WallDockDeck
Palmetto Bay · Miami-Dade County

What are the boat lift rules in Palmetto Bay?

No lift standards; exempt from site plan reviewdepartment review only

Palmetto Bay's code mentions boat lifts only in its approvals list: docks, davits and boat-lifts are exempt from site plan review and handled administratively, unless they are part of a larger project that needs site plan review. The size and placement limits that apply come from Miami-Dade County's environmental permit.

Source: Village of Palmetto Bay Code Sec. 30-30.3 (Supp. 11); Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48, 24-48.2 (Supp. 136); s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

ApprovalDocks, davits and boat-lifts are among the improvements exempted from site plan review that the department reviews and acts on; the exemption does not apply if the item is part of a project subject to site plan review - Code Sec. 30-30.3(b)(7)
Not in the codeNo village projection, height, setback, canopy rule or count for lifts was found (searched lift, davit, hoist, dock)
R-1 districtNoncommercial boat piers or slips for docking private watercraft are a permitted incidental accessory use to the existing residence, but not for live-on-board watercraft - Code Sec. 30-50.3(a)(5)
Same exemption listThe administrative list also covers fences, flag poles and utility sheds up to 100 square feet - Sec. 30-30.3(b)(4)-(6)
Miami-Dade CountyAny work in, on or over tidal waters needs a county permit from the Department (DERM). A single-family boat lift, davit or floating dock that protrudes no more than 25% of the waterway width may use the short-form application, as may installing a boat lift or davit on a dock, seawall or bulkhead - Miami-Dade Code Secs. 24-48(1)(d), 24-48.2(I)(A)(2), (8), (20).
State and federalFloating boat lifts and floating vessel platforms that meet s. 403.813(1)(s), F.S. (they float at all times, hold the vessel out of the water, and either sit inside a previously permitted slip or total no more than 500 sq ft - 200 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters - beside a qualifying dock or bulkhead) need no state permit; a local government may then ask only for a one-time registration unless the platform is attached to a bulkhead with no dock. Structures in navigable waters otherwise need Army Corps authorization unless exempt or under a general permit - 33 CFR 322.3(a).

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Miami-Dade County, and where each city departs from it.

Miami-Dade 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

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