bulkhead question. Florida’s home inspection rule says the inspector is not required to inspect seawalls, break-walls, boat lifts or docks. Florida Rule 61-30.810
So book a separate bulkhead assessment early. Both Florida Realtors/Florida Bar residential contracts default to a 15-day inspection period when the blank is left empty. Under the standard repair contract, an item not inspected and reported in writing in time is waived. AS IS contract ¶12 Standard contract ¶12
- Confirm the inspection deadline and the closing date in writing.
- Find out who controls access to the wall: the seller, an HOA, a condo association or a neighbor.
- Ask whether a boat, lift or dock hides the face of the wall.
- Get the visit date and the report date from the professional before you commit.
On Okaloosa Island, check how the lot is held. Island parcels began as county leases. A 1992 county policy let leases be exchanged for title, and the island covenants still apply either way. Okaloosa Island covenants
Send the bulkhead specialist a one-page brief
A short brief saves a wasted visit. It also keeps the report focused on the decision your client faces. Include:
- The address, parcel number and the wall segment in question: bay, bayou, harbor or Gulf side.
- The contract type. The AS IS form does not mention seawalls, docks or bulkheads; the standard form names seawalls and dockage. AS IS contract
- The seller’s answer on the disclosure form, which asks: “Is seawall, if any, and dockage, if any, structurally sound?” Seller disclosure form
- Permit history. Destin permits run through the city’s MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) portal, unincorporated Okaloosa uses the county’s CSS portal and Walton uses EnerGov. Destin MGO portal Okaloosa CSS portal Walton EnerGov portal
- Photos from before and after Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall near Destin on October 9, 2026. NWS Isaias report
- Gate codes, the access contact and any dock or lift the specialist should look at.
Label missing records as missing. “No permit found online” is a lead to follow up, not proof that the wall was built without one.
Help your client use the findings
When the report arrives, sort it into three piles: what the specialist saw, what is still unknown and what more testing is advised. A condition report, an engineered repair design and a contractor’s quote answer different questions.
Under the standard repair contract, seawalls and dockage must stay in “Working Condition” until closing. The seller’s repair limit defaults to 1.5% of the price, with a separate 1.5% limit for permit problems. Standard contract ¶9 and ¶12
- If repairs exceed the limit and the parties do not agree within 5 days, either side may cancel with the deposit returned. Standard contract ¶12(b)(iii)
- A buyer cannot be fined or denied a permit solely because an earlier owner left a permit open. Section 553.79, Fla. Stat.
- Flood insurance is not a repair plan. The federal flood policy ordinarily excludes seawalls and bulkheads. FEMA NFIP policy
Keep the roles clear. The specialist explains the wall; your client’s attorney and lender advise on credits and exits. For next steps, share the bulkhead permit guide and the repair-or-replace guide.
What to ask for in a seawall condition report
Confirm the type of assessment and written report with the professional you choose, including the scope and delivery date. Ask for dated photos, findings, recommended repairs and a list of areas that could not be inspected.
Ask whether the assessment covers the wall panels, concrete cap, joints, supports and ground behind the wall. Buried anchors and underwater areas may need extra investigation. If you need a repair budget or an estimate of remaining life, discuss that before the visit.
Request report pricing. Confirm the scope, price and availability directly with the professional before relying on a visit or report date.
See the InterNACHI waterfront inspection standard for examples of what a visual inspection covers.
Check the right wall measurement.
Thinking about raising or replacing the wall? The height guide explains which survey measurement to use and where to check local requirements.
Common questions
Will the home inspector check the bulkhead?
Not by default. Florida’s standards of practice do not require home inspectors to inspect seawalls, docks or boat lifts. Some will add it by written agreement, so ask before the visit.
How long does my client have to inspect?
Whatever the contract says. If the blank is empty on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar forms, the default is 15 days. Book the bulkhead visit in the first few days.
Who can do the bulkhead inspection?
Under the standard contract, a licensed home inspector or someone who holds a Florida license to repair and maintain the item. Many clients use a marine contractor or a Florida-licensed engineer. Check the license before booking.
Can the seller’s old report serve the buyer?
Ask the author who the client was, the report date and what was inspected. A report written before Hurricane Isaias may not describe the wall as it is today.
The permit search came back empty. What now?
Record the portal, parcel number and date you searched. Then ask the permit office about older records. Okaloosa County keeps permits issued through April 2025 in its older system.
Should the report recommend a price credit?
A report should describe condition and recommended work. Prices come from written contractor quotes, and the parties negotiate with their own advisers.
Destin registration and Okaloosa Island review
Two local rules surprise buyers. First, Destin’s code requires docks, seawalls and bulkheads in the city’s harbor and waterways to be registered, and re-registered after a change of ownership. Destin LDC 11.05.08
How actively the city keeps that registry is unclear. Ask the city whether a registration is on file, and record the answer in the transaction file.
Second, Okaloosa Island has its own review. Single-family docks and seawalls there need review by the Leaseholders Association’s Architectural Review Committee and county staff before a permit issues. Okaloosa LDC 3.01.04
- The island covenants also require written county commission approval for structures below the high-water line. Island covenants
- Ask the seller for the committee’s approval letter for any wall or dock work.
- Ask the title company whether the parcel is leasehold or titled.
Where each bulkhead permit file lives
Pull records from the office that issued the permit. Similar addresses can sit in different jurisdictions.
| Property location | Where permits run |
|---|---|
City of Destin, including Holiday Isle | The city’s MGO portal; ask the Building Division for older files Destin MGO Holiday Isle city limits |
Unincorporated Okaloosa, including Kelly Plantation and Okaloosa Island | County CSS portal; permits issued through April 2025 are in the older system Okaloosa CSS portal Kelly Plantation GIS Okaloosa Island permit guide |
Fort Walton Beach | The city’s MGO portal FWB MGO |
Mary Esther | GovWell public records lookup Mary Esther GovWell |
Unincorporated South Walton | Walton County EnerGov portal Walton EnerGov |
Note the portal, parcel number and date of each search. An empty result is a question for the office, not a conclusion. County guides for Okaloosa and Walton list the offices.
Listings after Hurricane Isaias
Isaias made landfall near Destin on October 9, 2026. Preliminary NWS data show water about 4 feet above mean higher high water in Destin Harbor. NWS Isaias report
Destin then allowed 60 days of permit-free, board-for-board repair for storm-damaged docks that were originally permitted. The notice does not mention seawalls. Destin storm exemption
- Ask whether post-storm dock work was done under that exemption, and get the invoice.
- Ask whether any bulkhead repair had a permit.
- For damaged docks, Destin allows a same-size rebuild if the permit is applied for within six months of the damage. Destin LDC 11.05.10
Show sourcesHide sources
- Destin LDC Sec. 11.05.08 Registration of structuresSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3, 3.01.00 Subdivision of Okaloosa IslandSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island (OR Book 121, Pages 233-250, as updated)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- How Do I Submit A Permit Application? (Building Division brochure)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County GIS: city limitsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County GIS: city limits and county zoningSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Permit Guide for Projects on Okaloosa IslandSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- My Government Online (MGO) | Fort Walton Beach, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Permits & Inspections | Mary Esther, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Planning and Development ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Isaias (NWS Mobile/Pensacola), last updated 10/13/2026, initial issuanceSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Building Permit Exemption for fence and dock repairs (News Flash)Source reviewed 2026-11-05
Request report pricing
Record what needs checking and when. Confirm the assessment, price and date directly with the professional you choose.