WallDockDeck
Hillsboro Beach · Broward County

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

Yes, plus county licensetown permit + county license

Yes. Hillsboro Beach requires a town permit for any improvement or alteration of property, including walls, issued by the Town Clerk or the Town Building Official. New and substantially repaired seawalls must reach 5.0 ft NAVD88 and be designed so the cap can later be raised 24 inches, shown in engineering drawings and calculations with the building permit. Broward County also requires its own Environmental Resource License, often a general license for a repair in the same place.

Source: Hillsboro Beach Code Secs. 4-65, 4-67, 4-69, 4-70, 12-268 (Supp. 16); Broward County Code Ch. 27 Art. XI Secs. 27-333, 27-336 (Supp. 72); s. 403.813(1)(e), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

CityAny improvement, alteration or modification of real estate 'including fences, walls and the like' needs a permit issued by the Town Clerk or, in her absence, the Town Building Official; no work before the permit except in an emergency, as decided by the Development Review Officer - Code Sec. 4-65(A), (B). New or substantially repaired seawalls must be at least 5.0 ft NAVD88 and no higher than the FEMA base flood elevation (7.0 ft NAVD88 where the BFE is 5.0 ft); the Town Commission may waive the minimum where the home's finished floor is below 5.0 ft - Sec. 12-268(D). Substantial repair means more than 50% of the structure, or of its replacement value, damaged, destroyed or removed - Sec. 12-268(D)(3)(a). Walls must be designed to be raised at least 24 inches, shown in engineering drawings and calculations submitted with the building permit - Sec. 12-268(D)(6). The stated aim is keeping Intracoastal tides off State Road A1A - Sec. 12-268(A) Every permit application is charged a town administrative fee, due whether the permit is approved, disapproved or withdrawn - Sec. 4-67(A)(2)(b); the permit holder must request a final inspection, or that person's or firm's future permits are delayed until it is requested and approved - Sec. 4-69(C); violations are misdemeanors punishable by $50 to $500, 5 to 30 days in jail, or both - Sec. 4-70(A)
Broward CountyConstruction in regulated aquatic resources needs a county Environmental Resource License (ERL) - Broward County Code Sec. 27-333(a)(1). Repairing an existing functional seawall no more than 1 ft waterward of its authorized location, or a new wall within 1 ft of the old wet face with the old wall left in place, qualifies for a general license (Sec. 27-336(a)(1)b.), as do refacing, crack filling, seepage holes and other minor repairs (n.) and raising the cap in the same footprint (o.); the code says a general license is issued within 10 days of a complete application - Sec. 27-336(a)(1)
StateRestoring a seawall at its previous location, upland of it, or within 18 inches waterward is exempt from a state environmental resource permit; the exemption does not replace permission to use state-owned submerged land or county and city requirements, and does not cover chapter 161 coastal permits - s. 403.813(1), (1)(e), 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.

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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

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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