WallDockDeck
Miami Shores · Miami-Dade County

How high does a seawall have to be in Miami Shores?

4.0ft NAVD88 (5.5 ft NGVD29); recommended foundation for future 5.0 ft NAVD88

The minimum seawall elevation is 4 ft NAVD88 (5.5 ft NGVD29). Owners are strongly encouraged to design the foundation so the wall can later be raised to at least 5 ft NAVD88. Substantial repair (50% or more of the wall value within one year) triggers the minimum for the full property length.

Source: Miami Shores Village Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 560(d); App. A Sec. 534 (Waterfront lands) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

MinimumMinimum seawall elevation shall meet 4 ft NAVD88 or 5.5 ft NGVD29 - Miami Shores Code App. A (Zoning) Sec. 560(d)
Future-readyStrongly encouraged foundation for future extension to min 5 ft NAVD88 or 6.5 ft NGVD29 - Sec. 560(d)
Substantial repairRepairs at 50%+ of wall value in a one-year period must meet the minimum for the continuous wall along the property - Sec. 560(e)
ImpermeableWalls must be substantially impermeable to tidal water - Sec. 560(c)
MaintenanceSeawalls must be kept in good repair - Sec. 560(f)
AdoptedOrd. No. 2018-04, 20 Feb 2018 (drafted as Sec. 600, renumbered 560)
Bay and canal developmentNew development on land next to Biscayne Bay, the Biscayne Canal or other bay tributaries needs special approval, with site plans reviewed for natural vegetation at the water's edge, detention of the first inch of stormwater and no floodplain filling - App. A Sec. 534
Setbacks from the wallWhere the plot line runs into the canal or bay or over the seawall, setbacks are measured from the landward edge of the seawall cap, or the top of riprap placed under Miami-Dade County Code Ch. 24 - Sec. 534(4)

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.

Available for the cities whose rule we have verified and sourced.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Miami-Dade County, and where each city departs from it.

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

Other questions about Miami Shores

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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