WallDockDeck
North Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

How high does a seawall have to be in North Palm Beach?

4ft NAVD88

New and substantially rebuilt seawalls in North Palm Beach need a cap at least 4 ft NAVD88, or 5 ft NAVD88 on the Intracoastal, Lake Worth or the ocean in a FEMA flood zone. Repairs under 50% of replacement cost are exempt.

Source: Village of North Palm Beach Code, Ch. 5 Boats, Docks and Waterways, Art. III Div. 3, Sec. 5-72 (Ord. 2019-07; Ord. 2026-02, 1-22-26); Secs. 5-70, 5-73, 5-83 · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Zone X / X500Min 4 ft NAVD88; max 6 in. above grade or 4.5 ft NAVD88, whichever is greater - Sec. 5-72(3)
FEMA SFHA/CHHA with BFEMin 4 ft NAVD88; max 6 in. above grade or 5 ft NAVD88, whichever is greater - Sec. 5-72(3)
SFHA/CHHA on Intracoastal, Lake Worth or AtlanticMin 5 ft NAVD88; max 6 in. above grade or 6 ft NAVD88, or up to BFE with approved mitigation - Sec. 5-72(3)
Applies toNew walls and repairs costing 50% or more of replacement cost - Sec. 5-72
ReturnsCap above neighbor grade needs a matching wall return - Sec. 5-72(4)
Who reviewsPlans sealed by a Florida-registered engineer; the village engineer reviews every seawall repair or reconstruction application for structural integrity - Sec. 5-70, 5-73(1)
Soil boringThe permit needs a Standard Penetration Test boring by a Florida geotechnical engineer, drilled at least 5 ft below the deepest wall component, plus proof concrete meets ACI 318 Exposure Class C2 - Sec. 5-73(1)(b), (g)
Cap and positionThe cap may extend no more than 3 ft from the wet face or rear property line; a rebuilt wall may sit up to 18 in. waterside of the property line, further only by council fill permit - Sec. 5-72(1)-(2)
Dock deckMain deck between 2.5 ft NAVD88 and the height of the adjacent seawall cap - Sec. 5-83(b)

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.

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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

The same question, nearby

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.

A screening sheet for owners, not an engineering inspection.

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