Services
Seawall Repair
Langley Coastal has a variety of tried and true methods for repairing and restoring all types of seawalls.
First, we need to identify what issues your seawall is having. We provide thorough seawall inspections including underwater photos and videos showcasing the condition of your seawall as well as potential repair methods.
Once we have identified any issues you are having we can suggest necessary repair methods. We offer simple hydraulic cement crack repairs, major repairs with new forms and rebar, and high density polyurethane foam injection. Making the necessary repairs as quickly as possible can reduce the need for heavily intrusive excavating in the future and save money.
Some signs you may see that indicate your seawall is in need of repairs are:
Cracks or breaks in sections of your seawall
Signs of significant wear and degradation
A sag or slope in your seawall
Loss of soil or holes formed behind your seawall
Rust stains or exposed rebar
Exposed tie backs or supports
Anything protruding that may cause injury
High Density Foam Injection
To combat water and sediment flowing through fractures in your seawall or voids in your footer, LCC uses NCFI's Terra-Lok™ 24-120 foam to create an effective water cutoff. The polyurethane is injected directly into the existing medium behind your wall, infiltrating fractures and voids within the dirt, sand, and rock. Once injected, the foam expands to fill these crevices, forming a robust, watertight seal that effectively stops underground water intrusion. This precise sealing process ensures that even the smallest fractures in the wall are addressed, preventing any pathways for water seepage, reinforcing the structural integrity of the bulkhead itself, and preventing erosion.
The Terra-Lok™ polyurethane's rapid reaction time is critical in achieving immediate water stoppage, allowing the seal to form quickly upon contact with moisture in the material. As the foam expands, it adheres to both porous and non-porous surfaces within the rock formation, creating a continuous barrier that adapts to the irregular contours of the bulkhead. This adaptability ensures that the seal was comprehensive and long-lasting, even in areas with significant geological variation.
Seawalls
You can see the top of your seawall. We look at the rest of it.
Before we recommend a repair we inspect the wall and record its condition in photographs and on video, including below the waterline.
The key to the drawing: three repairs for the wall itself.
- Hydraulic cement crack repairFor cracking in the face and the cap.
- Forms and rebarNew steel and new concrete, formed and poured in place.
- Foam injection, NCFI Terra-Lok 24-120A high-density polyurethane foam injected behind the wall where soil has washed out.
Pilings are a separate job.
SnapJacket piling restoration restores pilings using the SnapJacket system. It is not a seawall repair, which is why it carries no number on the drawing above. SnapJacket →
Some walls are past repairing.
When a wall is too far gone to repair, the job becomes a replacement: the old wall comes out and a new one goes in, designed with licensed engineers. Seawall construction →
Which repair a wall needs is what the inspection is for.
The Question We Get Asked Most
Seawalls and homeowners insurance.
People ask us whether sea walls are covered by homeowners insurance. That depends on your policy and your insurer, and we are not going to tell you what yours says. Read it, or call your agent.
What we can do is document the condition of the wall properly, in photographs and on video, above the waterline and below it.
Who is responsible for a seawall in Florida, and what policies actually exclude, is set out with sources in our guide: who is responsible for seawall repair →
How the work goes
1. Inspection above and below the waterline
We start on the land side, looking for depressions, holes, a cap pulling away from the panels or the dock, rust streaks and exposed tie-backs. Then we go under. The inspection includes underwater photos and video of the panels, the joints and the toe of the wall, so you see the condition for yourself rather than taking our word for it.
2. Match the fix to the finding
Each problem has its own method. Surface cracks and open joints get hydraulic cement crack repair. A spalled or broken cap or panel section is rebuilt with new forms and rebar. Voids and soil loss behind or under the wall get NCFI Terra-Lok 24-120 polyurethane foam injection. The report lays out which applies to your wall and why, and flags whether the work stays clear of the substantial-repair threshold that would force a cap raise.
