Seawall Repair in Hollywood, FL

Seawall repair in Hollywood

Looking for seawall repair in Hollywood? Many walls around Hollywood Lakes, Harbor Islands and the Intracoastal side of Hollywood Beach are original or have been patched more than once. We assess the wall on site and coordinate the repair with a licensed contractor who works in Hollywood.

Common seawall failures in Hollywood

• Cracked caps and spalling panels with exposed rebar. See crack repair and seawall cap repair.
• Soil loss behind the wall and settling patios. See leaks, soil loss and sinkholes.
• Water over the top of low walls during the highest tides of the year.
• Tired walls on finger canals that have started to move. See panel and tieback failure.

How the on-site assessment works in Hollywood

We come out, walk the wall from the yard and, where we can, look at it from the water at low tide. We photograph cracks, joints, the cap line and the toe, probe soft ground behind the wall, and note what the repair will likely involve. Around the lakes and finger canals, yard access is often the deciding factor, so we note whether the repair can be done from the yard or will need a barge. Hollywood seawall permits also need a Broward County general license, and we flag that early so the contractor's quote includes it.

For the repair options behind each problem, see seawall repair methods and costs and the cost per linear foot guide.

Hollywood's waterfront runs along the Intracoastal Waterway from Dania Beach to Hallandale Beach. On the mainland side, the Hollywood Lakes section wraps around North Lake and South Lake, and the Harbor Islands neighborhood sits on finger canals off the Intracoastal. Across the water, homes and condos on the Hollywood Beach barrier island face the Intracoastal on their west side.

Hollywood's seawall rules

Quick answers for Hollywood: Hollywood, FL Seawall Height Requirement: 5 Feet NAVD88 Under Sec. 150.30; Hollywood Seawall Raise Deadline: Citations, 2035 and the 2034 Review; Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Seawall in Hollywood, FL?.

Hollywood adopted its tidal flood barrier rules in Ordinance O-2022-01 on February 2, 2022, creating Section 150.30 of the city code (City of Hollywood). The main points of Section 150.30 (Sec. 150.30):

• Height. New and substantially repaired or rehabilitated seawalls, caps, berms and similar barriers must reach 5 feet NAVD88. Applications submitted before January 1, 2035 may be permitted at 4 feet NAVD88 if the wall is designed and built to accommodate 5 feet by January 1, 2050.
• Disrepair. A barrier is presumed to be in disrepair if tidal surface water flows through or over it onto a neighbor's property or the right-of-way, and failing to keep it in good repair is a citable offense.
• Citation clock. After a citation the owner must show progress within 60 days and complete repairs within 365 days. If the fix is a substantial repair, the wall has to be designed, permitted, built and pass final inspection at the required elevation within those 365 days.
• Review in 2034. The code says the city will re-evaluate the 5 foot requirement in 2034 or before, using updated sea level rise projections.
• Where it applies. New barriers, substantial repairs and fixed structures attached to a barrier, such as docks and lifts. It does not apply to oceanfront beaches or shorelines seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line.

The ordinance also makes room for living shorelines, a natural alternative to hard walls in the right setting, and the city's 2019 voter-approved bond includes a tidal flooding mitigation and seawall project for public shorelines (City of Hollywood).

Seawall permits in Hollywood

The Building Division's seawall checklist (updated May 29, 2023) says installing, replacing or making a major repair to a seawall, residential or commercial, needs a building permit. The package includes (city checklist):

• a Broward County Uniform Permit Application from a licensed general contractor,
• a Broward County Environmental Resource General License,
• a special inspector form signed and sealed by an engineer or architect if piles are installed,
• a contract or schedule of values, and a survey or site plan showing the work,
• construction plans signed, sealed and dated by a design professional,
• a recorded Notice of Commencement when the contract price is over $5,000.

Depending on scope, permits from the Florida DEP, the South Florida Water Management District or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may also apply. Permit questions go to the Building Division at 954-921-3335 or ePermits@hollywoodfl.org (city checklist). Confirm the exact rule for your address with the city or your contractor.

Lakes and finger canals can limit access for equipment, so some projects are done from a barge on the water side. A contractor will factor that into the plan and price.

Send a few photos or call. We connect you with a licensed, insured seawall contractor who works in Hollywood for an on-site look and a written quote, free and with no obligation.

Planning work? Read our seawall rules by city, what to do after a seawall citation, seawall permits and who to call and the seawall cost guide.

Sources

1. City of Hollywood: Sea Walls and Flood Barriers (Ordinance O-2022-01)
2. City of Hollywood Code Sec. 150.30: Resiliency Standards for Tidal Flood Barriers
3. City of Hollywood Building Division: Seawall Checklist (updated May 29, 2023)
4. Broward County 311: Do I need a license to replace or repair my dock or seawall?