Seawall raising
Raise your seawall to your city's new height before the next king tide.
Free Fast Quote
Please fill out this form to request a free quote on your upcoming project and we will respond to you right away!
Cities across South Florida now set minimum seawall heights. We work out which standard applies to your lot and whether a new cap or a new wall gets you there.
- Free, no-obligation quote
- Fast response from our team
- Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and the Keys
The short answer
Miami Beach requires new and substantially repaired seawalls to reach 5.7 ft NAVD, or 4 ft NAVD if designed to support 5.7 ft later; Coral Gables sets bulkheads at a minimum of 6 ft NGVD 1929; and Fort Lauderdale requires 5 ft NAVD. Miami Beach's grant program reimburses 50% of eligible seawall costs up to $20,000.
Last updated
Who needs a seawall raised
Owners whose walls overtop at king tides, owners who have been cited, and owners planning a repair big enough to trigger the city's height rule.
- Water over the cap at high tide
- A city citation for overtopping
- A repair of $300 or more per linear foot in Miami Beach
- Plans to sell, rebuild or add a dock
Typical project sizes
Raising is either a new cap on a sound wall or a full new wall. Miami Beach's 2017 rule of thumb was $1,000 to $1,500 per linear foot to bring an old seawall up to code.
Seawall height rules by city
Each city sets its own standard, and they do not all use the same vertical datum (NAVD 88 or the older NGVD 1929), so the engineer's survey must state the wall height in the same datum as your city's rule.
Miami Beach: 5.7 ft NAVD for new walls and substantial repairs, or 4 ft NAVD designed to reach 5.7 ft. Coral Gables: a minimum of 6 ft NGVD 1929, structurally able to support 7.5 ft. Fort Lauderdale: a minimum of 5 ft NAVD88, and walls permitted before 1 January 2035 may be built at 4 ft if designed to reach 5 ft by 1 January 2050. Boca Raton: new or replaced walls between 4.0 and 6.0 ft NAVD88, designed to take another 12 to 18 inches.
City of Miami: a 2020 proposal set 6 ft NAVD 88 east of US-1. We have not confirmed it was adopted, so we check with the City for each job.[1][5][7][8][4]
Help with the cost
Miami Beach's Private Property Adaptation program accepts seawall applications on a rolling basis and reimburses 50% of costs up to $20,000, including the $2,500 assessment value; qualifying low to moderate income households need no match up to $17,500. Homes built at least 1 ft above base flood elevation are not eligible. Coral Gables waives a fee for existing homes raising seawalls for sea level rise.[2][6]
| City | Standard or incentive | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Beach | 5.7 ft NAVD (or 4 ft designed for 5.7 ft) | City FAQ, June 2025 |
| Miami Beach | Grant: 50% of costs up to $20,000 | PPA program page |
| Coral Gables | Minimum 6 ft NGVD 1929, supports 7.5 ft | City Attorney opinion, 2022 |
| Coral Gables | Fee waiver for raising existing residential seawalls | City permits page |
| Fort Lauderdale | Minimum 5 ft NAVD88 | City staff report, 2022 |
| Boca Raton | 4.0 to 6.0 ft NAVD88 | Engineering Design Standards, 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
How high does my seawall need to be in Miami Beach?
5.7 ft NAVD for new walls and for repairs costing $300 or more per linear foot, or 4 ft NAVD if the wall is designed to be raised to 5.7 ft later.
Is raising a seawall required?
Usually only when you build new, substantially repair, or are cited for overtopping. In Miami Beach an owner whose wall lets tidal water over or through it can be cited and given 60 days to show progress and 730 days to finish.
Can I get help paying to raise a seawall?
In Miami Beach, the PPA program reimburses 50% of eligible costs up to $20,000. Coral Gables waives a permit fee for existing homes raising seawalls for sea level rise.
Sources
- Seawall FAQs (Miami Beach Rising Above, PDF dated 6.16.25), City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Private Property Adaptation (PPA) program, City of Miami Beach (Miami Beach Rising Above). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Rising Above the Risk: Frequently Asked Questions (05/05/2017), City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- City of Miami File ID 7338 (Revision A): Ordinance amending Chapters 20, 29 and 54 to set seawall minimum heights (Second Reading, printed 5/19/2020), City of Miami. 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.
- Solar, Open Air Dining, and Other Permits, City of Coral Gables. 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.
- Engineering Design Standards Manual, section 7.7 Minimum Criteria for Waterway Features (PDF modified 10 Apr 2025), City of Boca Raton. 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.
- Florida Statutes 2026, Section 403.813: Permits issued at district centers; exceptions, The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). 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.
- 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.
Get a free quote
Tell us about your project and we will get back to you fast.