WallDockDeck
Boca Raton · Palm Beach County

What are the deck setback and railing rules in Boca Raton?

0 ftuncovered patios and pool decks may extend to the seawall

On a Boca Raton lot that adjoins a waterway with a seawall, uncovered patios, terraces and pool decks may run right up to the seawall. A pool itself may come within 5 ft of the seawall, and any pool within 20 ft of an existing seawall must be designed by a state-registered engineer.

Source: City of Boca Raton Code of Ordinances Secs. 28-1353, 28-1579, 28-1295 (Supp. 72 Update 1; Ord. 5636, 5706); Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Ed. (2023) R312.1.1-R312.1.3 (ICC Digital Codes) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Patios and pool decksUncovered patios, terraces and pool decks on a plot that adjoins a waterway with a seawall may extend to the seawall. Where they encroach into a front yard they must be at first-floor level only, with no part except railings above the first floor. City Code Sec. 28-1353(2).
PoolsWhere a rear yard abuts a waterway, a pool may extend to within 5 ft of the seawall; a pool within 20 ft of an existing seawall must be designed by a state-registered engineer. Sec. 28-1579(1).
Accessory buildings on the waterNo accessory building may sit in the required rear yard of a waterfront plot except gazebos, chickee/tiki huts or similar open-air buildings. Sec. 28-1295(1)(e).
Size and height in a yardAn accessory building in a required yard: rear yard only, at least 5 ft from any plot line (eaves included), max 15 ft tall and 500 sq ft. Other accessory structures in a yard: max 15 ft tall, 5 ft from any plot line. Sec. 28-1295(1)(a)-(c), (2)(b).
Screen enclosuresPool screen enclosures follow Sec. 28-1359; when attached to the house they are not counted as an accessory building for lot coverage and may not sit closer to the front line than the house. Sec. 28-1579(2). Every accessory building also stays 10 ft from any main building. Sec. 28-1295(1)(d).
Where it livesChapter 28 Zoning, Sec. 28-1353 'Other encroachments', Sec. 28-1579 'Swimming pools; setback requirements, screen enclosures' and Sec. 28-1295 'Accessory buildings and accessory structures' (rewritten by Ord. 5636 in December 2022).
Guards (state rule)Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Sec. R312.1.1-R312.1.3: a guard is required on open sides of a walking surface located more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below at any point within 24 inches of the open edge; it must be at least 36 inches high; openings must not let a 4-inch sphere pass. No local guard amendment was found in this city's code.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Palm Beach County, and where each city departs from it.

Palm Beach CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

What to look for, where to look for it, and what it means when you find it. Walk your wall in twenty minutes.

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