Seawall Inspection in Broward County, FL
A seawall inspection tells you what shape the cap, joints, tiebacks and ground behind your wall are in. See report types, published prices and what to compare against in each Broward city.
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Seawall inspection in Broward County
A seawall inspection in Broward County is a written look at the condition of your wall, ordered by the owner, not by the county. Buyers, sellers, HOAs, condo associations and owners who have noticed a change order them. There are two kinds: a condition inspection and an engineer-sealed inspection. Which one you need depends on who will read the report. We assess seawalls on site across eight Broward cities and coordinate licensed local professionals when you need more.
Seawall inspection in Broward County at a glance
| Standard | Broward County's tidal flood barrier article sets a 5 ft NAVD88 minimum for new and substantially repaired seawalls and requires owners to maintain the wall in good repair (County Code Secs. 39-404 to 39-408). Cities adopted their own versions, so the exact text and the permit office depend on your city. |
|---|---|
| Inspection required? | We did not find a routine inspection requirement in the county ordinance text we reviewed. Inspections are usually ordered at a sale, before a repair, by an association, after a storm or after a citation. |
| Condition inspection | Published prices: $250 residential and $350 multi-family or commercial (Barnacle Doctor); $330 to $495 for up to 100 feet (ACI). |
| Engineer-sealed inspection | $1,500 to $3,000 flat fee depending on complexity (Souffront). Check any engineer with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. |
| If repair follows | A city building permit plus a Broward County license for any work in, on, over or under county waters (Broward 311). The licensed contractor normally files both. |
| First step | An on-site look with photos. Call (754) 484-1777 or request a free assessment. |
Living in the city of Fort Lauderdale? That city has its own page: seawall inspection in Fort Lauderdale.
What changes with the water your wall faces
Broward's seawalls face very different water, and the inspection should be planned around it.
- Intracoastal and open-water lots take wake and tide on long runs of wall. The toe, the tiebacks and any lean come first.
- Finger canals and older neighborhoods often have walls that are decades old and that connect to neighbors on both sides. Gaps at the property lines matter because tidal water that passes through them is the kind of failure the ordinances treat as a citable offense.
- River frontage such as the New River and the Middle River adds current and boat traffic to the usual tide and age.
- Lakes and lagoons are quieter, so the likelier findings are cap cracks, joint leaks and drainage trouble behind the wall.
Seawall inspection in Broward County by city
Every city sets its own permit office and, in some cases, its own wording, even though most follow the county's tidal flood barrier standard. The table lists what an inspector should compare your wall against and who to call if the findings lead to repair. Each city name links to that city's seawall page.
| City | Height standard to compare against | After a citation | Permit contact if repairs follow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | 5 ft NAVD88; 4 ft if applied for before Jan. 1, 2035 and designed to reach 5 ft | 60 days to show progress, 365 to finish | Development Services, 954-828-6520 |
| Hollywood | 5 ft NAVD88; 4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft | 60 days, 365 days | Building Division, 954-921-3335 |
| Dania Beach | 5 ft NAVD88; 4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft | County model uses 60 and 365 days; city wording not verified, ask the city | Building Division, 954-924-6805 |
| Hallandale Beach | 5 ft NAVD88; 4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft | 60 days, 365 days | Building Division, (954) 457-2220 option 2 |
| Wilton Manors | 5 ft NAVD88; the code lists no 4 ft option | 60 days, 365 days | Community Development Services, (954) 390-2180 |
| Lighthouse Point | 4.0 ft NAVD88 cap minimum, may be raised to 5.0 ft; new or substantially rehabilitated walls designed for a 5.0 ft cap | None in Sec. 42-381; ask the city | Building Department, 954-943-6509 |
| Oakland Park | 5 ft NAVD88; 4 ft before 2035 if built to reach 5 ft | 60 days from notification, 365 from the citation | Building and Permitting Services, 954-630-4350 |
| Pompano Beach | 5 ft NAVD88 minimum, 5 ft 10 in maximum; the city flyer lists no 4 ft allowance | 60 days, 365 days including permits and final inspection | [email protected] |
Codes change and cities adjust their wording. Confirm with the city before you act. The full table with code sections is in our guide to Broward seawall rules by city.
