WallDockDeck
Hillsboro Beach · Broward County

How big a dock can I build in Hillsboro Beach?

Set by the Army CorpsIntracoastal only; no docks on the ocean

Hillsboro Beach bans docks and piers along the Atlantic Ocean; they may be built only on the Intracoastal Waterway. The town sets no projection figure of its own: on Army Corps waters the permitted reach into the Intracoastal is whatever the Corps determines. Single-family docks must stay 10 ft from neighbouring residential property and no more than 2 ft above the adjoining seawall.

Source: Town of Hillsboro Beach Code Ch. 12 (Land Development Code), Secs. 12-129 (through Ord. 261, 5-1-2012) and 12-190 (Ord. 174); Secs. 12-141(C), 12-161(C), 12-211(C); Broward County Code Secs. 27-332, 27-333, 27-336 (through Ord. 2026-16); Broward County Charter Sec. 11.01; Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Where docks may goNo docks or piers along the Atlantic Ocean; they may be built along the Intracoastal Waterway - Town Code 12-129(A)
ProjectionOn waterways under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction, the permissible projection into the Intracoastal is determined by the Corps - 12-129(B), 12-190(B)
Side setbackSingle-family district: docks and mooring facilities no closer than 10 ft to any other residentially zoned property - 12-129(A). Private club multifamily district: 15 ft - 12-190(A)(1)
HeightDocks and mooring facilities no higher than 2 ft above the top of the adjoining seawall (or the established seawall grade if there is none); mooring piles may be taller - 12-129(A), 12-190(A)(2)
No rentalsDocks are for the property owner or tenants only and may not be rented separately - 12-129(C)
Other districtsThe same 15 ft side setback and 2 ft height rule apply to Intracoastal docks in the three-story multifamily district (12-141(C), through Ord. 2024-02, 2-6-2024) and the seven-story multifamily district (12-161(C)); the community facilities district uses a 10 ft setback (12-211(C)). In every district the Corps sets the projection
Broward County licenseWork in the county's regulated aquatic resources, which include canals and tidal waters, needs a Broward County Environmental Resource License - County Code 27-332, 27-333(a)(1). A new dock, floating dock or other over-water structure of 500 sq ft or less, measured from the seawall's wet face at mean high water, with no dredging or filling beyond the pilings, qualifies for a general license issued within 10 days of a complete application - 27-336(a)(1)e. A county ordinance that sets minimum environmental-protection standards prevails over city ordinances - Broward County Charter Sec. 11.01
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

What applies across Broward County, and where each city departs from it.

Broward 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

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