Floating docks in Fort Lauderdale

Who a floating dock suits

Owners with deep water at the wall, frequent wakes, a small boat, kayaks or a jet ski, or a seawall too high for an easy step down.

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.

Floats, guide piles and gangway length are sized from that range so the gangway stays walkable at low water.[1][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.

Floating sections count toward the same size limit as a fixed dock.[3]

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.[3]

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.[4][5]

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.[6][4]

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.

Do you need a permit for a floating dock?

Usually yes, at county and city level. Florida's exemptions cover private docks on pilings or floating up to 1,000 sq ft and floating vessel platforms up to 500 sq ft, but they do not remove county and municipal requirements. In Miami-Dade any structure over tidal water needs a DERM Class I permit.[9][10]

What goes into the install

• Float sections and decking
• Anchoring to pilings or the seawall
• Aluminium gangway with hinges for the tidal range
• Cleats, bumpers and lighting

Frequently asked questions