Inspections for HOAs, condos and long runs of wall
A long shared wall is usually inspected in sections so the report can say which sections are sound and which are not. Ask for the findings to be organized by section, with photos and a rough length for each, so the board can compare quotes and plan a reserve. Under the county standard a substantial repair means work along more than 50 percent of a property's shoreline, or appurtenant work costing more than 50 percent of the cost of a tidal flood barrier, and then the whole shoreline must meet the height rule (County Code Sec. 39-406). A report that records the elevation question early helps the board avoid surprises. Ask the association's attorney how that threshold applies to your property.
Condition report, engineer's report or survey
- Condition report for a sale, a baseline or a routine check.
- Engineer-sealed inspection when a lender, insurer, association or permit asks for a seal. A Florida licensed engineer signs it.
- Elevation survey to confirm the top of the wall in feet NAVD88. The permit packets in most cities ask for sealed surveys of existing and proposed elevations (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Oakland Park).
Before you book anyone
- Ask which kind of report you are buying and who will accept it.
- Look up the license. Contractors can be checked on MyFloridaLicense.com and in the Broward County contractor license search. Engineers can be checked with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.
- Ask for a sample report with dated photos and a stated next step.
- If the inspector also sells repairs, keep the written findings so another contractor can price the same scope.
Our guide to hiring a seawall contractor covers the same checks for the repair stage.
After the inspection: where to go next
Small findings such as hairline cracks can wait for monitoring. Open joints, sinkholes and a leaning wall should not. The signs of seawall failure guide ranks them by urgency, and the repair page for your city covers methods and permits. For the county overview, see seawall repair in Broward County, which links to every town page we cover.
Want a seawall inspection in Broward County? Call (754) 484-1777 or request a free assessment. Tell us your city and roughly how much wall you have. We look at the wall on site, document what we find, and coordinate licensed local professionals if you need more.
Sources
- Broward County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 39, Article XXV, Resiliency Standards for Tidal Flood Protection, Secs. 39-404 to 39-408 (Municode)
- Broward County 311: Do I need a license to replace or repair my dock or seawall?
- Barnacle Doctor: Seawall Inspection in Fort Lauderdale (published inspection price)
- ACI Inspections: Seawall, Dock and Pile Inspections (published inspection price)
- Souffront Contractors: Hiring a Seawall Contractor in Fort Lauderdale (published price ranges)
- Florida Board of Professional Engineers: Licensee Search
- Florida DBPR license search (MyFloridaLicense.com)
- Broward County Building Code Division: Search for Contractor License
- City of Fort Lauderdale Building Division: Sea Wall Permit Checklist (rev. 2016)
- City of Hollywood Building Division: Seawall Checklist (updated May 29, 2023)
- City of Oakland Park Building Department: Seawall Permit Application Checklist
General information, not legal or engineering advice. Prices and rules change. Confirm requirements with your city, Broward County and a licensed professional.
Other seawall services
Broward County service area
Stylized service-area chart. The Google map loads only if you click.
Broward County seawall inspection questions
Is a seawall inspection required in Broward County?
We did not find a routine inspection requirement in the county's tidal flood barrier ordinance text we reviewed. The ordinance requires owners to keep a barrier in good repair and makes neglect a citable offense. Inspections are usually ordered at a sale, before a repair, by an association, after a storm or after a citation.
How much does a seawall inspection cost in Broward County?
Published prices run from $250 for a residential condition inspection and $330 to $495 for up to 100 feet, to $1,500 to $3,000 for an engineer-sealed inspection. These are published ranges from inspection companies and a contractor, not quotes from us.
Who can inspect my seawall?
Condition inspections are offered by inspection companies and seawall contractors. An engineer-sealed inspection comes from a Florida licensed professional engineer, and you can check any engineer with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. Ask whether the inspector also sells repairs.
What should an HOA or condo association ask for?
Ask for findings organized by section of wall, with photos, rough lengths and a stated next step for each. Ask the association's attorney how the county's 50 percent substantial repair threshold could apply, because a substantial repair brings the whole shoreline up to the height standard.
Does an inspection tell me if my wall meets the 5 foot rule?
It can flag the question, but an exact elevation in feet NAVD88 takes a survey. Permit packets in most Broward cities ask for sealed surveys of existing and proposed elevations.
Do you inspect seawalls across all of Broward County?
Our pages cover eight cities: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, Oakland Park and Pompano Beach. If you are elsewhere in the county, send a request and we will tell you whether we can help.