Yes. If you are selling residential property in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach or elsewhere in Florida, you must give the buyer a written flood disclosure at or before the sales contract is signed. The current form asks about known flood damage during your ownership, flood insurance claims and flood assistance. A low-risk map designation or the absence of an insurance claim does not replace those answers.
What does Florida's flood disclosure ask?
Under Florida Statute 689.302, the seller must answer three separate questions:
- Do you have knowledge of flooding that damaged the property during your ownership?
- Have you filed a claim with an insurance provider for flood damage, including the National Flood Insurance Program?
- Have you received assistance for flood damage, including assistance from FEMA?
The statute also tells buyers that a homeowners insurance policy does not include flood damage coverage and encourages them to discuss separate flood insurance with an insurance agent.
What changed in the flood disclosure?
The original statewide requirement took effect in 2024. A change effective October 1, 2025 expanded the form. It added the question about the seller's knowledge of flood damage during the seller's ownership. It also broadened the assistance question beyond federal assistance to assistance from any source. The Florida Senate's summary of SB 948 explains those changes.
This distinction matters. A seller could know that heavy rain caused damaging standing water even if no insurance claim was filed. The form asks about knowledge, claims and assistance separately.
What counts as flooding under the statute?
For this disclosure, Florida defines flooding as a general or temporary partial or complete inundation caused by:
- Overflow of inland or tidal waters;
- Unusual and rapid runoff or surface water from an established source such as a river, stream or drainage ditch; or
- Sustained standing water caused by rainfall.
That definition is especially relevant in northern Palm Beach County because properties can face different conditions near the shoreline, waterways and low-lying drainage areas. It does not mean every coastal home has flooded, and it does not mean every inland home is free of risk.
Does the flood zone answer the disclosure question?
No. A flood map describes risk for a location; the seller's disclosure reports the seller's knowledge and history during ownership. Those are different pieces of information.
Florida's Division of Emergency Management recommends checking the official FEMA map and the property's elevation. Sellers in Juno Beach can also use the town's flood and floodplain information. Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens sellers should use the resources for the government jurisdiction serving the specific address. Countywide guidance should not be treated as a property-specific flood determination.
What should a seller gather before listing?
If the property has any relevant history, collect the documents you already have before buyers begin asking questions:
- Flood insurance claim records and insurer correspondence;
- FEMA or other assistance records;
- Invoices, permits and photographs for completed repairs;
- An elevation certificate, if one exists; and
- Current flood insurance information, if available.
Clear records can help your agent, closing professional and attorney identify what belongs in the disclosure and answer follow-up questions consistently. Do not guess when you are uncertain about a legal answer. Ask a Florida real estate attorney to review the facts.
How can The Gozza Group help?
We help sellers organize the practical details before a home reaches the market, from property records and repair documents to the questions buyers are likely to raise. Learn more about our approach to selling.
Contact Ron Gozza and The Gozza Group or call (561) 618-2026 to discuss selling in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach or the surrounding market.
Sources reviewed November 2, 2026: Florida Statute 689.302, Florida Senate 2025 bill summary, Florida Division of Emergency Management and Town of Juno Beach. This article provides general information and is not legal or insurance advice.