3. Permits
Seawall work touches your city building department, FDEP's exemption rules and, in Miami-Dade, DERM. We provide permitting support as part of the project so you are not chasing three agencies.
4. Repair
Crews work from the land side, from the water, or from a work barge where there is no land access. Foam injection is placed through small ports into the soil behind the wall, which is why it is usually the least disruptive of the three methods. Forms-and-rebar work is done in sections so the wall keeps retaining soil throughout.
5. Post-construction check
We inspect the finished work and give you a baseline for the future: what was repaired, what was sound, and what to watch. Making repairs early is far less disruptive than excavating behind a failed wall later.
Repair methods compared: cement, forms and rebar, foam
Hydraulic cement crack repair is the small fix. Hydraulic cement sets in the presence of water, so it seals cracks and open joints in a cap or panel where the wall itself is still sound. It stops the path water is taking but does not add strength.
Forms and rebar is the structural fix. Where a cap has spalled, rebar is exposed and rusting, or a panel section has broken, the damaged concrete is removed, new steel is tied in and a new section is poured. This is the method for a cap that is separating from the panels or a section that has cracked through.
Foam injection is the void fix. Terra-Lok 24-120 is a single-component hydrophobic polyurethane. It is injected as a thin liquid, permeates loose sand and reacts with the moisture in the soil to expand, essentially gluing the grains together into a solid, water-tight barrier that stops water and soil moving through joints. The manufacturer states the cured product is NSF-61 certified and inert, and does not leach into soil or groundwater. [ncfi.com]
Foam works where the wall is structurally sound but leaking soil. A wall that leans, a cap that has rotated or tie-back rods that have failed still need structural work; foam behind a failed wall fills the void but does not hold the wall up. That is why the inspection comes first.
On repair versus replacement: coastal engineers note that many South Florida seawalls built in the 1950s and 1960s are now more than 60 years old and have likely exceeded their useful service life, and that repairs are typically less expensive than replacement when caught early. Corrosion of the steel in the cap and tie-backs, and loss of backfill through joints, are what set the clock. [cumminscederberg.com]
Can the work be done without disturbing your dock? Usually. Crack repair and foam injection are done from the cap or the soil behind the wall, and the dock stays in place. Forms-and-rebar work under a dock is planned section by section; occasionally deck boards come up so the cap can be formed.
What the seawall height ordinance means for a repair
Broward County's tidal flood barrier standard requires a minimum top elevation of 5 feet NAVD88. Applications submitted before January 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 feet NAVD88 if the wall is designed and built to reach 5 feet by January 1, 2050. [deerfield-beach.com]
The standard applies to new walls and to substantial repairs, defined in Fort Lauderdale as more than 50 percent of the shoreline length or 50 percent of the fair-market replacement value; docks may sit up to 12 inches above the tidal barrier. [webdocs.fortlauderdale.gov]
Fort Lauderdale adopted the rule as ULDR 47-19.13 on March 23, 2023, replacing its old 3.9-foot standard; cited owners get one year to comply. [waterfronttimes.com]
Miami-Dade's numbers differ. Miami Beach requires 5.7 feet NAVD88 for new walls and substantial improvements, with smaller repairs allowed to stay at 4.0 feet if designed for a future 5.7. [mbrisingabove.com]
The City of Miami requires 6 feet NAVD88 in tidal areas, designed to be raised to 8, with 4.0 feet on the Miami River, and a repair beyond 50 percent of length or cost triggers the full standard. [miami.gov]
In Palm Beach County the rules are set city by city. Delray Beach, for example, requires at least 4.2 feet NAVD88 where the base flood elevation is 5.0 or higher, with lower walls designed for a future cap extension to 5 feet. [library.municode.com]
What this means in practice: a crack repair, a cap patch or foam injection is not a substantial repair and does not by itself force a cap raise. Rebuilding more than half the wall does, and then the new cap has to reach your city's elevation, which changes the scope and the engineering. These are NAVD88 elevations, not heights above the water, so a survey is needed to know where your cap sits. The city-by-city table is in our guide to seawall height rules in South Florida.
