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Boat Storage in Jupiter: Dry Stack, Home Storage Rules and Hurricane Season

Dry stack vs. slip vs. outdoor lot, what the Town of Jupiter allows at home and what Florida law says about marinas and storms.

Short answer

Boat owners in Jupiter usually compare dry stack, wet slips, outdoor lots and storing at home. Town of Jupiter rules allow one boat, one trailer and one RV on a residential lot, kept in the side yard behind the front of the house or in the rear yard, not in the front yard or driveway. Under Florida Statutes 327.59, marinas generally can't require you to remove your boat after a hurricane watch or warning, but a contract can let them secure or move it and charge a reasonable fee.

Why boat storage in Jupiter is its own question

Jupiter is a boating town. The inlet is right there, the fishing is a big part of why people move here, and a lot of owners would rather spend Saturday on the water than at a ramp waiting in line. That's also why storage here takes a little more thought than "find the cheapest spot." What you pick decides how fast you get out the inlet, what you deal with in hurricane season and whether your boat can stay at the house at all.

This guide walks through the options owners in Jupiter usually compare, the home-storage rules a lot of people don't know about, what Florida law says about marinas and hurricanes, and the questions to ask before you sign.

The main options

Most boat owners in and around Jupiter end up choosing among four kinds of storage:

• Dry stack. The marina keeps your boat on a rack, usually inside a building, and launches it with a forklift when you call ahead. It's the go-to for center consoles and other boats that fit the racks. Our dry stack boat storage page covers how it works.
• Wet slip. The boat stays in the water at a marina or private dock. You get on and go, but you also deal with bottom growth and more maintenance. See dry stack vs. wet slip.
• Outdoor lot. A fenced yard for trailerable boats. It's usually the budget option, and you tow to the ramp. Our outdoor boat storage and outdoor boat and trailer storage pages go deeper.
• At home. If your lot and your local rules allow it. In Jupiter, that comes with specific limits, covered below.

There's no single best choice. It comes down to the size and weight of your boat, how often you go out, how close you live to the water and how much hands-on maintenance you want to do yourself.

Can you keep your boat at home in Jupiter?

Sometimes, but not just anywhere on your property. The Town of Jupiter's common code violations page says boats, campers and trailers have to be stored in the side yard behind the front leading edge of the house, or in the rear yard. Only one of each is allowed, and they can't be stored in the front yard or the driveway.

The underlying town code (Sec. 27-2856) adds detail for single-family and duplex lots in residential zoning districts. It allows one boat, one boat trailer or utility trailer and one recreational vehicle. They have to be for a resident's use, and nobody can live or sleep in them. A boat parked in a side corner yard also needs screening from the street, such as a six-foot opaque fence and gate or landscaping, with an exception across a permitted driveway.

Two more things worth knowing. First, these are town rules. Unincorporated Palm Beach County and other cities nearby set their own. Second, a homeowners association can be stricter than the town. If your HOA bans boats outright, the town code allowing a side-yard boat doesn't override that. Read your HOA documents before you build a pad on the side of the house.

Hurricane season changes the math

If you're in South Florida long enough, you'll go through a storm with a boat. How your storage handles that matters as much as the monthly rate.

Florida has a specific law on this, Florida Statutes 327.59. In plain terms, it says marinas generally can't have a policy requiring you to remove your boat after a hurricane watch or warning is issued. The point is to put people's safety ahead of property. The same law lets a marina take reasonable steps to further secure boats after a tropical storm or hurricane watch, and charge a reasonable fee for it.

It goes further. A marina can put a clause in your contract saying that if you don't promptly remove your boat after a tropical storm or hurricane watch, the marina may move it, if that's reasonable, or take other reasonable steps to secure it, and charge you for that work. To include that clause, the contract has to carry a specific notice to the vessel owner in at least 10-point type. There are separate rules for some deepwater seaport areas.

So when you're comparing storage, ask each place for its written storm plan and read your contract for that notice. Questions I'd ask:

• Does the storm plan cover dry stack racks, wet slips and the outdoor lot differently?
• What does the marina expect you to do when a watch is issued, and how fast?
• What will it charge for extra securing or moving your boat?
• What does your insurance policy require for named storms? Some policies have their own hurricane plan requirements. Ask your agent.

Our hurricane season storage guide has a planning checklist.

What to compare before you sign

Whatever kind of storage you're looking at, here's the list I'd want answered in writing:

• Fit. Length overall, beam, weight and height, including a T-top, hardtop or tower. Dry stack forklifts and racks have limits, so bring your exact specs.
• Launch rules. How much notice the marina needs, launch and haul hours, and what happens on busy weekend mornings.
• Distance to the inlet. Minutes from the storage to open water add up over a season. That goes double if you're running offshore early.
• Services. Fuel, washdown, maintenance on site and whether outside mechanics are allowed.
• Terms. Month-to-month vs. annual, rate increases, deposits and how you get out of the agreement.
• Insurance. What coverage the facility requires and whether it needs to be named on your policy.
• Waitlists. Popular dry stacks can fill up. Ask how the waitlist works and whether a short-term spot is available while you wait.

The full comparison checklist has more. And no, I'm not going to give you a going rate for boat storage in Jupiter. Pricing depends on boat size, the facility and the term, and a number in a guide would be stale or wrong for your boat. Get written quotes.

Looking beyond Jupiter

If Jupiter is full or the numbers don't work, the next places owners usually look are south along the Intracoastal. Riviera Beach has a marine-industrial area near the Lake Worth Inlet that supports dry stack and service yards. Our Jupiter area page, Riviera Beach area page and full areas list are a good place to start comparing.

If you own storage property

If you own land or a building that could work for boat storage, or you already run a storage operation and you're thinking about selling or leasing it, demand from boat owners is easy to see on any busy weekend. The hard parts are zoning, waterfront access and permits. Our boat storage real estate guide covers that side.

Where to start

Start with the Palm Beach Boat Storage home page or browse the rest of the boat storage guides.

I'm Zachary Vorsteg, a Florida-licensed real estate sales associate with Cornerstone Realty, and I help boat owners and storage property owners across Palm Beach County. I share how I run my business at zacharyvorsteg.com. If you're looking for storage in Jupiter, send me a note through the inquiry form with your boat's length, beam, weight and height and how often you get out, and I'll tell you what I'd check first.

This guide is general information, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Codes, HOA rules and statutes change, and cities set their own, so confirm current requirements with the right jurisdiction, read your contracts and talk to your own professionals.

Sources

• Town of Jupiter, Common Code Violations in Jupiter
• Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes 327.59, Marina evacuations
• Online Sunshine (Florida Legislature), Section 327.59

Local context

Riviera Beach, Jupiter

Related guides

• Dry Stack vs. Wet Slip
• Outdoor Boat and Trailer Storage
• What to Compare