WallDockDeck
Highland Beach · Palm Beach County

What are the deck setback and railing rules in Highland Beach?

0 ftpatios may reach the seawall or property line (whichever is landward)

Highland Beach lets waterfront patios and walkways run up to the property line or seawall, whichever is further landward, as long as drainage stays on site. Inland they keep 4 ft and must be porous if more than 4 inches above grade; pool decks need 4 ft from rear and side lines.

Source: Town of Highland Beach Code Secs. 30-66, 30-68 (Supp. 24); Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Ed. (2023) R312.1.1-R312.1.3 (ICC Digital Codes) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Patios and walkwaysPorous materials, at least 4 ft from the closest property line, if no more than 4 inches above finished grade; where they abut a waterway, canal or lake they may be non-porous and may encroach up to the property line or seawall abutting the water, whichever is further landward, with adequate on-site drainage. Code Sec. 30-66.
Pool decksAt least 20 ft from the front property line and 4 ft from rear or side lot lines; alternate setbacks need building official and planning board approval, and a design professional's slope and load investigation may be required. Sec. 30-68.
Screen enclosuresOn lots whose rear line borders water, no closer than 5 ft to the right-of-way or bulkhead line, whichever is further landward. Sec. 30-66.
DocksCombined seawall cap and dock width max 8 ft. Sec. 30-68.
Observation decksWidow's walks and observation decks must be open air, not walled or roofed, no higher than the building height limit, one per dwelling, with railings matching the house. Sec. 30-68. Pool equipment and A/C units max 5 ft tall and 7 ft from the nearest property line. Sec. 30-66.
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.

Your city's height sheet

The elevation your city requires, the datum it is measured in, and the section of code that says so. One page.

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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.

A screening sheet for owners, not an engineering inspection.

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