What each warning sign usually means
A hole or soft spot in the yard behind the wall means soil is washing out through a joint, a failed filter fabric or a gap under the toe. Fort Lauderdale's Riverwalk collapse was traced to an old seawall that let soil under the pavers escape into the river, leaving cavities. Filling the hole with dirt hides the symptom; the fix is to seal the path the water is taking and then restore the backfill. [cbsnews.com]
Engineers list cracking, corrosion, rotation and upland settlement or soil loss as the triggers for a professional inspection, and note that probing the seabed can confirm upland sinkholes caused by washout through the seawall. The American Society of Civil Engineers recommends inspecting coastal structures at least every five years. [cumminscederberg.com]
Water coming over the cap on fall king tides means the wall is below the current standard, not necessarily that it is failing. Fort Lauderdale tells owners that a wall being overtopped by the tide should be elevated to the city's 5-foot standard, and lists the year's king tide windows on its website. [fortlauderdale.gov]
Rust streaks and exposed rebar mean the steel inside the cap or panel is corroding and expanding, which is what cracks the concrete around it. A cap pulling away from the panels or from the dock usually points to tie-backs that have corroded or a deadman anchor that has moved. Both are forms-and-rebar problems, not foam problems.
Permits for seawall repair
Florida Statute 403.813(1)(e) exempts from state permitting the restoration of a seawall at its previous location, or upland of, or within 18 inches waterward of, its previous location, and (1)(i) covers seawalls in artificially created waterways. [leg.state.fl.us]
FDEP's rule adds that batter piles, king piles or a seawall cap used exclusively to stabilize and repair a seawall are exempt provided they do not impede navigation, and that a wall damaged or destroyed within the last year by a discrete event can be restored no more than 18 inches waterward. [law.cornell.edu]
The exemption should be verified in writing using FDEP's request-for-verification form rather than assumed. [floridadep.gov]
Your city still issues the construction permit; Fort Lauderdale publishes a seawall and dock permitting checklist that covers repairs, cap replacement and tie-backs. [fortlauderdale.gov]
In Miami-Dade, seawall work goes through a DERM Class I permit, which is required before any work in, on, over or upon tidal waters. [miamidade.gov]
Repairs on state-owned submerged land need separate consent. The three-layer stack, county by county, is explained in our permits guide for docks, seawalls and dredging.
Questions we hear
What are the signs my seawall is failing?
Look on the land side first: depressions, holes or soft spots near the wall mean soil is washing out. Then the wall itself: the cap separating from the panels or the dock, rust streaks or exposed rebar, cracks that are widening, a lean toward the water, standing water behind the wall after rain, and weep holes that no longer drain. Engineers list cracking, corrosion, rotation and upland soil loss as the triggers for a professional inspection. [source]
Do I need a permit to repair my seawall in Florida?
Expect three layers. Your city or county building department issues the construction permit for cap, tie-back and panel work. At the state level, FDEP exempts restoring a seawall at its previous location or within 18 inches waterward, and installing batter piles, king piles or a cap used exclusively to stabilize and repair the wall, but the exemption should be verified in writing. In Miami-Dade, DERM's Class I permit applies to any work over tidal water. We provide the permitting support. [source]
Will I have to raise my seawall when I repair it?
Only if the repair is substantial. In Broward the 5-foot NAVD88 standard applies to new walls and to repairs of more than 50 percent of the shoreline length or 50 percent of replacement value; Miami, Miami Beach and other cities use similar triggers with their own elevations. A crack repair, a cap patch or foam injection does not cross that line. A rebuild of most of the wall does, and the new cap then has to reach your city's elevation. [source]
What is seawall foam injection and does it work?
