Docks in Key Largo

Shallow water and seagrass

The special exception application asks what the dock crosses, such as sand, seagrass or coral, and the minimum relaxation needed to reach adequate water depth. Over seagrass, docks follow federal minor piling-supported structure guidelines.[1][2]

Who draws the site plan

The site plan must be by a Florida registered architect, engineer or landscape architect and show the mean high water line and shoreline setbacks.[1]

10% of the water, 25% with the boat

Monroe County Code 118-12(m) keeps a Key Largo dock to 10% of the waterbody width, measured mean low water to mean low water, and the dock together with the moored boat and any lift to 25% of the navigable width. On a 50 ft canal that is a 5 ft dock.

That limit sets the size of the dock before any material choice.[3]

Pier docks: 4 ft wide, 100 ft long

Pier docks in unincorporated Monroe County may be no wider than 4 ft and no longer than twice the lot's shoreline frontage or 100 ft, whichever is less. Reaching deeper water takes a Dock Length Special Exception, which costs $1,450 plus $3 per shoreline owner within 300 ft.

We prepare the drawings and surveys that permit path asks for.[3][1]

What makes Key Largo different

The special exception application asks owners to describe the submerged lands the dock crosses, such as sand, seagrass or coral, and the minimum extra length needed to reach adequate water depth. The site plan must be prepared by a Florida registered architect, engineer or landscape architect and show the mean high water line and shoreline setbacks.[1]

Sanctuary, seagrass and manatees

Projects inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary needed prior Sanctuary approval under SPGP VI. The same permit let boat lifts and minor structures in Monroe County go into existing boat slips without a seagrass survey. All in-water work follows the state manatee conditions.[2][4]

Permits for docks in Key Largo

• Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources Department: Dock length special exceptions under County Code section 118-12(m)(15).
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: The Sanctuary starts at mean high water, so Key Largo canal and bay work is inside it; SPGP VI required its prior approval.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: State permit or exemption, which Monroe County needs to see before it issues a Notice to Proceed for docks, seawalls and ramps.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Federal permit, also required before the County's Notice to Proceed.

How big can my dock be?

It depends on where you are. Florida's statutory exemption covers private docks up to 1,000 sq ft of over-water area, or 500 sq ft in Outstanding Florida Waters, with one exempt dock per 65 ft of shoreline. Over-water area includes roofs, boat canopies, elevated platforms and decking. In Miami-Dade a single-family dock on the short-form permit may not protrude more than 25% of the waterway width.[7][8][9]

Docks over state-owned water

Most of Biscayne Bay and its natural tributaries, including the Miami River, Little River, Oleta River and Arch Creek, are state-owned submerged lands. A dock there needs the state's consent, which DERM can grant on the state's behalf for qualifying projects. FDEP requires structures to sit at least 25 ft inside riparian lines (10 ft for marginal docks), with exceptions.[9][8]

Frequently asked questions