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Boat slips for sale in Florida: a buyer's guide

Updated November 8, 2026

In South Florida a good slip can be as hard to find as the boat to put in it. Buying one gives you a permanent home on the water, but Florida slip ownership has rules that surprise a lot of buyers. This guide explains how it works, what slips near Aventura and Miami have actually sold for, and what to check before you sign.

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The ways to own a slip in Florida

The state land issue most buyers miss

Florida's Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund owns sovereign submerged lands, the bottom under most of our waterways. Where a marina or condo dock sits over state-owned bottom, the facility holds a state lease, and you generally can't own the slip outright:

• The deed can only convey an exclusive use right, not the bottom land, and the slip shouldn't appear in the legal description.
• The state collects 6% of the part of a sale price attributable to the slip.
• Marinas that must stay open to the public can sell exclusive use of only 10% of their slips; private facilities can sell all of them.
• Lease fees are the greater of a per-square-foot rate or 6% of gross revenue, and leases typically run 5 to 10 years (longer in some cases), so ask the association about renewal.

What slips near Aventura and Miami have sold for

There's no published market-wide average, so here are individual examples:

• An indoor dry slip (35 x 13.3 ft) at 400 Sunny Isles sold for $165,000 in February 2024, after listing at $179,900.
• A deeded slip at 5401 Collins Ave for boats up to 40 ft, with no fixed bridges to the ocean, is listed at $415,000 (2026).
• Closed Miami MLS slip sales from 2023 to 2025 ranged from about $135,000 (River Run) and $235,000 (a 36 ft slip at Brickell Place) up to $2.025 million for a 70 ft T-head at Grove Isle.

Price is driven by size, depth, ocean access without fixed bridges, protection from storms and the building's amenities. Compare that with renting: Miami-Dade County marinas charge about $25 to $28 per foot per month at Haulover (see our slip cost guide).

Checklist before you buy

• Confirm exactly what's conveyed: deed, exclusive use right, membership or lease, and who holds any state submerged land lease.
• Get association fees, reserves, recent and planned special assessments, and the rules on renting the slip out.
• Measure depth at mean low water at the slip and in the approach channel.
• Check fixed bridge clearance to the ocean; in this area the Haulover Inlet bridge is about 32 ft.
• Review hurricane rules (whether boats must leave), insurance requirements and the dock's condition.
• Ask about power, water, metering and liveaboard rules.
• Have a Florida real estate attorney review the documents.

Dockage you rent in Florida is subject to sales tax (6% state plus a 1% surtax in Miami-Dade and Broward), which is worth factoring in if you plan to lease your slip to others.

FAQ

Can you buy a boat slip in Florida?

Yes. Deeded slips (dockominiums), deeded dry-stack racks and condo-assigned slips are all sold in Florida. Where the dock is over state-owned submerged land, you typically buy an exclusive right to use the slip rather than the land under it.

How much does a boat slip cost to buy in Miami?

Recent Miami-area sales range widely, from about $135,000 for smaller slips to more than $2 million for a 70 ft T-head at Grove Isle. Size, depth, ocean access and building amenities drive the price.

Do I pay tax on a boat slip in Florida?

Renting dockage at a marina is subject to Florida sales tax: 6% plus a 1% county surtax in Miami-Dade and Broward. When slips over state land are sold, the state collects 6% of the portion of the price attributable to the slip.