The regional baseline
Broward County's tidal flood barrier standard requires new and substantially repaired seawalls, caps, berms and similar barriers in tidally influenced areas to reach 5 feet NAVD88. Applications submitted before January 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 feet NAVD88 if the barrier is designed to reach 5 feet by January 1, 2050. The model rule is Broward County Code Section 39-407, which also sets a 60 day progress and 365 day completion clock after a citation (Broward County, regional standard summary). Our Broward County height requirement guide walks through it. In January 2020 the county amended its land use plan (Policy 2.21.7) to require tidally influenced cities to adopt regionally consistent elevations within two years (as summarized by the City of Hollywood).
City by city
| City | Minimum top elevation | Local details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | 5 ft NAVD88 (4 ft for applications before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft) | ULDR Sec. 47-19.13, adopted March 23, 2023. Substantial repair is more than 50% of shoreline length or of replacement cost. Waiver possible for homes with floors below 4.0 ft. Maximum tied to base flood elevation. | City ordinance |
| Hollywood | 5 ft NAVD88 (4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft) | Ordinance O-2022-01, adopted February 2, 2022, created Sec. 150.30. Also permits living shorelines. Citation: 60 days to show progress, 365 days to finish. Seawall permits need a Broward County Environmental Resource General License. | City page, Sec. 150.30, permit checklist |
| Dania Beach | 5 ft NAVD88 (4 ft for applications before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft) | Ordinance 2021-027 (October 26, 2021) created Chapter 12, Article XVII, "Seawalls," and LDC Sec. 240-30, which states the 5 ft rule. The city's "Build It High, Keep It Dry" notice says the rule treats tidal flooding as a public nuisance. | Sec. 240-30 and Ord. 2021-027 history note, City notice |
| Hallandale Beach | 5 ft NAVD88 (4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft) | Adopted November 18, 2020 as Sections 8-88 to 8-91. Sec. 8-90 sets the height, a 60 and 365 day citation clock, rip-rap on all barriers and side containment barriers to keep rainwater on your own lot. Sec. 8-91 points to the county sale disclosure. | City ordinance file, Ordinance text |
| Wilton Manors | 5 ft NAVD88 for new or substantially rehabilitated walls, caps, banks and berms | Ordinance 2020-002 (May 26, 2020), Code Sec. 11-27. Walls letting tide water onto neighbors or the street are a citable offense: progress in 60 days, repair within 365 days. See our Wilton Manors seawall repair page for the permit checklist. | City page, Sec. 11-27 |
| Lighthouse Point | 4.0 ft NAVD88 cap minimum; may be raised to 5.0 ft | Ordinance 2023-0998 (Sec. 42-381). Caps between 3 ft 8 in and 5 ft 4 in NAVD are treated as conforming. New or substantially rehabilitated walls must be designed to accommodate a 5.0 ft cap. Return walls are required where a new wall is higher than the neighbor's. No citation timeline in Sec. 42-381. | City ordinance |
| Oakland Park | 5 ft NAVD88 (4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft) | Sec. 14-1, amended by Ordinance O-2022-015 (June 1, 2022). Citation: 60 days from notification to show progress, 365 days to finish. Sec. 14-3 requires a permit for structures in waterways. | Ordinance, City code, Ch. 14 |
| Pompano Beach | 5 ft NAVD88 minimum, 5 ft 10 in maximum | Sec. 151.05 requires engineer-prepared plans showing your wall and adjacent walls in NAVD88, approved by the City Engineer. A cap may extend no more than 36 inches seaward of the existing wet face. Citation: 60 days to show progress, 365 days to finish. | Sec. 151.05 |
Each town page has the full detail for that city, including the permit checklist and who to call: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, Oakland Park and Pompano Beach. If your wall has been cited, see what to do after a seawall citation, and for permit contacts in every city see seawall permits and who to call.
This is a plain-English summary for planning, not legal or engineering advice. Codes change and each city interprets its own rules. Confirm the requirement for your address with the city's building or engineering department, or have your contractor confirm it, before you design, buy or sell.
One local difference worth knowing on the Middle River: for seawall repair in Wilton Manors, Sec. 11-27 lists no 4 foot option before 2035, so a substantial rehabilitation has to reach 5 feet NAVD88, while neighboring Oakland Park allows 4 feet for applications before 2035 if the wall is designed to reach 5 feet (Sec. 11-27, Sec. 14-1).
What is the same everywhere
- The trigger is usually a new wall or a substantial repair, not the mere age of a wall.
- Overtopping is enforceable. Codes based on the county model treat a barrier that lets tidal water onto a neighbor or the right-of-way as in disrepair, typically with 60 days to show progress and 365 days to finish after a citation (Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach).
- Work in the water needs a county license. Broward County requires a license before any work in, on, over or under county waters (Broward 311).
- Elevation is measured in NAVD88, so you need a survey or engineer's number, not a tape measure from the water.
If your wall needs fixing rather than raising, match the repair to the problem: seawall repair methods and costs, seawall cap repair, crack repair, leaks, soil loss and sinkholes, panel and tieback failure and the first 48 hours after a collapse. Planning work? Read the Fort Lauderdale ordinance explainer and the cost guide, or request a free assessment. We look at the wall on site and coordinate the repair with a licensed contractor who works in your city.
Town by town answers
Each city below has its own page on height, raise deadlines and permits, with the code sections cited.
Fort Lauderdale
- Height requirement: Fort Lauderdale Seawall Height Rules and Permits, Explained
- Raise deadline: Fort Lauderdale Seawall Raise Deadline: What Is Due, and When
- Permits: Do I Need a Permit to Repair My Seawall in Fort Lauderdale?
Hollywood
- Height requirement: Hollywood, FL Seawall Height Requirement: 5 Feet NAVD88 Under Sec. 150.30
- Raise deadline: Hollywood Seawall Raise Deadline: Citations, 2035 and the 2034 Review
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Hollywood, FL?
Dania Beach
- Height requirement: Dania Beach Seawall Height Requirement and Raise Deadlines
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Dania Beach?
Hallandale Beach
- Height requirement: Hallandale Beach Seawall Height Requirement: What Sec. 8-90 Says
- Raise deadline: Hallandale Beach Seawall Raise Deadline: Citations, 2035 and Home Sales
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Hallandale Beach?
Wilton Manors
- Height requirement: Wilton Manors Seawall Height Requirement: 5 Feet, With No 4 Foot Option
- Raise deadline: Wilton Manors Seawall Raise Deadline: The 60 and 365 Day Rule
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Wilton Manors?
Lighthouse Point
- Height requirement: Lighthouse Point Seawall Height Requirement: 4.0 Feet Minimum, Up to 5.0
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Lighthouse Point?
Oakland Park
- Height requirement: Oakland Park Seawall Height Requirement: What Sec. 14-1 Requires
- Raise deadline: Oakland Park Seawall Raise Deadline: 60 Days, 365 Days and 2035
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Oakland Park?
Pompano Beach
- Height requirement: Pompano Beach Seawall Height Requirement: 5 Feet Minimum, 5 Feet 10 Inches Maximum
- Raise deadline: Pompano Beach Seawall Raise Deadline: When You Must Raise to 5 Feet
- Permits: Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Pompano Beach?