Boat davits in Jupiter

Who davits suit

Owners of tenders, small boats and jet skis with a sound seawall or dock and limited room for a lift slip.

Lifts sit parallel to the bulkhead

Town Code 27-2626(b)(11) requires docks, boat lifts and personal watercraft lifts in canals to sit parallel to the bulkhead. A lift set at right angles to the wall is not allowed on a Jupiter canal without a dock waiver.

Davits count as mooring structures, so the same reach and setback rules apply.[1]

A cap no higher than base flood elevation

Jupiter caps seawalls from above: the top of the concrete cap, in NAVD, must be at or below the property's base flood elevation (Code 27-2624(8)). Since FEMA's new maps took effect on 20 December 2024, the BFE on the current map is the number to check before a cap is designed.

Davits bolt to the seawall cap, so the wall's height and condition come first.[2][3]

Half the waterway stays open

Jupiter keeps a centreline channel of 50% of the waterway width unobstructed, or at least 15 ft where that is impossible, and allows only rectangular, T and L docks unless the Director approves another shape. Piles for docks and lifts are laid out against that channel line first.

Piling rules apply to every structure we drive into the bottom.[1]

What makes Jupiter different

Town Code 27-2626 keeps half of every waterway clear: a centreline channel of 50% of the waterway width must stay unobstructed, or at least a 15 ft channel where that cannot be met. Only rectangular, T and L shaped docks are allowed unless the Planning and Zoning Director approves another shape.[1]

Who approves what

The Town's checklists ask for FDEP self-certification or exemption verification, Army Corps approval if not included in the DEP decision, and SFWMD approval for structures on submerged lands or in natural waterways such as the Loxahatchee River, the Intracoastal Waterway and Sawfish Bay.[2][4]

Permits in Jupiter

• Town of Jupiter Building and Planning and Zoning: Marine structure permits; dock waivers under Town Code 27-2626.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: FDEP self-certification or exemption verification for canal docks; SFWMD approval for structures in the Loxahatchee River, the Intracoastal and Sawfish Bay.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Army Corps approval where the FDEP decision does not include it, as the Town checklists note.

Before we mount a davit

1. Check the seawall cap or dock framing can carry the load
2. Confirm the reach against the 25% waterway rule
3. Permit with DERM and the city
4. Mount, wire and test

Frequently asked questions