Guide · Seawalls
Seawall Height Rules by City: Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Manatee
Since 2020, the four counties Langley Coastal serves and many of their cities have raised the minimum height for new and rebuilt seawalls to get ahead of sea-level rise and king tides. The rule that applies to your wall depends on the city, on whether the work counts as a repair or a replacement, and on where the wall sits. This table collects the rules we could verify, with the source for each. It is a starting point, not legal advice: confirm with the permitting authority before work starts.
Written by Langley Coastal Construction, Florida general contractor license CGC1538377. Facts are linked to their sources; this is general information, not legal advice.
The rules, city by city
| City | County | Rule (verified) | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter | Palm Beach | Town Code Sec. 27-2624 (shoreline stabilization, all property on tidal waters): an existing permitted bulkhead may be replaced within 18 inches waterward of the old wall or landward, but a waterward move is allowed only once (as of 2015-06-16); if the new wall's top is more than 3 ft above the mean-high-water elevation, 100% of it must be faced with riprap or mangroves; a bulkhead replacing a revetment must be set back 5 ft landward of the state jurisdictional line or MHWL. [library.municode.com] | Town of Jupiter (Building Dept and Planning & Zoning) |
| North Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Village Code Sec. 5-72 (adopted by Ord. 2019-07 on 2019-07-25, amended by Ord. 2026-02 on 2026-01-22): seawall caps must sit at a minimum of 4 ft NAVD88 outside the FEMA flood zone and in the SFHA generally, and a minimum of 5 ft NAVD88 for walls in the Intracoastal, Lake Worth or the Atlantic Ocean within the SFHA/Coastal High Hazard Area. [library.municode.com] | Village of North Palm Beach (Village Engineer, Building Division) |
| Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Town Code Ch. 62, Art. III (Bulkheads and Pierheads on Lake Worth): Sec. 62-75 requires the west face of bulkheads to sit on the designated bulkhead line and says the elevation of the top and bottom of bulkheads is 'governed by sound engineering recommendations' approved by the town engineer (no numeric NAVD88 minimum); walls must be impervious to sand. [library.municode.com] | Town of Palm Beach (Building Official / Town Engineer) |
| West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | No city-specific elevation rule found; the county standard applies. Confirm with the city building department. | Palm Beach County |
| Lake Worth Beach | Palm Beach | City Code Sec. 22-1 establishes a bulkhead line for all sovereign tidal waters in the city (running along the Lakeside Drive shoreline); since 1959-08-13 no fill or extension of land may be made on the channel side of that line, and no filling or dredging on the landward side without written approval from the necessary authorities; building islands or extending land landward of the line requires city commission approval. [library.municode.com] | City of Lake Worth Beach |
| Lantana | Palm Beach | No city-specific elevation rule found; the county standard applies. Confirm with the city building department. | Palm Beach County |
| Ocean Ridge | Palm Beach | No city-specific elevation rule found; the county standard applies. Confirm with the city building department. | Palm Beach County |
| Boynton Beach | Palm Beach | No city-specific elevation rule found; the county standard applies. Confirm with the city building department. | Palm Beach County |
| Delray Beach | Palm Beach | LDR Sec. 7.1. [library.municode.com] | City of Delray Beach (Building Division / Development Services) |
| Boca Raton | Palm Beach | City Code Ch. 22 (Marine Structures), Sec. 22-33: no bulkhead or retaining wall may be built in the waters of Lake Boca Raton at an elevation lower than +5.00 ft above mean low water (a 1966-era rule; it is not stated in NAVD88 and applies only to Lake Boca Raton). [library.municode.com] | City of Boca Raton Development Services (561-393-7700) |
| Deerfield Beach | Broward | City adopted the Broward County standard: minimum 5 ft NAVD88 for new or substantially rehabilitated tidal flood barriers, with 4 ft NAVD88 allowed for applications before Jan 1, 2035 if built to reach 5 ft by Jan 1, 2050 (Ordinance 2022/003 adopted Jan 4, 2022 amending Land Development Code Sec. 98-87; an August 2022 amendment let docks be built at 4 ft NAVD88 before 2035 and set seawall cap width at 18 to 42 inches). [ordinancewatch.com] | City of Deerfield Beach (LDC Sec. 98-87) implementing Broward County Ord. 2020-11 |
| Lighthouse Point | Broward | Broward County standard (Code Ch. 39 Art. XXV / Land Use Plan Policy 2.21.7, county ordinance approved March 31, 2020; policy effective Feb 13, 2020): tidal flood barriers must have a minimum elevation of 5 ft NAVD88; applications for new or substantially rehabilitated barriers filed before Jan 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 ft NAVD88 if designed and built to reach 5 ft NAVD88 by Jan 1, 2050. [zoneomics.com] | Broward County (Ch. 39 Art. XXV) with City of Lighthouse Point Code Sec. 42-381 |
