Boat lift repair in Fort Lauderdale

Common boat lift faults

Stop using the lift if you see frayed cables or the boat sits unevenly.

• Motor hums but the lift does not move
• Lift raises unevenly or one side drops
• Frayed, kinked or flattened cables
• Grinding from the gearbox or pulleys
• Corroded switches and wiring

The Broward County license comes first

Broward County requires its own license before any work in, on, over or under county waters, and that includes repairing or replacing a dock or seawall. Pile replacement, lift repairs that touch the pilings and seawall work all need that county license before work starts, on top of the City permit.

Repairs that touch the piles or the water need that approval first.[1]

Going past the limit

The City Commission can waive the projection limit on a finding of extraordinary circumstances. The application fee is $1,500, and the Marine Advisory Board looks at it first: in May 2026 it backed, 12 to 0, a boat lift reaching 27 ft 8 in at 1614 Brickell Drive.

A repair keeps the lift where it is; moving or enlarging it means meeting today's rule.[2]

The 25% or 25 ft limit

ULDR 47-19.3(c) limits docks, lifts and other mooring structures to 25% of the waterway width or 25 ft, whichever is less, measured from the property line. On a 60 ft canal that is 15 ft; on the wide New River reaches the 25 ft cap takes over.

Small boats may suit davits instead, under the same rules.[2]

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.[3][4]

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.[1][3]

Permits 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.

What causes most failures

In salt water, galvanic corrosion attacks metal parts, which is why sacrificial zinc anodes need regular replacement. Cables should be checked for fraying, corrosion, kinks, flattened sections and uneven tension, and pulleys and gearboxes need lubrication.[7]

Repair or replace the lift?

If the frame and beams are sound, replacing the motor, cables or gearbox is usually far cheaper than a new lift, which ThePricer puts at $7,000 to $14,000 installed for a 10,000 lb four-post model in South Florida.[8]

Frequently asked questions