Floating docks in Islamorada
Floating docks in Islamorada, sized for a 0.61 ft bay tide or a 2.28 ft ocean tide.
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Floating docks suit deep water, big tidal ranges and owners who want an easy step on and off the boat. We install the floats, anchoring and gangway.
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The short answer
In Islamorada the Florida Bay tide swings about 0.61 ft but the Hawk Channel tide 2.28 ft, so bay and ocean lots need different designs. Islamorada allows open tiki huts and gazebos up to 15 ft on docks parallel to the shore on canals and basins.
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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.
Typical project sizes
Most residential floating docks are a single platform with a gangway, comfortably under the 500 sq ft state exemption for floating platforms.
Bay side and ocean side tides differ fourfold
NOAA's Florida Bay gauge at Upper Matecumbe Key shows a great diurnal range of only 0.61 ft, with mean higher high water about 0.41 ft below NAVD 88, while the Hawk Channel gauge a short way across the key shows 2.28 ft (1983 to 2001 epoch). A lift or floating dock sized for one side of Islamorada is wrong for the other.
Floats, guide piles and gangway length are sized from that range so the gangway stays walkable at low water.[1][2]
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.
Floating sections count toward the same size limit as a fixed dock.[3]
Watch the datum: about 1.5 ft
The Village notes that converting from NGVD29 to NAVD88 shifts elevations by about -1.5 ft on average in Monroe County, and the shift varies from place to place. Old plans and new maps use different datums, so a cap or floor height has to be converted before anyone compares numbers.[4]
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.[3]
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.[5][6]
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.
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.[7][8]
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
Why does it matter which side of Islamorada I live on?
Because the tide is very different: about 0.61 ft great diurnal range on Florida Bay and 2.28 ft on Hawk Channel, per NOAA gauges at Upper Matecumbe Key.
Can I build a tiki hut on my dock in Islamorada?
Yes, a non-enclosed gazebo or tiki hut up to 15 ft is allowed on a dock parallel to the shoreline on a canal or basin.
Why do elevations on old Islamorada plans look different?
They may be in NGVD29. The Village says converting to NAVD88 shifts elevations by about -1.5 ft on average in Monroe County.
Sources
- Datums for station 8723808, Islamorada, Upper Matecumbe Key, Florida Bay (tidal epoch 1983 to 2001), NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), Tides and Currents. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Datums for station 8723814, Upper Matecumbe Key, Hawk Channel (tidal epoch 1983 to 2001), NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), Tides and Currents. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Ordinance No. 24-15 amending Village Code Sec. 30-1542 Shoreline Setback, with Department of Commerce Final Order COM-24-043, Islamorada, Village of Islands. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Floodplain Management, Islamorada, Village of Islands, Building Department. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Department of the Army State Programmatic General Permit VI (SPGP VI), SAJ-2015-2575, State of Florida, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (document hosted by Florida DEP). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Standard Manatee Conditions for In-Water Work (2011), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 2026, Section 403.813: Permits issued at district centers; exceptions, The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Class I Permit Application for Coastal Construction and Mangrove Trimming within Miami-Dade County (Revised May 2025), Miami-Dade County RER, Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), Coastal Resources Section. Accessed October 27, 2026.
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