WallDockDeck
Lake Worth Beach · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Lake Worth Beach?

10 ft from the neighbour's lot lineonly numeric dock rule; no length limit in the code

Lake Worth Beach's land development code sets no dock length, width or height. Its one number is a side setback: no dock may come within 10 ft of the lot line of other residentially zoned property. Docks must be engineer-designed, and all state and federal approvals must be in hand before the City building permit.

Source: City of Lake Worth Beach Code Ch. 23 (Land Development Regulations) Sec. 23.4-2; Ch. 22 (Waterways); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Side setbackNo dock may extend nearer than 10 ft to the lot line of any other residentially zoned property - Land Development Regulations 23.4-2(c)
PermitDockage facilities must be designed by a registered engineer and meet the building code; all state and federal approvals before the City building permit - 23.4-2(b)
AllowedDockage for pleasure boats and noncommercial watercraft in any district on any waterway, as an accessory use to a residence whose occupants use the boats - 23.4-2(a)
ProhibitedLiving aboard, boathouses, fueling facilities and any commercial use - 23.4-2(d)
Lagoon protectionThe City may add conditions to protect the surrounding area or the estuary, such as avoiding impeded estuarine circulation - 23.4-2(e)
Governing sectionLDR Ch. 23 Art. 4 Sec. 23.4-2; Code Ch. 22 (Waterways) covers the bulkhead line and boat definitions but sets no dock dimension
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 Palm Beach County, and where each city departs from it.

Palm Beach CountySeawall requirements county-wide

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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.

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