Seawall & Bulkhead Help in the Florida Keys
A practical guide to seawalls and shoreline work in Monroe County: the sanctuary and state designations, the agencies involved, the canal restoration program and what the storm record shows.
Florida Keys: Monroe County.
What makes seawall and shoreline work in the Florida Keys different from the rest of Florida?
Keys shoreline work sits inside a National Marine Sanctuary and a state Area of Critical State Concern, so several permit layers apply. Florida Bulk Head accepts project inquiries here and connects owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available, subject to availability. Referral availability in the Keys is not confirmed, and inquiries are reviewed case by case. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region.
How service works in Florida Keys
Florida Bulk Head is building a network of licensed regional marine contractors. Projects here are reviewed and, where a qualified participating contractor is available, connected with that contractor. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region.
Send your project details and photos. We review the request, and if a qualified participating contractor is available for your location and scope, we will ask before sharing your information. If no contractor is available, we will tell you so you can look elsewhere. Read the lead-sharing disclosure.
Why Keys Shoreline Work Is Different
NOAA says the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (opens in a new tab), designated November 16, 1990, protects 4,539 square miles of water from south of Miami to the Dry Tortugas, excluding Dry Tortugas National Park. Its shoreward boundary is the mean high-water mark, so anything built waterward of that line is in sanctuary waters. The sanctuary is administered by NOAA and jointly managed with the State of Florida, and it absorbed the earlier Key Largo and Looe Key sanctuaries.
On land, section 380.0552, Florida Statutes (opens in a new tab), ratifies the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern. Its principles for guiding development include protecting shoreline and marine resources, including mangroves, coral reef formations, seagrass beds, wetlands, fish and wildlife, and their habitat. Under the same statute, a new or amended local land development regulation in the Keys takes effect only after the state land planning agency approves it; Islamorada's Ordinance 24-15 (2024), which amended the village's shoreline setback section, carries a state Department of Commerce final order approving it.
Keys waters are also Outstanding Florida Waters under DEP's rule 62-302.700 (opens in a new tab), with exceptions that include artificial waterbodies such as dredged canals. DEP's Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab) lies south of Big Pine Key, and its Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve (opens in a new tab) lies within Islamorada, in Florida Bay and extending slightly into the Atlantic. Both preserves are also listed as Outstanding Florida Waters.
The Permit Layers to Expect
| Layer | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| NOAA sanctuary rules | Altering the seabed or placing structures on it is prohibited sanctuary-wide, except as an incidental result of activities that include construction, repair, replacement or rehabilitation of docks, seawalls, breakwaters and piers authorized by a valid federal, state or local permit (15 CFR 922.163). |
| Florida DEP | Monroe County is in DEP's Southeast District. Its Marathon Branch Office administers DEP's regulatory programs in the county; applications go through DEP's Business Portal, and pre-application meetings are encouraged. |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | DEP lists Monroe County among areas excluded from self-certification under the Corps' SPGP VI general permit, and the SPGP VI permit (opens in a new tab) lists an expiration date of July 27, 2026. Ask DEP or the Corps how federal authorization is handled for your project now. |
| Monroe County | The Building Department issues permits with planning, environmental, structural, floodplain and other reviews, and coordinates approvals from outside agencies, most of which charge their own review fees. |
| Protected species | Monroe County's Species Focus Area process (Section 122-8, adopted 2012) refers some permits for species review, with guides for species such as Key deer, the Lower Keys marsh rabbit and the Key Largo woodrat. |
| Cities | Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Colony Beach and Layton each have their own codes. Islamorada's shoreline setback section, as reprinted in Ordinance 24-15, says setbacks do not apply to seawalls, riprap and bulkheads permitted under the village code, and that they may be allowed as principal uses where shown to be for erosion control or upland protection. |
| Sandy beaches | DEP says no Coastal Construction Control Line has been set in the Keys; on sandy pocket beaches, coastal construction within 50 ft of mean high water is prohibited except by waiver or variance, which requires a CCCL permit application (opens in a new tab). |
We could not read Monroe County's own shoreline and seawall code for this guide, or the codes of Key West and Marathon. Ask the county or city for the current rules before you plan.
Residential Canals and the County Restoration Program
Many Keys seawalls line dredged residential canals. Monroe County's canal restoration plan (opens in a new tab) ranks 96 canals in unincorporated Monroe County with poor or fair water quality that do not meet minimum state standards. State rule 28-20.140, F.A.C., added a 10-year canal restoration work program to the county's comprehensive plan, and the county says lack of progress would reduce 20 percent of its Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) allocations.
The county lists organic removal, backfilling, culverts, weed gates and gravity-fed injection wells as restoration techniques, and it publishes a residential canals map file for Google Earth. If your wall is on a canal in a restoration project, ask the county how the timing and work could affect your project.
