WallDockDeck
Manalapan · Palm Beach County

What are the boat lift rules in Manalapan?

Lifts allowed on docks; davits banned in some districtskeel max 12 in above high tide

Manalapan allows boat elevators, boatlifts, platforms and jet ski lifts on docks, but bans davits in several districts, including R1-D. No boat's keel or hull may be held more than 12 inches above the water at high tide, every lifting device must stay 25 feet from side lot lines and other docks, and around Manatee Cove only two-post lifts mounted on the marginal dock or seawall are allowed.

Source: Town of Manalapan Code Ch. 151, Secs. 151.063, 151.183 (Supp. 9; Ord. 378); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

AllowedDock accessory structures and vessel-lifting devices (boat elevators, boatlifts, platforms and personal watercraft lifts) are permitted on docks - Code Sec. 151.063(B)(13) (R1-A)
DavitsDavits are not permitted in the R1-D district - Sec. 151.183(B)(8); the same sentence appears in other district sections
Boat when raisedNo vessel keel or hull may be supported, elevated or suspended more than 12 inches above the water surface at high tide - Sec. 151.063(C)(3)
SetbacksNo dock or vessel-lifting device within 25 feet of another dock, another lot, or the side lot lines extended; on lots 300 feet or wider, 50 feet from the extended side lines - Sec. 151.063(B)(12), (16)
Counting toward the dockBeam-and-piling lifts count only toward the dock's maximum length and side setbacks; flat platforms count in every dock size calculation - Sec. 151.063(B)(13)
Manatee CoveLifts limited to two-post units attached to the side of the 5-foot marginal dock or seawall with no waterward pilings; four-post lifts strictly prohibited - Sec. 151.183(B)(8)
PermitsDEP and Army Corps permits before the Town permit; docks only west of A1A - Sec. 151.063(B)
State and federalFloating boat lifts and floating vessel platforms that meet s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (they float at all times, hold the vessel out of the water, and either sit inside a previously permitted slip or total no more than 500 sq ft - 200 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters - beside a qualifying dock or bulkhead) need no state permit; a local government may then ask only for a one-time registration unless the platform is attached to a bulkhead with no dock. Structures in navigable waters otherwise need Army Corps authorization unless exempt or under a general permit - 33 CFR 322.3(a).

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