Dock repair in Islamorada

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

Tiki huts on canal docks

Islamorada allows non-enclosed gazebos and tiki huts up to 15 ft on docks that run parallel to the shoreline on canals or basins. So a marginal dock along a canal wall can double as a shaded deck, which changes how it is framed.

A repair that changes the footprint has to meet today's limit, not the one the old dock was built to.[1]

Sanctuary water from the high tide line

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary begins at the mean high water mark, so any dock, lift or pile work in Islamorada is Sanctuary work and needs the matching state and federal approvals. Monroe County waters carry FWC boating restricted areas under rule 68D-24.144 and the state manatee conditions.

Grass and hard bottom decide where the dock can go and how high it sits.[2][3][4]

The Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve

The 6,700 acre Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve lies inside the Village between Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys, with seagrass meadows and three navigable channels between Florida Bay and the Atlantic. It is recognised as an outstanding water resource of the state, which brings the smaller 500 sq ft dock exemption used for Outstanding Florida Waters.

Like-for-like repairs often take the lighter route; anything bigger gets the full permit.[5][6]

What makes Islamorada different

Principal buildings sit 20 ft from the mean high water line on altered shorelines such as canals, 30 ft on open water with conditions, and 50 ft on unaltered shorelines. Docks, lifts, davits, seawalls and riprap are water-dependent structures that may sit inside that setback under the Village's standards.[1]

Sanctuary and manatee layers

The federal small-project permit, SPGP VI, required Sanctuary sign-off before any Islamorada project in Keys waters, and crews follow the state manatee conditions on every in-water job.[7][4]

Permits in Islamorada

• Islamorada, Village of Islands, Planning and Development Services: Docks, lifts and shoreline structures under Village Code Chapter 30.
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Sanctuary waters surround every Islamorada key from the mean high water mark; we confirm what Sanctuary approval each project needs.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: State permit or exemption; part of the Village's water is the Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Federal authorisation for work in the Sanctuary waters around the Village.

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.[12]

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.[6]

Frequently asked questions