Living shorelines in Miami

Who this is for

Owners replacing a wall who want a softer edge, owners with mangroves along the shore, and Coral Gables owners who want the fee incentive.

Riprap rules on Miami's bay and river edges

DERM treats limerock boulders on a 2:1 slope no more than 10 ft waterward of mean high water as an expedited job once its staff have inspected the site, with a $170 riprap inspection fee. Riprap tucked under an undercut wall no more than 2 ft out is exempt, which covers many first repairs.

A living shoreline is built on that rock rule, with plants and habitat panels added.[1]

Bayfront lots sit on Outstanding Florida Waters

The Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve covers 64,607 acres from the Oleta River to Card Sound and is treated as Outstanding Florida Waters. On open bay frontage that halves the state dock exemption to 500 sq ft of over-water area, against 1,000 sq ft on an artificial canal, and seagrass damage in the preserve can bring a fine of up to $1,000.

Planting and rock placement stay off existing grass.[2][3][4]

What makes Miami waterfront work different

Most of Biscayne Bay and its natural tributaries, including the Miami River and Little River, are state-owned submerged lands, so docks over them need the state's consent alongside the DERM permit. The Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve is listed by DERM as a permitting contact, and FDEP's free online dock self-certification is not available in aquatic preserves. The federal seagrass range used in dock design reaches central Biscayne Bay.[1][4][5]

City of Miami seawall height

In 2020 the City considered an ordinance (File 7338) to set a 6 ft NAVD 88 minimum for new and rebuilt seawalls east of US-1, outside the Miami River. We have not confirmed that it was adopted, so for every Miami seawall job we confirm the current height rule with the City before design.[6]

Permits in Miami

• Miami-Dade DERM, Coastal Resources Section: Class I permit for any work in, on or over tidal water, the Miami River included, with exempt, expedited and short-form routes for small jobs. Phone (305) 372-6575.
• City of Miami Building Department: Structural and zoning approval for seawalls, docks and lifts inside city limits.
• Florida DEP or South Florida Water Management District: State permit or exemption, and consent to use the state-owned bottom of Biscayne Bay, the Miami River and Little River, which DERM grants for most of the bay on the state's behalf.
• US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District: Federal sign-off for work in the bay and the river. SPGP VI, the small-project route, passed its stated 27 July 2026 expiry, so we confirm the current route for each job.

Permits for living shorelines

Riprap follows the riprap rules: up to 10 ft waterward under SPGP VI and a state general permit for up to 100 linear feet at 2:1. In Miami-Dade, mangrove permits are valid for 3 years and limerock boulder riprap on a 2:1 slope gets an expedited authorisation after a DERM inspection.[5][1]

Frequently asked questions