WallDockDeck
Tequesta · Palm Beach County

Do I need a permit to repair a seawall in Tequesta?

Yesbuilding permit

Yes. Tequesta's Building Department reviews every seawall permit and requires plans sealed by a Florida engineer and 48-hour notice before key inspections. A new or replaced wall must be fully faced with riprap or mangroves unless the lot is on the exemption map.

Source: Village of Tequesta Code Ch. 76 Art. IV Secs. 76-33, 76-34, 76-37 (Supp. 41); Seawall Permit Submittal Requirements; 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

VillageThe building department reviews all seawall permits for structural integrity; applications include plans sealed by a Florida PE, a wall cross section, ACI 318 Exposure Class C2 concrete and the FDEP pollution control plan - Sec. 76-37(1)
Inspections48-hour notice before the first king pile or sheet, backfilling, cast-in-place pours and the final cap, plus engineer pile-driving certifications - Sec. 76-37(2)
Under 50%Repairs under 50% of replacement cost are exempt from the Sec. 76-33 design rules only, measured against the community development director's per-foot cost list - Sec. 76-33, 76-33(7)
Minimum heightCap at least 4 ft NAVD88 - Sec. 76-33(3)
RiprapNew or replaced walls 100% faced with riprap or mangroves; at least 10% of the shoreline in established mangroves within two years - Sec. 76-34
ChecklistApplication, boundary survey and a wet-sealed engineer survey overlay at 1/8-inch scale or larger (Seawall Permit Submittal Requirements)
NeighborsA cap raised above the adjoining lot needs a matching return wall and a drainage plan showing no sheet flow onto the waterway or neighbors, finished at least to painted stucco where visible - Sec. 76-33(4), (5)
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)
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

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.

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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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