WallDockDeck
West Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

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

No minimumset in local code

West Palm Beach's zoning code sets no minimum or maximum seawall height. Its shoreline rules cover where walls go and require riprap or vegetation with replacement bulkheads, not elevation.

Source: City of West Palm Beach Code, Ch. 94 Zoning and Land Development Regulations (enCodePlus), Secs. 94-378, 94-313, 94-305 · Verified 2026-10

The detail

MinimumNone set - Ch. 94 Sec. 94-378(b) Shoreline stabilization covers hardening only
Replacement bulkheadsMust consist of or include sloping rip-rap or permeable materials together with vegetation - Sec. 94-378(b)(4)
Docks vs. seawallNo portion of a dock may extend above the top of the bulkhead it is attached to - Sec. 94-313
SetbackResidential structures on tidal waterfront lots sit at least 25 ft back from the mean high water mark, reduced to 15 ft where a seawall exists on or behind that mark - Sec. 94-305(c)(2)
Hardening is a last resortSeawalls and other hardening may be used only where erosion threatens life and property and vegetation has already failed to stabilize the shoreline - Sec. 94-378(b)(3)
Lake Worth circulationNo new dock or other structure may be approved that would constrict water circulation in Lake Worth. One dock per lot, with dated written approval from DEP, the Army Corps and/or SFWMD at permit - Sec. 94-378(a)(2), 94-313

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.

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

Other questions about West Palm Beach

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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