Foam injection fills the voids that form behind and under a seawall when soil washes out. We use NCFI Terra-Lok 24-120, a hydrophobic polyurethane injected through small ports as a thin liquid; it permeates loose sand, reacts with the moisture in the soil and expands into a water-tight barrier that stops soil and water moving through joints. The manufacturer states the cured foam is NSF-61 certified and inert. It works where the wall is sound; a leaning wall or failed tie-backs still need structural repair. [source]
Seawall repair vs replacement: how do I know which I need?
The inspection decides it. Cracks, open joints, a spalled cap section and soil loss behind a wall that is still plumb are repairs: hydraulic cement, forms and rebar, or foam injection. A wall that is leaning or rotating, panels that have broken through, or tie-backs that have failed along most of the length point toward replacement, and a rebuild of more than half the wall triggers your city's current elevation standard. Engineers note that repairs caught early are typically less expensive than replacement. [source]
How much does seawall repair cost in Florida?
We do not publish prices because two walls of the same length rarely cost the same. What moves the number: how many linear feet are affected, whether the problem is cracks and voids (repairable in place) or failed tie-backs and panels (structural), whether the cap must be raised to a new elevation, water depth and whether crews work from land or a barge, and permit and engineering requirements. An inspection with underwater photos and video is the only way to scope a specific wall.
Who is responsible for seawall repair in Florida?
Almost always the upland property owner. There is no statewide statute assigning seawall maintenance, but South Florida cities and counties have written the duty into local code: Broward's 2020 tidal flood barrier ordinance, adopted by Fort Lauderdale and its neighbors, requires owners to keep their wall in good repair and stop tidal water reaching neighbors or streets, with fines after citation. In an HOA or condo, check the declaration, which may shift the duty to the association. [source]
How often should a seawall be inspected?
Coastal engineers point to the American Society of Civil Engineers' recommendation of inspecting coastal structures at least every five years. Langley Coastal recommends every one to two years for South Florida seawalls, and sooner after a hurricane, a boat strike or any new hole in the yard. Many South Florida walls from the 1950s and 1960s are past 60 years old, so an older wall deserves a closer look than a newer one. Our inspection includes underwater photos and video, which is also useful when you are buying a waterfront home. [source]
When are king tides in South Florida in 2026?
The South Florida Water Management District's 2026 forecast lists six peak-tide windows on the east coast, with the year's highest run October 22 through November 12 and the peak around October 27. That is also the tail end of hurricane season, so a wall that already lets water over the cap on an ordinary high tide is worth having inspected before that window, not after. [source]
Is there another king tide after the October peak?
Yes. The City of Coral Gables' 2026 king tide calendar lists a second peak around November 22-29, tied to that month's full moon and attributed to NOAA, about a month after the October 27 peak above. Owners who only brace for the October tide are caught off guard by a repeat the week of Thanksgiving. A wall already overtopping on an ordinary high tide is worth having inspected before either window, not after. [source]
Does insurance cover seawall repair or replacement?
Usually not through flood insurance. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program lists property outside the main structure, including seawalls, decks, fences and pools, as excluded from what a standard flood policy covers. Homeowners-policy treatment of seawall damage varies by carrier and policy form, so check your own policy rather than assume either way. If your wall is failing, that repair is likely an out-of-pocket cost unless your specific policy says otherwise. [source]
Guides
Sourced answers to the questions we hear most.
- Seawall Construction, South Florida →
- Seawall Foam Injection, South Florida →
- Seawall Hurricane Checklist, South Florida →
- Seawall Lifespan: Repair vs Replace, Florida →
- Seawall Repair Cost Factors, South Florida →
- Are Seawalls Covered by Homeowners Insurance? →
- Why Seawalls Fail: Signs to Watch, Florida →
Seawall Repair — Waterfront Areas We Serve
What our customers say
My uncle needed a dock built for the end of summer. The Langley group not only got it done in time, but were able keep us within budget. If you ever need dock or sea wall work done, I’d definitely come to these guys first.