Composite dock decking in Key Largo
Composite dock decking in Key Largo, where pier docks stop at 4 ft wide and 100 ft long.
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We re-deck existing docks and deck new ones, checking the framing and fasteners while the boards are up.
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- Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and the Keys
The short answer
A Key Largo pier dock may be 4 ft wide and no longer than twice the shoreline frontage or 100 ft, unless a special exception is granted. In Key Largo all in-water work is inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, whose boundary is the mean high water line.
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Who re-decks
Owners with splintering or soft boards on sound framing, and owners building a new dock who want less upkeep.
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.
A redeck is the moment to check that the dock still fits the limit if you add width.[1][2]
The Sanctuary starts at high water
The shoreward boundary of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the mean high water mark, so once work steps into Key Largo's water it is inside the Sanctuary. Monroe County lists boating restricted areas under rule 68D-24.144, and County approvals wait on state and federal permits before a Notice to Proceed.
Over grass, deck height and plank spacing matter as much as the board colour.[3][4][1]
No leaching piles
Every dock piling in unincorporated Monroe County must be non-CCA-leaching, such as recycled plastic or concrete, or be wrapped in an impermeable sleeve at least 30 mil thick from 6 in below the bottom to 2 ft above mean high water. That changes the piling order before a Key Largo job starts.
New decking is only as good as the frame and piles under it, so we check them first.[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.[2]
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.[5][6]
Permits 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.
What we check before re-decking
- Joists and stringers for rot
- Fasteners and hardware for corrosion
- Pilings at the waterline
- Board spacing rules for your waterway
Frequently asked questions
How long can a dock be in Key Largo?
A pier dock can be no longer than twice the shoreline frontage or 100 ft, whichever is less. Longer needs a Dock Length Special Exception ($1,450 plus $3 per nearby shoreline owner).
Is my Key Largo canal inside the marine sanctuary?
Yes. The Sanctuary's shoreward boundary is the mean high water mark, so in-water work is inside it and needs the matching state and federal approvals.
What pilings can I use in Key Largo?
Non-CCA-leaching piles such as recycled plastic or concrete, or treated piles wrapped in a sleeve of at least 30 mil from 6 in below the bottom to 2 ft above mean high water.
Sources
- Monroe County Land Development Code, Sec. 118-12 Shoreline Setback, subsections (k) Bulkheads, seawalls and riprap and (m) Docking facilities (third-party code copy), Monroe County, Florida (text reproduced by Zoneomics; the official Municode copy blocked automated access). Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Dock Length Special Exception Application (Last revised August 2026), Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources Department. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. Accessed October 28, 2026.
- Manatee Data and Maps (county manatee protection zone and boating restricted area maps), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). 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.
- Community Rating System (CRS), Monroe County, Florida. Accessed October 28, 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.
- Dock Permitting in Florida: Permit Application Fee Schedule and Aquatic Preserve Design Criteria, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Accessed October 27, 2026.
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