WallDockDeck
South Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

How high does a seawall have to be in South Palm Beach?

No minimumset in local code

South Palm Beach sets no fixed seawall height. A new seawall or bulkhead cap must match the caps on neighboring properties as far as possible.

Source: Town of South Palm Beach Code, Ch. 26 Art. IX Marine Structures, Div. 3 Bulkheads and Seawalls, Sec. 26-835; Secs. 26-833, 26-835(d)-(e) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

MinimumNone set
Cap elevationShall conform to adjacent seawall/bulkhead caps insofar as possible - Sec. 26-835(d)
PermitEngineer-sealed plans required - Sec. 26-835(c)
Seawall or bulkheadThe code separates them by purpose: seawalls are massive structures resisting the full force of ocean waves, bulkheads retain fill against the local wave climate - Sec. 26-833
No anchors into buildingsNo tieback system may be anchored to any building, and the engineer must certify the design meets Army Corps and state DEP requirements - Sec. 26-835(d)
InspectionsThe building code administrator attends the first king pile or support sheet and inspects before backfilling anchors, any cast-in-place pour and the final cap pour; all materials must be certified by the manufacturer - Sec. 26-835(e)

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.

Palm BeachBoca RatonPalm BeachDelray BeachPalm BeachJupiterPalm BeachWest Palm Beach

Other questions about South Palm Beach

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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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