WallDockDeck
Delray Beach · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Delray Beach?

8 ft from the seawallmax dock projection; piles up to 25% of waterway width

Delray Beach rewrote its dock rules in January 2026. A dock may now extend no more than 8 ft from the seawall, wet face or property line, and must stay 10 ft (or the zoning side setback, if larger) from the neighbour's line. Mooring piles and finger piers may reach 25% of the waterway's width, but half the waterway must stay open.

Source: City of Delray Beach Land Development Regulations Art. 7.9 (Ord. 07-26, 1-20-26); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Dock projectionDocks, fixed or floating, may not extend more than 8 ft from the seawall, wet face or property line - Land Development Regulations 7.9.4(B)(2)
Side setbackNo mooring structure within the side yard setback or 10 ft of the adjacent property line, whichever is greater - 7.9.4(A)(2), (B)(1)
HeightA dock attached to a seawall may sit lower than the seawall but may not exceed the seawall elevation under Sec. 7.1.7 - 7.9.4(B)(3)
Floating docksOnly one per single-family detached property, permanently attached to a dock or seawall - 7.9.4(B)(5)
Mooring pilesNo more than 25% of the waterway width from the property line, seawall or bulkhead; at least 50% of the waterway must remain open; on waterways wider than 100 ft, no more than 25 ft; 6 to 8 ft above mean high tide with a reflective band - 7.9.4(C)
Finger piersUp to 25% of the waterway width, no wider than 8 ft, at least 25 ft apart; T and L shapes allowed - 7.9.4(D)
Boat liftsOne per single-family lot; the raised boat must stay 10 ft or the building side setback (whichever is greater) from the adjacent property line - 7.9.4(E)
LaddersAt least one ladder to 2 ft below mean low water for each 50 ft of dock - 7.9.4(B)(4)
PermitA City permit, issued only after the agency with jurisdiction over the waterbody has reviewed and approved the work - 7.9.3
ReliefThrough the Chapter 2 relief process, on the findings in Sec. 2.4.11 - 7.9.6
New rulesArticle 7.9 was repealed and re-enacted by Ordinance 07-26 on 20 January 2026 - Art. 7.9 editor's note
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)

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The county rule behind this

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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

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