| Pompano Beach | Broward | City Code Chapter 151, Sec. 151.05 (standards implemented January 2022): "Tidal flood barriers shall have a minimum elevation of five feet NAVD88 and shall not exceed an elevation of five feet ten inches NAVD88. [cdn.pompanobeachfl.gov] | City of Pompano Beach (Code Ch. 151, Sec. 151.05; contact docksandseawalls@copbfl.com) |
| Lauderdale-By-The-Sea | Broward | Broward County standard (Code Ch. 39 Art. XXV / Land Use Plan Policy 2.21.7, county ordinance approved March 31, 2020; policy effective Feb 13, 2020): tidal flood barriers must have a minimum elevation of 5 ft NAVD88; applications for new or substantially rehabilitated barriers filed before Jan 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 ft NAVD88 if designed and built to reach 5 ft NAVD88 by Jan 1, 2050. [webdocs.fortlauderdale.gov] | Broward County (Ch. 39 Art. XXV); town adoption not confirmed |
| Fort Lauderdale | Broward | City ordinance adopted March 23, 2023 raised the required top elevation of seawalls/tidal flood barriers from 3.9 ft to 5 ft NAVD88 (new ULDR Sec. 47-19.13, Resiliency Standards for Tidal Flood Protection). [waterfronttimes.com] | City of Fort Lauderdale (ULDR 47-19.13; Development Services / Public Works) |
| Hollywood | Broward | Ordinance O-2022-01, passed Feb 2, 2022 (first reading Jan 19, 2022), amended Code Chapter 150 and created Sec. 150.30 with tidal flood barrier standards: minimum elevation 5 ft NAVD88, with 4 ft NAVD88 allowed before Jan 1, 2035 if designed to reach 5 ft by 2050. [hollywoodfl.legistar.com] | City of Hollywood (Code Sec. 150.30; Building Division 954-921-3335) |
| Hallandale Beach | Broward | Broward County standard (Code Ch. 39 Art. XXV / Land Use Plan Policy 2.21.7, county ordinance approved March 31, 2020; policy effective Feb 13, 2020): tidal flood barriers must have a minimum elevation of 5 ft NAVD88; applications for new or substantially rehabilitated barriers filed before Jan 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 ft NAVD88 if designed and built to reach 5 ft NAVD88 by Jan 1, 2050. [zoneomics.com] | City of Hallandale Beach Code Ch. 8, Secs. 8-88 to 8-91, implementing Broward County Ch. 39 Art. XXV |
| Golden Beach | Miami-Dade | Town Code Chapter 46, Article IV 'Seawalls and Docks' requires seawalls to be repaired or replaced to a conforming 4-foot elevation; owners sign an Affidavit of Seawall Conformity with their building permit. [goldenbeach.us] | Town of Golden Beach Building & Zoning (Code Ch. 46 Art. IV, Sec. 46-81); Miami-Dade DERM Class I |
| Bay Harbor Islands | Miami-Dade | No town minimum seawall elevation ordinance was found. [bayharborislands-fl.gov] | Town of Bay Harbor Islands Code Compliance / Building & Zoning; Miami-Dade DERM Class I |
| North Miami | Miami-Dade | No City of North Miami seawall elevation ordinance was found. [northmiamifl.gov] | City of North Miami Building Department (305-895-9820) + Miami-Dade DERM Class I; county Flood Criteria |
| North Bay Village | Miami-Dade | Ordinance 2021-006 (adopted 2021-03-09) created ULDC Sec. 8.16 'Sea Wall Standards': every property abutting the shoreline must, as part of development or substantial redevelopment, build its seawall to the Moffatt & Nichol Seawall Design Criteria (Oct 19, 2020), which set a minimum cap elevation of 5.94 ft NAVD (7.5 ft NGVD) designed so the cap can be raised another 2.5 ft later without redesign, and require the wall to be engineered for wave impact, surge, overtopping and seepage. [northbayvillage-fl.gov] | North Bay Village Building Department (ULDC Sec. 8.16); Miami-Dade DERM Class I |
| Miami Beach | Miami-Dade | City Code Sec. 54-62 (Ord. 2021-4393, amended by Ord. 2025-4754 on 2025-07-16): all new seawalls and seawalls undergoing substantial improvement must reach 5.7 ft NAVD88; less-than-substantial repairs may stay at 4.0 ft NAVD88 only if designed for a future 5.7 ft. The city's FAQ defines a substantial repair as $300 or more per linear foot. [mbrisingabove.com] | City of Miami Beach (Code Ch. 54, Secs. 54-59 to 54-65); Miami-Dade DERM Class I |
| Miami | Miami-Dade | City Code Ch. 29 Art. III (Bulkheads, Seawalls, Living Shorelines) as amended by the 2020 ordinance (File 7338): new and reconstructed seawalls, bulkheads and living shorelines in tidally influenced areas must be built to a minimum 6 ft NAVD88 and designed so they can be raised to 8 ft NAVD88; properties fronting the Miami River follow Sec. 54-46 (4.0 ft NAVD88, raisable at least 2 ft). [miami.gov] | City of Miami Dept. of Resilience and Public Works / Building (Code Ch. 29 Art. III, Sec. 54-46); Miami-Dade DERM Class I |
| Key Biscayne | Miami-Dade | No adopted village seawall height standard was found. [kbindependent.org] | Village of Key Biscayne Building, Zoning & Planning (proposal only); Miami-Dade DERM Class I; county Flood Criteria |
| Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | No Coral Gables minimum seawall elevation ordinance was found. [ordinancewatch.com] | City of Coral Gables Public Works / Building (Zoning Code Sec. 5-802); Miami-Dade DERM Class I; county Flood Criteria |
| Palmetto | Manatee | City Code Chapter 10 (Coastal Areas and Waterways) defines a seawall as any manmade wall or encroachment to break waves and protect the shore, including retaining walls, revetments and bulkheads; one dock may be permitted as an accessory use to a lawful principal use on contiguous upland; one pair of davits may be built on or next to a seawall if side setbacks are met; owner must privately maintain docks; copies of every outside-agency approval must be filed with the building official. [library.municode.com] | City of Palmetto (Code Ch. 10); unincorporated areas incl. Snead Island fall under Manatee County LDC Sec. 511.17 |
| Bradenton | Manatee | No city seawall height or construction standard was found in the City of Bradenton code. The city's building fee schedule lists a single 'Waterfront Structure (Dock/Davit/Seawall)' permit at $180.00, payable before review. [cityofbradenton.com] | City of Bradenton Building and Permitting Division (city limits); Manatee County Environmental Planning Section (unincorporated) |
| Anna Maria | Manatee | City code (Ch. 110 Waterways) limits replacement seawalls: 'Construction, inclusive of a buttress and seawall cap, shall not protrude more than 12 inches seaward of the existing seawall or seawall cap. [amisun.com] | City of Anna Maria |
| Holmes Beach | Manatee | Code Sec. 66-106 adopts Drawing No. 1104 (May 7, 1973, rev. Oct 18, 1978) as the city's seawall construction standard with building-code force. [cms9files1.revize.com] | City of Holmes Beach (Code Ch. 66 Art. IV; Building Department) |
| Longboat Key | Manatee | Town Commission voted 7-0 on April 1, 2024 to raise the maximum allowable seawall height from 4.5 ft to 6 ft (Chapter 151), citing 6 inches of sea-level rise in 20 years and walls being overtopped; by March 2025 the town had issued 27 permits to raise seawall heights. [yourobserver.com] | Town of Longboat Key (Code Ch. 151 seawalls; Ch. 158.155 structures over water) |
Rules change. Each row links the ordinance, code section or reporting we verified on 2026-09-19. Where no city rule was found, the county tidal-flood-barrier standard is the floor.
Repair or replacement: why it matters
Most of these ordinances trigger on new seawalls, on walls that are replaced, and on repairs beyond a threshold, often 50 percent of the wall's length or value. A crack repair, a cap repair or a foam injection that seals voids behind an existing wall usually stays below that threshold, which is why an inspection comes first: it tells you whether you are repairing a wall or rebuilding one to the new elevation.
Langley Coastal's seawall inspections include underwater photos and video of the wall's condition and the repair methods that fit: hydraulic cement crack repairs, major repairs with new forms and rebar, or high-density polyurethane foam injection to stop water and sediment moving through fractures and voids in the footer.
Signs a seawall needs attention
- Cracks or breaks in sections of the wall
- A sag or slope along the top
- Loss of soil or holes forming behind the wall
- Rust stains or exposed rebar
- Exposed tie-backs or supports
- Water pooling or draining unusually behind the wall after high tide
Questions we hear about this
Does the new height rule apply if I only repair my seawall?
Usually not for a minor repair. The city ordinances collected above mostly apply to new walls, replacements, and repairs that exceed a threshold such as 50 percent of the wall. The city building department makes that call; an inspection with underwater photos gives them, and you, the evidence.
Who decides the seawall height in my city?
The city, within a county floor. Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County each set a minimum tidal-flood-barrier elevation; cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Miami, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, North Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Longboat Key adopted their own, usually higher, standards. Manatee County's shoreline rules apply to unincorporated areas.
What elevation datum do the rules use?
Most South Florida ordinances state the height in feet NAVD88, a fixed vertical datum, not a height above the water. A surveyor or the wall's plans will show the crest elevation in the same datum.
Can Langley Coastal help with the permit?
Langley Coastal Construction (license CGC1538377) repairs seawalls across the four counties and handles permitting on dredging projects. For seawall work, the inspection report and repair plan are what the building department reviews. Call (954) 406-0696 to schedule an inspection.
What our customers say
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Talk to a licensed marine contractor
Call (954) 406-0696 or send the form. We serve Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Manatee counties.