Seawall inspections in Key Largo

When to book an inspection

Book one when something changes, not only when something breaks.

• After a city citation or warning
• Before buying or selling a waterfront home
• After a hurricane or a run of king tides
• When you see new cracks, stains or sinkholes

Where a seawall is allowed at all

Monroe County allows vertical seawalls only to stabilise severely eroding shorelines on man-made canals, channels or basins, and never on open water. Lawfully existing walls may be repaired or replaced on the same footprint, the yard behind must sit at least 6 in below the top of the wall, and riprap goes at the toe wherever feasible.

Every inspection records the cap elevation against that standard.[1]

Ocean side tide at Rock Harbor

NOAA's Rock Harbor station on the Atlantic side of Key Largo records a 2.09 ft mean range and a 2.37 ft great diurnal range, with mean higher high water about 0.25 ft above NAVD 88 (1983 to 2001 epoch). There is no NOAA datum station on the bay side near Key Largo, so for bay side lots we measure the water on site.

We inspect at the lowest tide of the week so the lower wall face and the toe are visible.[2]

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.[3]

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.[4][5]

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

We walk the full length of the wall from the land and the water.

• Cap: cracks, spalling, rust staining, height against the local standard
• Face and panels: cracks, open joints, lean
• Tiebacks and anchors: signs of movement
• Toe: scour or undercutting
• Land side: sinkholes, soft ground, weep holes

Who is responsible for a private seawall?

The property owner. Miami Beach requires owners to correct walls that let tidal water flow over or through them and can cite owners with no seawall at all. Fort Lauderdale presumes a wall is in disrepair if it lets upland soil erode, material pass through it, or tidal water flow onto neighbours or the street, and gives owners 60 days to show progress and 365 days to finish.[7][8]

Frequently asked questions