WallDockDeck
North Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

Do I need a permit to repair a seawall in North Palm Beach?

Yespermit + village engineer review

Yes. North Palm Beach requires a permit for seawall work, with building, zoning and village engineer review; the engineer reviews every repair or reconstruction application, which needs a soil boring report. Repairs under 50% of replacement cost escape only the design rules, not the permit.

Source: Village of North Palm Beach Code Ch. 5 Art. III Div. 3 Secs. 5-70 to 5-73 (Supp. 93); Permit Submittal Requirements Checklists; s. 403.813(1)(e), 161.053, 553.79 F.S. (2026); r. 62-330.051, 18-21.005 F.A.C.; 33 CFR 322.3(a); PBC ERM Permitting and Regulation page · Verified 2026-10

The detail

VillageThe village engineer reviews all seawall permits for structural integrity in addition to building and zoning review - Sec. 5-73(1); the engineer reviews 'all applications for bulkhead or seawall repair or reconstruction' - Sec. 5-70
ApplicationPE-sealed plans, an SPT soil boring report and profile by a geotechnical engineer at least 5 ft below the deepest wall component, cross section, ACI 318 Exposure Class C2 concrete, coated tie rods, and the FDEP-permit pollution control plan - Sec. 5-73(1)
Under 50%Repairs under 50% of replacement cost are exempt from the Sec. 5-72 design rules only - Sec. 5-72
Cap heightAt least 4 ft NAVD88; at least 5 ft NAVD88 on the Intracoastal, Lake Worth or Atlantic in a flood zone with a BFE (Ord. 2026-02) - Sec. 5-72(3)
WaterwardReconstruction up to 18 in. waterside of the property line; beyond that needs a village council fill permit - Sec. 5-72(1)
Inspections48-hour notice before the first structural support, backfill, cast-in-place pours and the final cap - Sec. 5-73(2)
ChecklistAny repair over $1,000 needs a permit; seawall submittal is an owner-signed application and a boundary survey with a sealed engineer overlay showing waterward extensions (Permit Submittal Requirements Checklists page)
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)

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 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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