Dock projectionWaterways under 50 ft wide: no docking structures allowed. 50 ft and over: docks up to 10% of the waterway width or 15 ft, whichever is less. Width is the shortest dimension of the waterway next to the property - City Code 14-5
Piles and mooringPilings no more than 25% of the waterway width, total mooring area no more than 25%, and 50% of the waterway kept open for navigation - 14-5
Side setbacksDocks, davits and other mooring structures meet the zoning district's side yard setback; no docked boat may extend beyond it - 14-6
HeightA dock may be level with, but not higher than, the adjacent seawall (or bank where there is no seawall) - 14-7; no coverings, boathouses, awnings or storage boxes - 14-2
AttachmentDocks are built independent of the seawall unless sealed engineering certifies it can take the load - 14-7
PermitPermit from the building official, plan approval from the Department of Planning and Environmental Protection, and written approval of other agencies for navigable waters; the application must show the mean water line and the waterway width, with a current survey - 14-3
VarianceThe City Commission may grant variances; $200 application fee, newspaper notice at least 10 days ahead and mailed notice to owners within 300 ft at least 2 weeks ahead - 14-8
ConditionsA private dock is allowed only if it meets every affected agency's rules (the code lists the state natural resources and environmental departments, South Florida Water Management District, Army Corps and the Office of Natural Resource Protection) and the shoreline is not under a conservation easement or restrictive covenant of record; structures not named in the chapter may not be built in waterways - 14-2
Broward County licenseWork in the county's regulated aquatic resources, which include canals and tidal waters, needs a Broward County Environmental Resource License - County Code 27-332, 27-333(a)(1). A new dock, floating dock or other over-water structure of 500 sq ft or less, measured from the seawall's wet face at mean high water, with no dredging or filling beyond the pilings, qualifies for a general license issued within 10 days of a complete application - 27-336(a)(1)e. A county ordinance that sets minimum environmental-protection standards prevails over city ordinances - Broward County Charter Sec. 11.01
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)