WallDockDeck
Golden Beach · Miami-Dade County

What are the boat lift rules in Golden Beach?

Allowed; raised keel no higher than the seawall capand never above 4 ft MSL

Golden Beach caps a lifted boat at the seawall: the keel of a raised vessel may be no higher than the seawall cap and never more than 4 feet above mean sea level. Lifts, hydrohoists and raised boats must fit inside a 45-degree triangle drawn from the waterfront line, starting 5 feet in from each side line and reaching no more than 25 feet out. No lift is allowed on a vacant lot.

Source: Town of Golden Beach Code Secs. 46-52, 46-55, 46-77, 46-87 (Supp. 41; Ord. 553.11); Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48, 24-48.2 (Supp. 136); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Boat when raisedThe keel of a raised vessel may be no higher than the cap of the seawall and never higher than 4 feet above mean sea level - Code Sec. 46-87(c)
TriangleNo part of a dock, boat lift, hydrohoist or other elevation method, davit, or an elevated boat may protrude into the waterway outside a triangle whose base is the waterfront line set 5 feet in from each side line and whose sides run at 45 degrees, never more than 25 feet out; elevated boats and docks never in the side setback - Sec. 46-87(b)
Vacant lotsNo dock, lift, mooring piles or moored boat on vacant lots; permits issue only after the house building permit, with final inspection at the house final - Sec. 46-87(d)
RebuildingSpending more than 50% of a lift's value on repair brings it under current rules - Sec. 46-87(e)
DavitsWaterfront owners may keep boats on davits next to the seawall of their lot - Sec. 46-52(a)
Moored structuresVessels, floating docks and similar items may protrude no more than 25 feet from the seawall and must keep 10 feet from the side lines - Sec. 46-55
PermitBuilding permit from the Town and other jurisdictions, with fee and cash bond set by resolution - Sec. 46-77
Miami-Dade CountyAny work in, on or over tidal waters needs a county permit from the Department (DERM). A single-family boat lift, davit or floating dock that protrudes no more than 25% of the waterway width may use the short-form application, as may installing a boat lift or davit on a dock, seawall or bulkhead - Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48(1)(d), 24-48.2(I)(A)(2), (8), (20).
State and federalFloating boat lifts and floating vessel platforms that meet s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (they float at all times, hold the vessel out of the water, and either sit inside a previously permitted slip or total no more than 500 sq ft - 200 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters - beside a qualifying dock or bulkhead) need no state permit; a local government may then ask only for a one-time registration unless the platform is attached to a bulkhead with no dock. Structures in navigable waters otherwise need Army Corps authorization unless exempt or under a general permit - 33 CFR 322.3(a).

Your city's height sheet

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Miami-Dade County, and where each city departs from it.

Miami-Dade CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

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

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Other questions about Golden Beach

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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