WallDockDeck
Palm Beach Gardens · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Palm Beach Gardens?

50 ft or 10% of waterway widthwhichever is less, from the high-water shoreline

In Palm Beach Gardens a dock may extend no more than 50 ft from the high-water shoreline or 10% of the waterway's width, whichever is less, and may be no wider than 10 ft. Mooring piles may sit 15 ft past the dock, but the dock and piles together may not exceed 65 ft or 10% of the width. The city may waive these limits where other agencies with jurisdiction allow more.

Source: City of Palm Beach Gardens Code Ch. 78 (Land Development) Sec. 78-159, use standard (40) (section history through Ord. 5, 2024, 7-11-24); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

ProjectionDocks or boathouses may not extend more than 50 ft from the high-water shoreline or 10% of the waterway width, whichever is less - Land Development Regulations 78-159, use standard (40)g.2
Canals in residential areasDocks or private moorings in or next to a canal located entirely within a residential area may not exceed the greater of 5 ft or 10% of the canal width - (40)g.3
WidthNo wider than 10 ft - (40)g.4
T and L headsNo longer than 20 ft and not beyond the district side setback - (40)g.6
Side setbackDocks, piles, davits and dolphins may not extend into the side setback required for the zoning district - (40)g.5
Mooring pilesUp to 15 ft beyond the dock, if the dock and piles together stay within the lesser of 65 ft or 10% of the waterway width from the high-water line - (40)g.7
NumberOne dock or mooring per lot in residential districts, except in approved PUDs and PCDs - (40)g.8
WaiverThese dimensional standards may be waived where other agencies also have jurisdiction and their permits allow greater projections; boathouse standards cannot be waived - (40)g intro
MarinasMarinas are major conditional uses; fueling needs the state licence plus a spill contingency plan approved by the fire chief before a building permit; every marina needs a hurricane plan approved by the fire chief, pump-out service, a market study proving feasibility, and new or expanded marinas a DEP-approved water quality monitoring program - 78-159 (40)a-f
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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Palm Beach CountySeawall requirements county-wide

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