Two kinds of seawall inspection
| Type | What you get | Typical published price |
|---|---|---|
| Condition inspection | A visual inspection above and often below the water, with a written condition report and photos. Common for home sales and routine checks. | $250 residential and $350 multi-family or commercial (Barnacle Doctor); $330 to $495 for up to 100 feet (ACI) |
| Engineer-sealed structural inspection | A Florida licensed engineer evaluates the wall and seals the findings. Often needed for permits, major repairs, associations and some lenders. | $1,500 to $3,000 flat fee, depending on complexity (Souffront) |
Ask before you book which kind you need. If a lender, insurer or association requires an engineer's seal, a basic condition report will not satisfy it.
What a good inspection covers
- The cap: cracks, spalling, exposed steel, separation from the panels.
- Panels or sheet piles and the joints between them: cracks, open joints, signs of soil loss.
- Tiebacks, anchors and batter piles where visible, and any lean in the wall.
- The base of the wall: scour, missing rip-rap, undermining.
- The land side: settlement, sinkholes, cracked decks or patios, drainage behind the wall.
- Neighboring walls where they meet yours, and gaps that let tidal water through.
- Docks and pilings attached to or next to the wall.
- Elevation: how the top of the wall compares with the tidal flood barrier standard. An exact NAVD88 number needs a survey.
When to book one
- Before buying a waterfront home. Fort Lauderdale requires the county-wide tidal flood barrier standard to be disclosed in sale contracts executed after December 31, 2022 (city staff summary). An inspection during your due diligence period tells you whether a big repair or a raise is coming.
- Before selling. Knowing the wall's condition lets you fix problems or disclose them clearly instead of negotiating blind.
- Before king tide season. Fort Lauderdale's highest tides usually come in September, October and November (city king tide page).
- After a named storm or any new settling, cracking or debris against the wall.
- For HOAs and condo associations planning reserves across a long run of shared wall.
One Fort Lauderdale inspection provider recommends a look every one to two years (Barnacle Doctor). Walls that are older, on open water or already showing warning signs deserve closer attention.
What to do with the report
A good report should end with clear next steps: monitor, targeted repair, new cap, or replacement, and whether the recommended work would likely count as a substantial repair under the height ordinance. Use it to get comparable written quotes. We connect you with licensed, insured local seawall contractors who can inspect and quote. Requesting one is free.