Dock repair in Fort Lauderdale

Signs your dock needs repair

Fix these early. Salt water and sun speed up every one.

• Soft, split or loose boards
• Wobbly handrails or cleats pulling out
• Pilings with deep cracks or worn at the waterline
• Sagging framing between pilings

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 in the water wait for that approval, even small ones.[1]

Broward manatee zones

Broward County's manatee protection zones are set in state rule 68C-22.010, with boating restricted areas in 68D-24.008. In-water crews on the Intracoastal and the New River follow the slow-speed zones and stop work whenever a manatee comes within 50 ft.

Most dock repairs start with the pilings, so the piling rules shape the repair.[2][3]

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.

A repair that changes the footprint has to meet today's limit, not the one the old dock was built to.[4]

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.[5][6]

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][5]

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.

Which dock repairs need a permit?

Miami-Dade DERM exempts replacing decking or handrails to the original dimensions, removing old piles and dilapidated docks, and replacing fender or mooring piles in the same spot when a contractor with a certificate of competency gives DERM 24 hours' notice. Anything that changes the footprint needs a permit. Your city may still need a building permit.[10]

Repair or rebuild?

If the pilings are sound, new decking and framing are usually good value. If many pilings are failing, a rebuild within 5 ft of the old footprint keeps the state exemption and is often the better long-term choice.[11]

Frequently asked questions