WallDockDeck
Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

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

Yesbuilding permit (Marine Structure)

Yes. The Town of Palm Beach's building official issues bulkhead and seawall permits, and building permits carry a condition that all state and federal permits be obtained before work starts. Oceanfront walls must reach 14.34 ft NGVD, lower walls must be raised when the property is developed, and every seawall needs an engineer's recertification every 15 years.

Source: Town of Palm Beach Code Secs. 50-72, 62-37 to 62-39, 62-75 to 62-77, 66-177 (Supp. 30 Upd. 1); Application for Construction Permit; 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

TownBulkhead permits 'shall be issued by the building official' - Secs. 62-39 (Atlantic), 62-76 (Lake Worth); the permit application lists 'MAR Marine Structure (includes seawall)' (Application for Construction Permit, rev. 20260722)
Other agenciesBuilding and floodplain permits are conditioned on all state and federal permits before work starts - Sec. 50-72
Lake Worth wallsTop set by sound engineering and approved by the town engineer; plans by a licensed civil engineer - Sec. 62-75(d), (l)
Ocean wallsTop not lower than 14.34 ft NGVD 1929 - Sec. 62-38(b)(3); existing lower walls raised in conjunction with any development - Sec. 66-177(c); up to 18 in. seaward of the existing bulkhead, further only by Town Council variance - Sec. 62-37
CertificationEngineer condition survey and plans when a new building or renovation over 50% of the primary structure's value is proposed; engineer recertification every 15 years - Sec. 62-77
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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