Marine construction in Fort Lauderdale

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.

Every in-water job waits for that approval.[1]

King tides and street flooding

The City tells owners to inspect and maintain their seawalls, says walls overtopped by king tides should be raised to the 5 ft standard, and can cite owners whose walls let tidal water reach the street. A low spot or a leaking joint is a code issue here, not only a maintenance one.

Shoreline stabilisation follows that rock rule.[2][3]

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.

Marine construction is mostly in-water work, so the manatee rules set daily routines.[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.[3][2]

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 for marine construction 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 is a marine contractor?

A marine contractor builds structures in, on or over the water: seawalls, bulkheads, docks, pilings and davits. In Florida, specialty contractors' scope is limited to a particular phase of construction, while a general contractor's scope is unlimited as to work requiring licensure under chapter 489. Always check a contractor's licence category on the DBPR licence search before you sign.[9][10]

Permits for work in the water

Most work needs a county environmental permit (in Miami-Dade, a DERM Class I permit), a city building permit, a state decision from FDEP or SFWMD and, where it applies, federal authorisation from the Army Corps of Engineers. Permits attach the state's manatee conditions to all in-water work.[11][12][5]

Frequently asked questions