Boat lifts in Fort Lauderdale

A recent waiver

In 2026 an owner on Brickell Drive applied for a lift extending about 27 ft 8 in, citing safe mooring in severe weather and less shading of the water. The Marine Advisory Board recommended approval 12 to 0 in May 2026 before the request went to the City Commission.[1]

County license

A lift is work over Broward County waters, so the county license applies before installation.[2]

River tide and inlet tide

NOAA's South Port Everglades gauge shows a 2.79 ft great diurnal range, while the Andrews Avenue bridge gauge up the New River shows 2.28 ft, with mean higher high water about 0.45 to 0.57 ft above NAVD 88 (1983 to 2001 epoch). Lifts and floating docks near the inlet need more travel than those up the river.

Lift travel is set from that tide range plus your boat's draft.[4][5]

What makes Fort Lauderdale different

The City treats seawalls as tidal barriers. It presumes a wall is in disrepair if it lets upland soil erode, lets material pass through it, or lets tidal water flow unimpeded onto neighbours or the street, and gives owners 60 days to show progress and 365 days to finish. The City also spends $1.5 million a year on its own seawalls.[6][7]

The county layer

Broward County requires a license before any work in, on, over or under its waters, including repairing or replacing a dock or seawall. Broward's regional policy is a consistent top elevation of 5 ft NAVD for seawalls, banks and berms.[2][6]

Permits for boat lifts in Fort Lauderdale

• Broward County environmental licensing: A county license before any work in, on, over or under Broward County waters, including dock and seawall repair.
• City of Fort Lauderdale: Building permits; waivers of the dock and lift projection limit go to the City Commission with a Marine Advisory Board recommendation.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: State permit or exemption for docks and walls on the New River and the Intracoastal, on top of the Broward County license.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Federal authorisation for work in the Intracoastal Waterway and other navigable waters.

Lift permits in South Florida

In Miami-Dade a boat lift on a new or existing dock, seawall or bulkhead is a short-form DERM permit, and a single-family lift may not protrude more than 25% of the waterway width. Palm Beach County treats lifts as Type 8 marine structures and asks for signed and sealed lift drawings with pile details. Under SPGP VI, lifts could go in existing boat slips without a seagrass survey, and two uncovered lifts were allowed.[10][11][12]

How long should a boat lift last?

Manufacturers we checked do not publish a fixed lifespan. What they do publish is upkeep: rinse after each use, inspect at least once a season, have it serviced at least once a year (more often in salt water), replace worn cables at once and change sacrificial zinc anodes regularly.[13]

Frequently asked questions