What the Official Storm Record Shows
| Storm | Area | What NHC reported |
|---|---|---|
| Irma (Sept. 2017) | Cudjoe Key to Big Pine Key and Bahia Honda Key | Category 4 landfall near Cudjoe Key; 5 to 8 ft of inundation above ground level; a 6.0 ft high water mark in a Big Pine Key garage |
| Irma (Sept. 2017) | Middle and Upper Keys | 4 to 6 ft above ground; high water marks of 4.11 ft in Key Largo and 3.72 ft in Marathon |
| Irma (Sept. 2017) | West of Cudjoe Key to Key West | 2 to 4 ft above ground; Key West gauge 2.7 ft above MHHW |
| Milton (Oct. 2024) | Florida Keys | 1 to 2 ft; Key West and Vaca Key gauges 1.23 and 2.02 ft above MHHW |
NHC adds that in the Middle and Lower Keys most homes were badly damaged or destroyed in Irma, that more than 1,300 boats were damaged or destroyed, and that FEMA estimated 25 percent of buildings were destroyed and 65 percent significantly damaged. NHC reports describe surge and building damage; they do not count seawall failures.
Read the Numbers Correctly
Inundation is measured in feet above ground level and gauge readings in feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW). Seawall elevations are usually written in feet NAVD88, a different reference, so never compare them directly.
Logistics and Timing
Practical questions deserve as much attention as design. Ask any contractor how materials and equipment will reach your lot, by road along the Overseas Highway or by barge, where they will be staged, and how in-water work will be kept off seagrass and hard bottom. Monroe County notes that its plans examiners, planners and biologists travel between permitting offices and encourages appointments. Build agency review time into your schedule, and expect more than one agency to sign off.
Communities Without Their Own Page
We have not published separate pages for Key Largo or Big Pine Key because we could not read Monroe County's shoreline code. What we did verify:
- Key Largo: a 4.11 ft high water mark in Irma; the former Key Largo sanctuary is now part of the national marine sanctuary.
- Islamorada: home to the Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve; the village's shoreline setback section exempts permitted seawalls, riprap and bulkheads from setbacks.
- Marathon: DEP's Marathon Branch Office; a 3.72 ft high water mark in Irma, and the Vaca Key gauge read 2.02 ft above MHHW in Milton.
- Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys: near Irma's landfall, with 5 to 8 ft of inundation; Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve lies to the south, and waters within the National Key Deer Refuge are Outstanding Florida Waters.
- Key West: 2 to 4 ft of Irma inundation; the city has its own code.
Checking a Contractor and How Keys Inquiries Work
Before you hire anyone for Keys shoreline work
- Look up the license on the state's DBPR license search (opens in a new tab) and match it to the contract.
- Ask for current liability and workers' compensation certificates sent by the insurer.
- Ask which approvals the job needs (county or city, DEP, Corps, sanctuary conditions, species review) and who applies for each.
- Ask how seagrass, hard bottom and mangroves near the wall will be protected during work.
- Get access, staging, schedule and payment terms in writing.
Florida Bulk Head is building a network of licensed regional marine contractors, and no participating contractor is confirmed in the Keys. We accept project inquiries from Monroe County and connect owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available, subject to availability. Referral availability in the Keys is not confirmed, so each inquiry is reviewed case by case, and we will tell you plainly if we cannot help. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region. See the lead-sharing disclosure.
Shorelines and waterways in Florida Keys
Sanctuary Waters
4,539 square miles of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, whose shoreward boundary is the mean high-water mark (NOAA). Permitted seawall work is allowed under sanctuary rules; other permits still apply.
Residential Canals
Dredged canals line many neighborhoods. Monroe County ranks 96 unincorporated canals with poor or fair water quality for restoration; artificial canals are excepted from the Keys' Outstanding Florida Waters listing.
Florida Bay and the Gulf Side
Bayside shorelines from Key Largo to the Lower Keys. The Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve lies in Florida Bay and the Atlantic within Islamorada (DEP).
Atlantic Side and Coupon Bight
Oceanside shorelines facing the Atlantic. Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve lies south of Big Pine Key (DEP), near where Irma made landfall.
Local construction considerations
Sanctuary Boundary at Mean High Water
Anything waterward of mean high water is in the sanctuary. Seawall work is allowed when it holds valid federal, state or local authorization, so the other permits come first.
Area of Critical State Concern
State law makes protecting mangroves, seagrass, coral and wetlands a guiding principle for Keys development, and changes to local land development rules need state approval.
Protected Species Review
Monroe County's Species Focus Area process can refer permits for species review, including Key deer, Lower Keys marsh rabbit and Key Largo woodrat habitat.
Canal Restoration
Unincorporated canals are part of a state-required county restoration program. Ask whether your canal has a planned project before scheduling wall work.
Access and Staging
Ask how materials and equipment will reach the lot, by road or by barge, where they will be staged and how turbidity will be controlled. Settle these before signing.
Common seawall concerns
- Overtopping and fill loss where surge rose above the cap, as in Irma's Lower Keys landfall area. See storm damage.
- Corrosion and spalling of reinforced concrete in constant salt exposure. See concrete spalling.
- Cracked or shifted caps on older canal walls. See cracked cap.
- Soil washout through joints and weep holes. See soil washout.
