Lee County and Cape Coral Seawall Permits

Who Issues What in Lee County

Building permits generally come from the local government where the property sits. Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach run their own building permit offices, and Lee County handles unincorporated areas, with applications and records in its online Citizen Portal. Lee County's own website refused automated access during this review, so we could not read its dock and shoreline guidance; confirm county requirements directly with Lee County's building and permitting staff.

State review generally goes to the DEP South District (opens in a new tab) in Fort Myers, which serves Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Lee counties. Lee County lies entirely within the South Florida Water Management District, which handles ERP applications DEP does not, and the Corps handles federal authorization.

Cape Coral Seawall Requirements

The City of Cape Coral describes 'more than 400 miles of canals,' many with direct access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf, and its freshwater system includes 300 miles of freshwater canals held by weirs and pumping stations. Which kind of canal you are on changes the permit path, so confirm your canal type with the city first.

The city's residential seawall guideline (opens in a new tab) (Last Rev. 6/22/2020) and residential seawall repair guideline (opens in a new tab) (Last Rev. 06/29/2023) set out what goes with a Marine Improvement application:

• Who can apply: CGC, CRC, CBC, Marine and owner-builder applicants.
• Site plan: existing structures; for new walls, the guideline says 'Locate Seawall at property line,' and for repairs, the location and length of the wall.
• Design: the city's Engineering Design Standards or signed and sealed plans for new walls; repairs require site-specific engineering signed and sealed by a Florida Registered Professional Engineer.
• State or federal step: 'DEP approval OR SAJ-91 (except for Freshwater).' For repairs, it is due before the first inspection.
• Wildlife: a Burrowing Owl/Gopher Tortoise affidavit.
• Notice of Commencement: required at a value of $2,500 or more, per both guidelines.
• Inspections and expiration: new walls list seawall slab, cap/alignment/tieback and final inspections; repairs list a turbidity screen inspection and a marine final report; both permits expire in six months.

Both guidelines cite the city's Engineering Design Standards (Minimum Seawall Specifications, Sheet H-9, #15). In the residential guideline's words, the contractor must have 'an approved floating turbidity screen in place during any and all clearing, excavating, jetting, and backfilling operations,' and screens stay in place 'for 24 hours minimum after construction ceases, or until turbidity level is 20 or less NTU above the pre-construction turbidity level.'

Alternative (riprap or sloped) seawalls have a separate guideline (Revised January 2026) (opens in a new tab), used when building an alternative seawall 'on fresh water and on a residential property.' It also accepts Marine Specialty and Marine Seawall Work Specialty contractors, and states that a private provider cannot be used for that permit type. The guidelines do not explain SAJ-91. The 'SAJ' prefix is used by the Corps' Jacksonville District, but we could not confirm what SAJ-91 covers or whether it is still in effect, so ask the city and the Corps which federal authorization applies to your job. The guidelines are marked subject to change without notice.

Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Unincorporated Lee County

• Fort Myers. The city's Community Development (opens in a new tab) department lists building, permitting and inspections, planning and zoning, and historic preservation among its services.
• Fort Myers Beach. The Town's Building Department (opens in a new tab) takes new permit applications through GOVWELL. Since April 16, 2025, permits for seawalls and other work that disturbs land must include the Stormwater Pollution Protection Plan form under DEP stormwater rules. The Town's page also states that, effective September 22, 2022, contractors registered with the Town must hold a state DBPR license, and contractors licensed through the Lee County Contractor Licensing Board cannot register or apply for permits.
• Unincorporated Lee County. Applications and records run through the county's Citizen Portal (opens in a new tab). Contact the county's building and permitting staff for its current dock and shoreline requirements.
• Other local governments. Sanibel, Bonita Springs and Estero are separate local governments; confirm the permit office for your address before applying.

Waters and Habitat That Shape Review

• Aquatic preserves. Lee County includes the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab), set between Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs, Estero and unincorporated Lee County; the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab), between Pine Island, Little Pine Island and Cape Coral; the Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab); and the Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab), which DEP lists in Charlotte and Lee counties. State aquatic preserve rules bar new seawalls waterward of the mean or ordinary high water line except in limited cases.
• Gulf beaches. Lee County's Coastal Construction Control Line is described in Rule 62B-26.007, F.A.C. (opens in a new tab); Gulf-front work seaward of it needs DEP CCCL review.
• Smalltooth sawfish. While SPGP VI was in effect (its stated term ended July 27, 2026), DEP listed 'Smalltooth Sawfish Exclusion Zones (specific areas of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County)' among areas excluded from federal self-certification. Ask the Corps early how federal species review applies to work on the river.
• Manatees. Lee County has an FWC-approved manatee protection plan (2004), which FWC says is used when reviewing new or expanding boat facilities.
• Mangroves. The City of Sanibel holds a DEP delegation to regulate mangroves. Elsewhere, the state Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act applies, and mangrove alteration tied to a seawall project is handled through the ERP process.

Typical Permit Steps in Lee County

1. 1Confirm your jurisdiction and canal typeIdentify the city or unincorporated area, and in Cape Coral whether the canal is freshwater or Gulf-access.
2. 2Define the scopeDecide between repair, replacement and, on Cape Coral freshwater lots, a sloped alternative. Note where the wall sits relative to the property line and the existing face.
3. 3Handle state and federal approvalsUse DEP self-certification or exemption verification where the work qualifies, or apply for an ERP, generally with the DEP South District for single-family work. Confirm the federal authorization with the Corps or DEP.
4. 4Prepare the local packageAssemble the site plan, engineering and affidavits the city or county lists, plus the Notice of Commencement where required.
5. 5Apply and buildSubmit through the city or county portal, keep turbidity controls in place as required, and schedule inspections before the permit expires.

Documents and Contacts