WallDockDeck
Jupiter · Palm Beach County

Do I need a permit to repair a seawall in Jupiter?

Yesbuilding permit (Marine Structure)

Yes. Jupiter requires a town building permit for seawalls. A replacement may sit up to 18 in. waterward of the existing wall one time only, a replacement whose top is more than 3 ft above mean high water must be fully faced with riprap or mangroves, and the top may not exceed the property's FEMA base flood elevation.

Source: Town of Jupiter Code Secs. 25-268, 27-2624 (Supp. 24); Marine Structure - Seawalls checklist; 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

TownSeawalls 'shall be installed under permit issued by the town building department' - Sec. 25-268
Replacement locationWithin 18 in. waterward of an existing bulkhead, or landward; a waterward replacement is allowed only once as of 16 Jun 2015 - Sec. 27-2624(1)-(2)
RiprapA replacement of a permitted wall whose top is more than 3 ft above mean high water must be 100% faced with riprap or mangroves; replacing an unpermitted wall needs at least 50%; mapped canal-mouth lots are exempt - Sec. 27-2624(1)(c), (2)(c)
Height capTop at or below the property's FEMA base flood elevation; properties east of the CCCL exempt - Sec. 27-2624(8)
Riprap rulesCovering the bottom half of the wall at no steeper than 2:1 and no more than 8 ft waterward; mangroves on 10% of the faced shoreline within two years; waived where the canal would narrow below 40 ft or seagrasses would be destroyed (seagrass study under six months old) - Sec. 27-2624(5), (10), (11)
ChecklistSigned and sealed survey with mean high water in NAVD88, PE-sealed plans, photos, FDEP exemption self-certification, Army Corps and SFWMD approvals where applicable (Marine Structure - Seawalls checklist, rev. Jan 2021)
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.

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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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