WallDockDeck
Gulf Stream · Palm Beach County

What are the boat lift rules in Gulf Stream?

One dock and/or boat lift per lotraised boat max 10 ft above seawall

Gulf Stream allows one dock and/or boat lift per single-family lot, with tight limits on type: low-profile piling lifts no more than 5 feet above the seawall for boats up to 34 feet, other lifts only on the seawall or a landward platform, and at most one 500-pound lift on a dock. A lifted boat may have no flying bridge or tuna tower and no part more than 10 feet above the seawall. Fixed covers are prohibited.

Source: Town of Gulf Stream Code Sec. 66-369 (Supp. 4; Ord. 22-4); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

How manyOne dock and/or boat lift per lot; lots on both a cove and the Intracoastal may have one on each; one extra single-arm seawall lift of up to 1,500 lb for small craft - Code Sec. 66-369(6)a
Lift typesLow-profile piling lifts with lifting equipment no more than 5 feet above the seawall, for vessels up to 34 feet long; any other lift attached only to the seawall or a platform landward of it; no more than one lift of up to 500 lb on a dock - Sec. 66-369(6)a.1-3
Boat when raisedNo flying bridge, tuna tower or marlin tower, and no part of the vessel more than 10 feet above the seawall when lifted (antennas and radar excepted) - Sec. 66-369(6)a
PlacementBoats, docks and lifts parallel to the seawall and inside the docking zone - 15 feet off each setback centreline on lots with 100 feet or more of frontage, 5 feet otherwise; a piling lift's first pile at least 20 feet from the setback line and no more than 20 feet from the seawall - Sec. 66-369(6)c, e
CoversBoathouses and fixed covers are prohibited - Sec. 66-369(5)
Floating platformOne black, nonferrous floating platform may replace a boat lift with level one site plan approval: no more than 12 inches out of the water, 8 by 16 feet, two craft up to 14 feet - Sec. 66-369(6)h
ApprovalNew docks and significant alterations need site plan review - Sec. 66-369(1)
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 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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Other questions about Gulf Stream

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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