WallDockDeck
Riviera Beach · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Riviera Beach?

25% of waterbody widthor a canal-by-canal cap (21-75 ft); 200 ft max off canals

Riviera Beach caps residential docks at 25% of the waterbody's width, with a lower fixed limit named for each canal: 21 ft in the Lake Park Marina Canal, 30 ft in the Wilma Circle, Gulfstream Way/Bimini Lane and Grand Bahama Lane canals, 40 ft in the Morse Boulevard/Powell Drive Canal, and up to 75 ft in the Yacht Harbor Canal. Outside canals the limit is 25% or 200 ft, whichever is less. All structures keep 5 ft from the side lines.

Source: City of Riviera Beach Code Ch. 31 (Zoning) Sec. 31-557 (Ord. 3076, 4-7-10); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

CanalsDocks and related facilities may extend no more than 25% of the waterbody width or the canal's own limit, whichever is less: Lake Park Marina Canal 21 ft; Wilma Circle Canal 30 ft (subject to any agreement with the submerged-land owner, Inlet Marina of Palm Beach, Ltd.); Gulfstream Way/Bimini Lane Canal 30 ft; Grand Bahama Lane Canal 30 ft; Morse Boulevard/Powell Drive Canal 40 ft; Sugar Sands Canal 30 ft for Singer Drive properties, 40 ft for others; Yacht Harbor Canal 75 ft on the north and south sides, 35 ft on the east side - Zoning 31-557(c)(1)
Shore Drive/Palm Drive canal33% of the width or 25 ft, whichever is less; boats may obstruct no more than 33% - 31-557(c)(1)
Canal dock shapesMarginal docks up to 8 ft from the bulkhead; shore-normal and finger docks no wider than 8 ft; no dock closer to the extended side line than half its extension - 31-557(c)(1)a-d
Other waterbodiesNo more than 25% of the waterbody width or 200 ft, whichever is less; marginal docks up to 12 ft out; shore-normal and finger docks up to 10 ft wide (12 ft for multifamily) - 31-557(d)(1)
Side linesAll structures 5 ft from the side lines; on state-owned submerged land the side lines are the riparian lines - 31-557(a), (c)(1), (d)(1)
BoatsCanals: no more than 30% of the width obstructed, and on the north side of the Sugar Sands Canal no more than 30 ft from the seawall; other waters 25%; no part of a boat past the side lines - 31-557(c)(1), (d)(1)
Shared zero setbackAt a canal dead end or inside corner in RS-5, abutting owners may build to the side line together, with consent, if one lot has under 75 ft of frontage - 31-557(e)
Other rulesNo roofs or enclosures; guest boats no more than 60 nights a year; ladder to 1 ft below mean low water - 31-557(e)
PermitBuilding permit with sealed engineer's plans showing neighbouring docks within 100 ft, plus written DEP or SFWMD and Army Corps authorization (a DEP self-certification printout qualifies) - 31-557(f)
MeasuringFrom the property line of the lot the dock serves - 31-557(i)
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)

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.

Done — it is on the way to your inbox. Not there in a minute? Check your Promotions or Spam folder, and move it to your inbox so the next ones arrive.

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.

Palm BeachBoca RatonPalm BeachDelray BeachPalm BeachJupiterPalm BeachWest Palm Beach

Other questions about Riviera Beach

Seawall height requirementHow high does a seawall have to be in Riviera Beach?Seawall permit processDo I need a permit to repair a seawall in Riviera Beach?Flood zone & elevationWhat flood zone is Riviera Beach in, and what does it require?Boat lift rulesWhat are the boat lift rules in Riviera Beach?Waterfront deck requirementsWhat are the deck setback and railing rules in Riviera Beach?

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.

Done — it is on the way to your inbox. Not there in a minute? Check your Promotions or Spam folder, and move it to your inbox so the next ones arrive.