WallDockDeck
Miami · Miami-Dade County

How big a dock can I build in Miami?

10 ft or 10% of waterway widthwhichever is less, by right; 65 ft into Biscayne Bay

Under Miami 21, a dock on a canal, river or other waterway may extend 10 ft or 10% of the waterway's width by right, whichever is less. Into Biscayne Bay a dock may reach 65 ft from the mean high-water line by right, up to 95 ft by Warrant when Miami-Dade environmental staff verify the need, and further only by Exception. Docks must stay 10 ft from abutting property and boats 5 ft.

Source: Miami 21 Zoning Code Article 6, Table 13 (T3 Sub-Urban zone rows; as amended by Ord. 14458, 4-23-2026), Gridics CodeHub; Miami-Dade County Code Secs. 24-48.1(1)(a), 24-48.3(1)(j),(3); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Other waterwaysUp to 10 ft or 10% of the waterway width, whichever is less, by right; further extensions only by process of Exception - Miami 21 Art. 6, Table 13 (Docks and Piers)
Biscayne BayUp to 65 ft from the mean high-water line by right; more than 65 ft but no more than 95 ft by Warrant when the extension is justified on environmental grounds as verified by Miami-Dade County's Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (DERM); beyond that only by Exception - Art. 6, Table 13
SetbacksDock or pier at least 10 ft from any abutting property; vessels at least 5 ft - Art. 6, Table 13
Residential zonesOnly recreational vessels may be docked or moored next to T3-R, T4-R, T5-R and T6-R property - Art. 6, Table 13
Boat houses and slipsA boat house may be no more than 20 ft wide, 40 ft long and 15 ft high; an inland boat slip no more than 35% of the waterfront setback - Art. 6, Table 13
ApprovalsDocks and piers are subject to approval by the applicable agencies - Art. 6, Table 13
Recent changeOrdinance 14458 (23 April 2026) updated the supplemental regulations for boat slips, boat houses and docks/piers - Art. 6 amendment history
Miami-Dade County Class I permitAny work in, on, over or upon tidal waters or bay bottom anywhere in Miami-Dade County, cities included, needs a county Class I permit - County Code 24-48.1(1)(a). New boat slips at docks in tidal waters need at least 4 ft of water at mean low water; the depth rule does not apply to docks in bulkheaded artificial canals bordered by uplands on both sides, to lifts, davits and piles in slips at existing permitted docks, or to repair of existing legal docks with at least 3 ft of water - 24-48.3(3). A dock proposed beyond the boundaries in Sec. D-5(03)(2)(a) of the county Public Works Manual gets extra review factors - 24-48.3(1)(j)
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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Miami-Dade CountySeawall requirements county-wide

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