WallDockDeck
Boynton Beach · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Boynton Beach?

25% of waterway widthmax for docks, piles and dolphins; no fixed-foot limit

Boynton Beach's land development rules give one size limit for docks: no dock, mooring pile, dolphin or similar structure may reach farther into the waterway than one-quarter of its width, for private or commercial docking alike. Docks need a permit from the city's Development Department, and a dock in a privately owned waterway needs that owner's written consent first.

Source: City of Boynton Beach Land Development Regulations Ch. 3 (Zoning) Art. V (Supplemental Regulations) Sec. 3.O, Gridics CodeHub; Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

ProjectionAll docks, mooring piles, dolphins, groins, seawalls, jetties, revetments and similar structures may not extend farther into the waterway than one-quarter of its width, for private or commercial docking and mooring facilities - Land Development Regulations Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
PermitSeawalls, bulkheads, piers and docks along access waterways are installed under a permit from the Boynton Beach Development Department - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Private waterwaysA dock in a waterway owned by a separate property holder needs that owner's written consent before any permit - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Lake Worth bulkhead lineThe bulkhead line set by Ordinance No. 289 on Map No. R-56-006 (September 1956) is ratified; no bulkhead, seawall or fill structure may extend into Lake Worth beyond it - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Fire protectionFire protection requirements for docks and piers are in City Code Part II, Ch. 9, Art. II - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Not in the codeNo fixed-foot projection, dock width, deck area, height or side setback figure for single-family docks appears in Sec. 3.O
Land fillingFilling within the bulkhead-line area needs a permit approved by the City Commission, a finished elevation of at least 6 ft above mean sea level, and compliance with the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund and the Army Engineers - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Seawall placementSeawalls and bulkheads must be built with the water-side face not encroaching over the property line - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
Fill elevation datumThe 6 ft fill minimum is measured against the current U.S. Government Geodetic Survey - Ch. 3 Art. V Sec. 3.O
State exemptionA private, non-commercial dock on pilings with 1,000 sq ft or less of over-water surface (500 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters), and the only exempt dock along 65 ft of shoreline (or one per lot if the lot is narrower), needs no state environmental permit - Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b). The exemption does not grant permission to use state-owned submerged lands and does not override city or county rules - 403.813(1)
FederalStructures in navigable waters need a Department of the Army permit, general or individual - 33 CFR 322.3(a)

Your city's height sheet

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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

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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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