Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift Engineering Plans in Florida

Marine contractors, builders and waterfront owners replacing a failing seawall, raising or capping a wall, adding a dock or pier, or setting a boat lift on a canal, bay or Intracoastal lot. Building new on the water? See our concept waterfront house plans with a dock.

What is in the set

• Seawall plan and sections: wall type, panels, tie-backs or anchors, cap and drainage, with elevations.
• Cap height or raised-cap profile where the local rules call for one.
• Dock and pier plan, pile layout and framing, with sizes and spacing.
• Boat lift support: pile or bracket layout, loads and connection details.
• Notes for the contractor on materials and field verification.
• Sealed, digitally signed PDF sheets for the building department.

Engineering versus agency permits

The sealed plans are one piece of the permit. Docks and seawalls can also need county, state and federal authorizations, and those are applied for separately, usually by your contractor or a permitting service. What we have seen on building-department checklists:

• Pinellas County Water and Navigation Control Authority permits docks, lifts and seawall work on the Pinellas beaches and bayside, including inside the cities. Clearwater lists its own marine and dock checklist, and boat lifts there also need a city building permit.
• Port St. Lucie asks for agency sign-off letters from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District with its dock permit.
• Seawall cap height can be limited. One Pinellas beach city caps a seawall cap at the road centerline elevation and no more than one foot above the neighbor's cap.

Your contractor confirms which agencies apply to your lot. We do not file agency applications, and nothing in the sealed plans takes the place of them.

Existing conditions

We draw from your survey, photos, soundings or measurements, and the old wall's drawings if they exist. Your contractor confirms field dimensions, the existing wall condition, the water depth and the bottom. We do not visit the site.

What we need from you

The survey with property lines and elevations; photos of the existing wall or shoreline from above and along the face; the length and the proposed cap elevation; the dock size and slip layout; the boat lift model and rating; any earlier permits.

Where we work

Waterfront plans cover all four areas below. Pick yours:

• Space Coast: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Melbourne Beach
• Treasure Coast: Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Hobe Sound, Vero Beach, Stuart
• Pinellas beaches and bayside: St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Dunedin, Gulfport, St. Petersburg, Clearwater
• Palm Beach: Palm Beach, North Palm Beach, Tequesta, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Wellington

Questions

Do I need an engineer for a seawall or dock in Florida?

Often. The checklists we read from Port St. Lucie and Madeira Beach list sealed plans for docks and seawalls. Your department's checklist is final, so have your marine contractor confirm it for your lot before the order goes in. Tell us the address and we say what we know.

What permits does a dock or seawall need besides the engineering?

Often agency permits as well: county water and navigation authorities, the Army Corps of Engineers, the state environmental agency and the water management district, depending on the lot and the work. Those are separate from the sealed plans, and your contractor or a permitting service applies for them.

How high can I raise my seawall cap?

It depends on the city. One Pinellas beach city, Madeira Beach, caps the cap at the road centerline and no more than one foot above the neighbor's cap. Others differ. Tell us the proposed cap elevation and the address, and we draw the profile your department asks for.

Does a boat lift need its own permit?

Often. Clearwater requires a city building permit for boat lifts, and the lift support is drawn on the sealed sheets. Other places treat a lift as part of a dock permit, so check with your department. Send the lift model and rating with the request.

What do you need to quote a seawall or dock?

The address, the survey, photos of the shoreline, the length and proposed cap elevation or dock size, and the lift model if there is one. We quote a fixed fee, remote, and your marine contractor confirms the field conditions.