WallDockDeck
Highland Beach · Palm Beach County

Do I need a permit to repair a seawall in Highland Beach?

Yesplanning board approval + building permit

Yes. In Highland Beach, building a seawall needs approval by the town's consulting engineer, all federal, state and county agencies, and the Planning Board, which decides seawall applications as special exceptions after a public hearing. Seawalls west of A1A must be at or above the FEMA base flood elevation, and owners of non-compliant walls can be refused other town permits.

Source: Town of Highland Beach Code Ch. 6 Art. V Secs. 6-126 to 6-131; Sec. 30-36 (Supp. 24); s. 403.813(1)(e), 161.053, 553.79 F.S. (2026); r. 62-330.051, 18-21.005 F.A.C.; 33 CFR 322.3(a); PBC ERM Permitting and Regulation page · Verified 2026-10

The detail

TownNo seawall 'erected or constructed' until plans are approved by all federal, state and county agencies with jurisdiction, the planning board and the town consulting engineer; reviewed as special exceptions - Sec. 6-128(a); plans go to the building department - Sec. 6-127(a)
Approving bodyThe Planning Board is the final authority on seawall applications after a public hearing (Town Commission if part of an application it must approve); applications are filed with the building official - Sec. 30-36(a)-(d)
ElevationSeawalls west of A1A at or above FEMA base flood elevation; combined cap and dock width no more than 8 ft; riprap at the base on the Intracoastal and Atlantic at the town engineer's discretion - Sec. 6-128(b)
UpkeepWalls must be kept in good repair - Sec. 6-130; non-compliant owners can be refused permits for constructing, enlarging or repairing - Sec. 6-131
Ocean wall16 ft above mean sea level, engineer drawings approved by the town engineer, and state and county approval before a building permit - Sec. 6-127(d)(4)
InspectionAll seawall work is subject to inspection by the town building department, and every material, labor and appliance used is subject to its approval or rejection - Sec. 6-129
PenaltiesEnforced through code enforcement proceedings; each day a violation continues is a separate offense - Sec. 6-126
State (FDEP)Restoring a seawall in place or up to 18 in. waterward can be exempt from an Environmental Resource Permit where it was damaged within the last year by a discrete event or needs only minimal backfilling, and any chapter 161 permits are obtained (s. 403.813(1)(e) F.S.; r. 62-330.051(12)(b) F.A.C.); batter piles, king piles or a cap used only to stabilize and repair a wall are also exempt (r. 62-330.051(12)(d))
State-owned bottomExempt work on sovereign submerged land still needs separate authorization under chs. 253 and 258 F.S., which the Board of Trustees grants by rule for many exempt activities (r. 62-330.051 intro; r. 18-21.005(1)(b) F.A.C.)
CountyPalm Beach County ERM's Permitting and Regulation page lists no seawall or shoreline permit program among its topics (PBC ERM Permitting and Regulation page)
Ocean sideSeaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line a wall needs a separate state coastal construction permit; the chapter 161 repair exemption expressly excludes seawalls (s. 161.053(2)(a), (11)(a) F.S.)
Small-job exemptionThe state's under-$7,500 single-family permit exemption does not cover structural work or property in a flood hazard area (s. 553.79(1)(g)2. F.S.)
FederalA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Department of the Army) authorization is required for structures or work in or affecting navigable waters, unless exempt or covered by a nationwide or regional general permit - 33 CFR 322.3(a) (Rivers and Harbors Act s. 10)

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.

Available for the cities whose rule we have verified and sourced.

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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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