TownNo sea wall built 'unless and until a permit for such construction shall first be obtained from the Building Department' - Sec. 155.60; a separate building-code permit is also needed - Sec. 155.63; coastal structures are 'constructed, maintained and repaired' to applicable codes - Sec. 155.64(A)
Before issuePermit issued when town, county, state and federal regulations are met - Sec. 155.62; the application states whether those permits are granted and includes engineering drawings - Sec. 155.61
ChecklistApplications on the MGO platform with signed and sealed plans, DEP approval, a current survey and a contractor cost estimate (Dock/Seawall/Boat Lift Checklist, rev. 01/2025)
LinesSeawall construction east of the ocean seawall line prohibited - Sec. 155.45; a different line needs Town Commission approval, and the owner seeking it pays to connect to the neighboring wall - Sec. 155.46; framing designed for Florida Building Code Chapter 16 wind loads (checklist)
UpkeepKeep in good repair and impervious to sand - Sec. 155.64(A)
Wrong-line wallsA sea wall built off the official line must be removed by the owner within 30 days of notice; otherwise the Town Manager orders it removed at the owner's expense - Secs. 155.47, 155.48; coastal structures must be structurally sound and walls kept free of cracks or holes, enforced before the Code Enforcement Board or a Special Master - Sec. 155.64
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)