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South Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

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

Yesbuilding permit, engineer-sealed

Yes. South Palm Beach requires a permit to build bulkheads or seawalls, with plans sealed by a Florida engineer who also certifies Army Corps and state DEP compliance. The building code administrator must be on site at the first king pile or sheet, and no tieback may be anchored to a building.

Source: Town of South Palm Beach Code Ch. 26 Secs. 26-810, 26-833, 26-835; Sec. 10-61 (Supp. 4); 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

Town'A permit to construct bulkheads or seawalls is required' - Sec. 26-835(a); a permit is needed to 'construct or alter any building or structure' - Sec. 10-61
PlansSubmitted and sealed by a Florida-registered engineer - Sec. 26-835(c); engineer certifies compliance with Army Corps and state DEP requirements; no tieback anchored to any building - Sec. 26-835(d)
CapMatch neighboring seawall caps insofar as possible - Sec. 26-835(d)
InspectionsBuilding code administrator present at the first king pile or sheet and inspects before backfilling anchors, pours and the final cap; manufacturer certifications for all materials - Sec. 26-835(e)
FeeSet by the town's building permit fee schedule and payable when the application is submitted - Sec. 26-835(b); the division applies to all bulkheads and seawalls in the incorporated area - Sec. 26-834
DefinitionsThe town treats seawalls as massive structures built to resist the full force of ocean waves, and bulkheads as structures that retain fill and resist erosion at the site - Sec. 26-833; no land may be created or filled beyond the bulkhead line into Lake Worth - Sec. 26-810
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

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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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