09/01/2026
Buying a piece of vacant land can look simple.
Find a beautiful lot.
Make an offer.
Build your dream property.
Except… there can be a LOT hiding behind those five acres.
I’m currently working through due diligence on vacant land in Palm Beach County, and instead of relying on what a listing says or assuming something is allowed, I went directly to Palm Beach County’s unincorporated building/planning offices to start getting answers.
Can you build what you want?
What are the setbacks?
What is the required finished-floor elevation?
Can you bring in fill to raise the building pad?
Can you dig a pond?
What are the drainage requirements?
Are there wetlands or environmental restrictions?
What about clearing and protected trees?
Can you build a barn or other outbuildings?
What does the HOA allow on top of what the County allows?
And that's before getting into surveys, utilities, well and septic, flood zones, access, easements, soil conditions and the actual cost of making the land buildable.
Vacant doesn't mean unrestricted. And “5 acres” doesn't necessarily mean you can do whatever you want with 5 acres.
This is why due diligence matters so much when buying land.
Sometimes getting the right answer means more than making a phone call or doing a Google search. It means pulling records, reading governing documents, talking to the County, asking questions and figuring out what is actually possible before your due-diligence period expires.
If you're thinking about buying acreage or equestrian property in Palm Beach County, make sure you know what you're buying—not just what it looks like today, but what you're actually allowed to do with it tomorrow.
— Paige Kovari
Palm Beach County REALTOR® | Investor | Equestrian