WallDockDeck
Highland Beach · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Highland Beach?

25 ft or 25% of waterway widthwhichever is less, from the seawall's wet face (not the Intracoastal)

Highland Beach treats every dock as a special exception heard by the Planning Board. On regulated waterways other than the Intracoastal, a dock may reach no more than 25 ft or 25% of the waterway width, whichever is less, and the seawall cap and dock together may be no more than 8 ft wide. Single-family docks keep a 25 ft side setback (15 ft on lots 50 to 70 ft wide).

Source: Town of Highland Beach Code Ch. 30 (Zoning) Sec. 30-68(g)-(h) (section history through Ord. 2025-002, 1-21-25); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

ProjectionIn waterways regulated by the Army Corps or another agency, docks and mooring facilities may extend no more than 25 ft or 25% of the waterway width, whichever is less, measured from the wet face of the seawall or bulkhead; docks along the Intracoastal Waterway are excluded from this limit - Town Code 30-68(g)(6)a
WidthThe combined seawall cap and dock width may not exceed 8 ft, measured from the property line - 30-68(g)(6)b-c
Side setbacksSingle-family districts 25 ft, or 15 ft for lots at least 50 ft but under 70 ft wide; lots with under 50 ft on the water may get only a seawall-mounted davit by special exception, not a dock; multifamily 5 ft from perimeter lines - 30-68(g)(6)d
ReviewAccessory marine facilities are special exceptions decided by the Planning Board - 30-68(g)(1). Dolphins, freestanding piles, lifts, docks and moorings need a special exception at an advertised hearing, must be in a canal or waterway at least 80 ft wide, need a building permit, and require mailed notice to canal-front owners within 500 ft - 30-68(h)(1)-(2)
BoatsNo part of a moored boat beyond the property lines extended; boats moor parallel except at the landward end of a canal and, with Army Corps approval, on the Intracoastal; perpendicular docking in a canal needs a special exception and may then exceed the projection limit - 30-68(g)(4),(7)
LiftsTop of the lift structure no higher than base flood elevation plus 8 ft - 30-68(g)(3)
No enclosuresNo walls or roofs on marine facilities - 30-68(g)(5)
Boat basinsAt least 25 ft from side lines and no more than one-third of the property line - 30-68(g)(2)
Guests and useMarine facilities may serve only residents and guests staying no more than 60 days in a calendar year, may not be rented to non-residents, and may not be used commercially - 30-68(g)(1)a-b
Expert evidenceThe building official or Planning Board may ask for evidence from a recognized marine expert that mooring facilities will not endanger navigation or block reasonable visual access to public waterways - 30-68(h)(3)
Floating docksPermitted if they meet the zoning and building codes - 30-68(h)(6)
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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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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