WallDockDeck
Key Colony Beach · Monroe County

Do I need a permit to repair a seawall in Key Colony Beach?

Yes, after state and federal approvalscity building permit

Yes. Key Colony Beach requires a city building permit from the building official before any seawall construction, issued only after the Army Corps, Florida DEP or other required state and federal agencies approve. Seawalls must be vertical, new walls must match the height of the walls they join, and anyone bringing water-borne construction equipment into the city must first post a $50,000 bond.

Source: Key Colony Beach Code Secs. 5-30, 5-51, 5-54, 5-60, 5-61, 5-62 (Supp. 36); s. 403.813(1)(e), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

City'A city-issued building permit shall be required prior to commencement of any construction on required seawall'; permits issue 'only after the applicant obtains required approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or any other required state and/or federal agencies' - Code Sec. 5-30(a), (b). Seawall permits come from the city building official under chapter 6 - Sec. 5-60. Sloping seawalls prohibited; walls perpendicular with a horizontal cap - Sec. 5-54. A wall joining existing walls is built to the height of the higher neighbor; the first wall on a canal sets 5.5 ft above mean sea level - Sec. 5-51. Users of water-borne construction equipment post a $50,000 bond before entering the city - Sec. 5-61. If an owner fails to maintain a seawall the city may do the work and lien the property - Sec. 5-62
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 Monroe County, and where each city departs from it.

Monroe 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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