Palm Beach County real estate closings follow Florida’s traditional customs—which means they work differently from Miami-Dade and Broward next door. The biggest difference: in Palm Beach County, the seller customarily pays for the buyer’s owner’s title insurance policy. Whether you are buying or selling in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Jupiter, or Wellington, knowing who pays what—and who picks the title company—keeps your closing on schedule and off the surprise list.
Who Pays for Title Insurance in Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach follows the custom used in most of Florida: the seller pays for the owner’s title insurance policy that protects the buyer. This is custom, not law. The Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract lets the parties choose, so it can be negotiated—but absent a deal to the contrary, expect the seller to pay.
The owner’s policy protects the buyer against title defects that existed before closing: a forged deed, a missing signature on a prior transfer, an unreleased lien, an unpaid tax certificate. It covers legal defense and reimburses covered losses for as long as the buyer owns the property. (For the basics, read What Is Title Insurance in Florida?)
What the seller pays, at Florida’s promulgated (state-set) rates:
- $500,000 sale: $2,575
- $1,000,000 sale: $5,075
- $2,000,000 sale: $7,575
Lender’s title insurance is a separate policy required by the buyer’s mortgage lender and paid by the buyer. Because it is issued at the same time as the owner’s policy, Florida’s simultaneous-issue rate applies: a flat $25 for coverage up to the owner’s policy amount, plus lender-required endorsements (typically a few hundred dollars). It protects only the lender and ends when the loan is paid off.
Who Chooses the Title Company in Palm Beach County?
In Florida, the party who pays for the owner’s policy customarily selects the title company—so in Palm Beach County, the seller usually chooses. Buyers can negotiate for the right to choose (often by agreeing to pay for the policy), and the contract will say who selected. Either way, the title company works for the transaction, not for one side: it examines title, clears defects, prepares documents, holds escrow, conducts the closing, and records the deed and mortgage with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller.
Sellers choosing a title company should look for experience with their property type, a track record of on-time closings, and someone who answers the phone. Complete Choice Title holds a 5.0-star Google rating and an A+ BBB rating and has been closing across all 67 Florida counties since 2018. See our title services.
Documentary Stamp Tax: The Seller’s Largest Tax Cost
Florida’s documentary stamp tax on deeds is $0.70 per $100 of the sale price in Palm Beach County (and every county except Miami-Dade), customarily paid by the seller.
- $500,000 sale: $3,500
- $1,000,000 sale: $7,000
Source: Florida Department of Revenue, Documentary Stamp Tax.
What Sellers Typically Pay in Palm Beach County
- Owner’s title insurance premium (see rates above)
- Documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100)
- Real estate commissions, per the listing agreement
- Payoff of any existing mortgage, plus the fee to record the satisfaction
- HOA or condo estoppel certificate fees
- Prorated property taxes and association dues through the closing date
- Attorney fees, if the seller retains separate counsel
What Buyers Typically Pay in Palm Beach County
- Lender’s title policy ($25 simultaneous issue) plus endorsements
- Documentary stamp tax on the promissory note: $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount
- Florida intangible tax on the mortgage: 0.2% of the loan amount
- Recording fees for the deed and mortgage
- Lender fees, appraisal, survey (if required), and homeowner’s insurance
- Prorated taxes and association dues from the closing date forward
On a $400,000 mortgage: $1,400 in note stamps plus $800 in intangible tax, or $2,200 in state taxes on the financing alone.
Title Insurance Rates: The Same in Every Florida County
Florida’s title insurance premiums are set by rule (Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003) and are identical in all 67 counties, including Palm Beach:
- $5.75 per $1,000 on the first $100,000
- $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1,000,000
- $2.50 per $1,000 from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000
- $2.25 per $1,000 from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000
- $2.00 per $1,000 over $10,000,000
Since the premium is the same at every company, the difference is service: how quickly the search comes back, how problems get solved, and whether you can reach the person handling your file.
The Palm Beach County Closing Timeline
- Week 1–2: The executed contract and escrow deposit go to the title company. The title search is ordered, along with the HOA or condo estoppel certificate if there is an association.
- Week 2–3: The title commitment is issued, listing every mortgage, lien, easement, and restriction that must be cleared or excepted.
- Week 3–4: Title issues are resolved, the lender issues final approval, and the closing is scheduled.
- Closing day: Documents are signed in person or with a mobile notary, lender funds arrive, and the deed and mortgage are executed.
- 1–3 business days after closing: Documents are recorded with the Clerk and the buyer officially owns the property.
Common Title Issues in Palm Beach County
- HOA and condo estoppel delays: Palm Beach has a high share of deed-restricted communities, and slow or conflicting estoppel certificates are a leading cause of delayed closings.
- Association liens and special assessments: unpaid dues or assessments become liens that must be paid or negotiated before closing.
- Open or expired permits and code liens: common on renovated homes and caught in the municipal lien search.
- Waterfront matters: submerged land leases, seawall and dock obligations, and coastal construction control line restrictions.
- Tax certificates: unpaid prior-year property taxes must be redeemed before title can transfer clean.
- Gaps in the chain of title: older properties sometimes have missing or defective prior conveyances that need a corrective deed or affidavit.
Finding these during the search—and clearing them before closing—is the title company’s job. The owner’s policy is the buyer’s protection if something was missed.
Why Local Palm Beach Expertise Matters
Palm Beach County runs from oceanfront estates in Jupiter and Palm Beach to gated communities in Wellington and Boca Raton to condos in Delray Beach and West Palm Beach. Each comes with its own associations, restrictions, and title quirks. A title company that closes here regularly knows how to move an estoppel along, read a deed-restricted community’s documents, and keep a waterfront closing on schedule. Complete Choice Title Services has been doing exactly that across South Florida since 2018.
Next Steps: Prepare for Your Palm Beach County Closing
- Settle who pays and who chooses in the contract. Custom says seller pays and seller picks, but the contract is what counts.
- Open the file early. The sooner the title company has the contract, the sooner the search and estoppel are ordered.
- Review the title commitment. Ask about every exception you do not understand.
- Budget accurately. Sellers: owner’s policy, deed stamps, and commissions. Buyers: lender’s policy and endorsements, note stamps, intangible tax, and lender fees.
- Ask questions. Our FAQs answer the ones we hear most.
Ready to Close in Palm Beach County?
Selling a home in Boca Raton, buying a condo in Delray Beach, or closing on an investment property in West Palm Beach—Palm Beach County’s customs are straightforward once you know them, and a title company that answers the phone makes the rest easy. Contact Complete Choice Title Services or call (305) 603-8393. We are licensed across all 67 Florida counties, and Luis and Yeni personally oversee every file.
Closing elsewhere in South Florida? See our guides to Broward County closing customs and Miami-Dade County closing customs.
