Seawall repair and replacement in South Florida
Get your seawall repaired, capped, raised or rebuilt to today's rules.
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We repair cracked caps and leaking joints, replace failing walls, raise seawalls to new city heights and protect the toe with riprap, across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and the Keys.
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- Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and the Keys
The short answer
A new or replacement seawall in South Florida cost $650 to $2,000 per linear foot in Fort Lauderdale's 2016 contractor survey, and Miami Beach put the cost of bringing an old wall up to code at $1,000 to $1,500 per linear foot in 2017. Small repairs such as crack sealing are often exempt from permits, while rebuilding a wall needs county and city approval.
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Who we help
Waterfront homeowners on canals, the Intracoastal and Biscayne Bay, condo and HOA boards with shared seawalls, and owners who have received a city notice about a leaking or low wall.
- Owners with cracks, spalling or rust stains on the cap
- Owners whose yard sinks or floods at high tide
- Owners told by a city to raise or repair a wall
- Buyers and sellers who need a seawall assessed
Typical project sizes
Most residential lots have 50 to 150 feet of waterfront, so a full replacement is usually a five or six figure project, while cap, crack and tieback repairs are much smaller. Fort Lauderdale's 2016 survey priced engineering and permitting alone at $2,000 to $5,000 per job.
Which permits does seawall work need?
In Miami-Dade, any work in, on, over or upon tidal waters needs a DERM Class I permit under Section 24-48 of the County Code, including inside cities. Minor repairs are exempt, cap and tieback work gets an expedited authorisation, and rebuilding a wall at the mean high water line or up to 18 inches waterward is a short-form permit approved by staff.
The city building department also issues a structural permit. A state exemption does not remove county and city permits: Florida Statute 403.813 says its exemptions do not relieve anyone from county and municipal requirements, so in Miami-Dade a DERM Class I permit still applies.[1][2]
How long does a seawall last?
Fort Lauderdale's seawall ordinance FAQ assumed a design life of about 50 years, and city engineers described a 30 to 50 year lifespan for a wall built today. Salt water, wave action from boat wakes and rising tides shorten that when cracks and failed joints are left open.[4]
Why heights matter now
Cities are raising the bar. Miami Beach requires new and substantially repaired seawalls to reach 5.7 ft NAVD, Coral Gables sets bulkheads at a minimum of 6 ft NGVD 1929, and Fort Lauderdale requires 5 ft NAVD. A repair that triggers these rules can turn into a raising job, so we check the local standard before we price.[3][6][7]
| Item | Figure | Year and place |
|---|---|---|
| New or replacement seawall | $650 to $2,000 per linear foot | 2016, Fort Lauderdale contractor survey |
| Bringing an old seawall up to code | $1,000 to $1,500 per linear foot | 2017, Miami Beach rule of thumb |
| Engineering and permitting | $2,000 to $5,000 per job | 2016, Fort Lauderdale |
| Adding a 12-inch cap | $75 to $125 per linear foot | 2016, Fort Lauderdale |
| Cap spall repair | $60 per cubic foot of epoxy mortar | 2016, Fort Lauderdale |
Seawalls services
Seawall repair
Crack and spall repair, joint sealing, tiebacks, pilasters and backfill.
Seawall replacement
New concrete seawalls, usually built just in front of the failing wall.
Seawall caps
New and replacement concrete caps, including caps that raise the wall.
Seawall raising
Raising walls to Miami Beach, Coral Gables and other city height standards.
Riprap and toe protection
Limerock boulders, gunite tubes and sand-cement bags at the base of the wall.
Seawall inspections
Low-tide condition checks, including after a city notice or before a sale.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a seawall?
Fort Lauderdale's 2016 contractor survey found $650 to $2,000 per linear foot, depending on water depth and where the wall sits, plus $2,000 to $5,000 for engineering and permits. Miami Beach's 2017 rule of thumb was $1,000 to $1,500 per linear foot to bring an old wall up to code.
What happens if a seawall breaks?
Soil behind the wall washes out, the yard sinks and tidal water can reach neighbouring lots. Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale both treat a wall that lets tidal water through as a code problem and set deadlines to fix it.
What are the main types of seawall work?
Repair (cracks, spalls, joints, tiebacks), a new cap, raising the wall, toe protection with riprap, and full replacement, usually with a new wall set just in front of the old one.
Can a new seawall be built in front of the old one?
Yes, within limits. Miami-Dade's short-form permit, Florida's statutory exemption and the federal SPGP all allow a replacement wall up to 18 inches waterward of the existing one.
Sources
- 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.
- Florida Statutes 2026, Section 403.813: Permits issued at district centers; exceptions, The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Seawall FAQs (Miami Beach Rising Above, PDF dated 6.16.25), City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Seawalls and Sea Level Rise Induced Flooding (Florida Sea Grant compilation, includes City of Fort Lauderdale 'Frequently Asked Questions: Seawall Ordinance Implementation', 25 Jan 2017), Florida Sea Grant (reproducing City of Fort Lauderdale and Florida Bar ELULS material). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Rising Above the Risk: Frequently Asked Questions (05/05/2017), City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- CAO 2022-007: Legal Opinion Regarding Scrivener's Error in Zoning Code 3-706 Bulkheads and Retaining Walls (17 Aug 2022), City of Coral Gables, City Attorney. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Staff Report, Planning and Zoning Board, 16 Nov 2022, Case UDP-T22010 (Tidal barrier / seawall ordinance amendment, ULDR 47-19.3), City of Fort Lauderdale. Accessed October 27, 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.
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