WallDockDeck
South Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

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

No size limit in the codeLake Worth bulkhead line only

South Palm Beach's Marine Structures article has no dock rules at all: its general division is reserved, and what remains fixes a bulkhead line in Lake Worth (by a 1956 map titled for the Town of Lantana) and bans filling beyond it, plus seawall rules. Dock size is left to the state and federal permits.

Source: Town of South Palm Beach Code Ch. 26 Art. IX (Marine Structures), Secs. 26-809 to 26-811; Sec. 26-438(5); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Marine Structures articleCh. 26 Art. IX has Division 1 (Generally) reserved, Division 2 on bulkhead lines and Division 3 on bulkheads and seawalls; none sets dock dimensions - Town Code Ch. 26 Art. IX
Lake Worth bulkhead lineThe line is fixed offshore in Lake Worth starting 364 ft west of the A1A centerline at the north town line, about 60 ft west of the east-shore vegetation line, as shown on the map 'Bulkhead Line, Town of Lantana, Florida', October 1956 (R-56-008) - 26-809
No fill beyond itNo land or islands may be created or filled beyond the bulkhead line into Lake Worth; filling behind it needs a Town permit - 26-810, 26-811
BoatsBoats docked in a canal, or landed from a canal by a permanent hoist, are excepted from the parking and storage restrictions for boats - 26-438(5)
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

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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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