Boca Raton seawall permits and the elevation rule

What does Boca Raton require for a seawall permit?

The city's Dock/Seawall/Boatlift permit checklist lists:

• Contractor registration with the city, current at the time of application
• An initial deposit of 1% of the contract value, minimum $100 for the first $500 of the contract, with the balance due at issuance
• A contract, plans, a survey or site plan, and an architect or engineer seal
• Army Corps of Engineers approval
• Product approvals and/or a Notice of Acceptance (NOA)
• A certified Notice of Commencement on any building permit valued over $5,000, filed before the first inspection
• Sub-trade applications filed before permit issuance

The 4.0 to 6.0 foot NAVD88 elevation standard

The city's Engineering Design Standards Manual, Section 7.7, sets the minimum elevation for any new or replaced seawall or dock, public or private, at 4.0 feet NAVD88, with a maximum of 6.0 feet NAVD88. The design also has to allow 12 to 18 inches to be added later, in a defined future cap zone, without altering the existing wall. The seawall has to harmonize with adjacent grades and seawalls, and the wet face of the wall sits on the property line.

Bulkhead lines along the Intracoastal Waterway (the F.E.C. Canal), the easterly shore of Lake Wyman, and Lake Boca Raton are set by the city's own code. Single-family docks may protrude 6 to 8 feet waterward of the seawall, depending on canal width, and all structures must sit within lines projected 45 degrees waterward from the side property lines.

Who can pull a Boca Raton seawall permit?

Marine construction, including seawalls and bulkheads, falls under Florida's certified marine specialty contractor category, which also includes narrower marine seawall work, marine bulkhead work, marine dock work, and marine pile driving specialty licenses. Whoever pulls your permit must be registered with the City of Boca Raton and hold the right license category for the work.

Inspections

The city's process calls for a location survey before the cap is installed, then a final engineer report after construction documenting the cap elevation with photos. Combined dock and seawall projects add a marine structure survey before the framing inspection and a final marine structure survey.

Outside city limits

If your property sits in unincorporated Palm Beach County rather than inside Boca Raton, the county's Planning, Zoning and Building Division reviews marine structures under its own Type 8 checklist, which also calls for conformance with Army Corps of Engineers, Florida DEP, and Florida Inland Navigation District approvals where applicable. That is a different office from the city's Building Division described above.

Before you sign

Advertising as available to act as a contractor without being registered or certified is unlawful in Florida, and a licensed contractor's registration or certification number has to appear on their offers, bids, contracts, and advertisements. Look up any contractor on MyFloridaLicense.com before you sign.