WallDockDeck
Tequesta · Palm Beach County

How big a dock can I build in Tequesta?

75 ft or 10% of waterway widthleast of the two or the 3 ft low-water line; 6 ft on canals

On the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal, a Tequesta dock may reach no farther than the least of 75 ft, 10% of the waterway width, or the point where water reaches 3 ft deep at mean low water, though a 6 ft dock is always allowed. Total dock area starts at 500 sq ft for the first 150 ft of shoreline. On the village's canals a dock may extend only 6 ft past the platted property line, and nothing, boats included, may protrude more than 20 ft or 25% of the canal width.

Source: Village of Tequesta Code Ch. 76 (Waterways) Secs. 76-2 (through Ord. 07-26, 6-11-2026), 76-20, 76-26 to 76-29 (Ord. 7-12, 6-14-2012); Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(b) (2026); 33 CFR 322.3(a) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

River and Intracoastal lengthNo dock or pier may extend from the mean high water line farther than the least of 75 ft, 10% of the waterway width, or the distance to the nearest point on the 3 ft mean low water line; a dock of 6 ft or less is always allowed - Village Code 76-20(a)
AreaAll docks on a riparian parcel may total no more than 500 sq ft for the first 150 ft of shoreline, plus 250 sq ft for each additional 50 ft - 76-20(g)
Width and shapeNo wider than 6 ft; segments at an angle to the main dock may total no more than 20 ft - 76-20(b),(f)
SetbacksAt least 25 ft from the waterward extension of the neighbour's riparian line; piles at least 10 ft from it and no more than 15 ft past the end of the dock - 76-20(c),(e)
Lifts excludedBoat lifts, davits and whips do not count toward dock length, width or configuration - 76-20(h)
CanalsDocks only along the property line or seawall cap, extending no more than 6 ft from the landward side of the platted property line, at least 10 ft from the extended side lines, no higher than 4 inches above the seawall (or 4.5 ft above mean high water with no seawall) - 76-26
Canal protrusion capNo structure or boat may protrude more than the lesser of 20 ft or 25% of the canal width from the platted property line, or beyond 10 ft from the extended side property line - 76-28
Canal piles and liftsUp to two free-standing piles per 100 ft of frontage, the lesser of 20 ft or 25% of the width out, 10 ft from side lines, 6 to 8 ft above mean high water; dolphins prohibited in canals; raised lifts and boats no more than 20 ft out - 76-27
Canal dead ends20 ft side setbacks and a 20 ft protrusion limit; free-standing piles prohibited - 76-29
BoatliftsLifts are mooring devices subject to the same location and protrusion limits; roofed, covered or enclosed boatlifts are prohibited unless the code expressly allows them - 76-2 (as amended by Ord. 07-26, 6-11-2026)
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)

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