- Debris and vessel impacts during storms; NHC counted more than 1,300 boats damaged or destroyed in Irma.
Regional cost factors
- Multiple agency reviews: county or city, DEP, the Corps, sanctuary conditions and species review.
- How materials and equipment reach the site, by road or by barge, and where they can be staged.
- Turbidity control and protection of seagrass, hard bottom and mangroves near the work.
- Engineering and surveys for salt-exposed, storm-exposed structures.
- Removing and resetting docks, lifts and davits in the work area.
Permitting agencies and local rules
- NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 15 CFR 922.163(a)(3)(v): seabed alteration and placing structures on the seabed are prohibited except as an incidental result of construction, repair, replacement or rehabilitation of docks, seawalls, breakwaters, piers or marinas with fewer than ten slips authorized by a valid federal, state or local permit. Official source
- State of Florida: Section 380.0552, F.S.: Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern; guiding principles include protecting shoreline and marine resources, mangroves, coral reef formations and seagrass beds. Official source
- Monroe County: Rule 28-20.140, F.A.C. adds a 10-year canal restoration work program; lack of progress reduces 20 percent of the county's ROGO allocations. Official source
- Islamorada, Village of Islands: Ordinance 24-15 (Sec. 30-1542): shoreline setbacks do not apply to fences, seawalls, retaining walls, riprap and bulkheads permitted under the division; they may be allowed as principal uses where shown to be for erosion control or upland protection. Adopted September 10, 2024; approved by Department of Commerce Final Order COM-24-043. Official source
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / DEP: Monroe County is listed among areas excluded from SPGP VI self-certification; the SPGP VI permit lists an expiration date of July 27, 2026. Official source
- Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryBoundaries and management (NOAA)
- 15 CFR 922.163, sanctuary-wide prohibitionsSeawall construction and repair exception
- Monroe County Building and PermittingPermits, plan reviews and outside agency coordination
- Monroe County Species Focus Area referral processSection 122-8 and species assessment guides
- Monroe County canal restorationCanal rankings and residential canals map
- DEP Southeast District (Marathon Branch Office)Administers DEP regulatory programs in Monroe County
- DEP federal permits and coordination agreementsSPGP excluded areas, including Monroe County
- Section 380.0552, Florida StatutesFlorida Keys Area of Critical State Concern
- Florida DBPR license searchVerify a contractor's state license
Requirements depend on your exact property, waterway and scope. Confirm with each agency. See the Florida seawall permit guide.
Communities in Florida Keys
Also serving inquiries from: Key Largo, Tavernier, Islamorada, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Big Pine Key, Little Torch Key, Cudjoe Key, Summerland Key, Key West, Stock Island.
Bulkhead and seawall services through the partner network
Florida Keys seawall and bulkhead questions
Does Florida Bulk Head have a contractor in the Florida Keys?
No participating contractor is confirmed in the Keys, and referral availability there is not confirmed. Florida Bulk Head accepts project inquiries from Monroe County and reviews each one case by case; when a qualified participating contractor is available for your location and scope, we ask before sharing your details. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region.
Can I repair a seawall inside the National Marine Sanctuary?
Sanctuary rules allow construction, repair, replacement or rehabilitation of seawalls as long as the work is authorized by a valid federal, state or local permit. The sanctuary exception does not replace those permits; you still need county or city, state and federal approvals as they apply.
Who reviews seawall permits in Monroe County?
The Monroe County Building Department issues building permits and coordinates outside agencies, with reviews that include planning, environmental and floodplain staff. DEP's Marathon Branch Office handles state environmental permitting, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers handles federal review. Inside Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Colony Beach or Layton, check with the city too.
Why are canals treated differently in the Keys?
Monroe County has a state-required program to restore residential canals with poor water quality, ranking 96 canals in unincorporated areas. DEP's Outstanding Florida Waters listing for the Keys also excepts artificial waterbodies such as dredged canals. Ask the county whether your canal has a planned restoration project.
Can I compare Irma's surge numbers with my seawall height?
Not directly. NHC gives inundation in feet above ground level and gauge readings in feet above Mean Higher High Water, while wall elevations are usually in feet NAVD88. A surveyor or engineer can convert between them for your lot.
Does protected species review affect seawall projects?
It can. Monroe County's Species Focus Area process, created in 2012, refers some permits for species review and publishes assessment guides for species such as Key deer and the Lower Keys marsh rabbit. Ask the county early whether your parcel is affected.
Sources and references
- The Sanctuary — NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- 15 CFR 922.163: Prohibited activities, Sanctuary-wide — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Accessed November 2, 2026. Text read through the eCFR API (version current as of 2026-10-01)
- Section 380.0552, Florida Statutes (2026) — The Florida Senate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Canal Restoration — Monroe County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building and Permitting — Monroe County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Species Focus Area Permit Referral Process — Monroe County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- DEP Southeast District Monroe County Transfer: Frequently Asked Questions — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Federal Permits and Coordination Agreements — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- State Programmatic General Permit SPGP VI (SAJ-2015-2575) — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (hosted by Florida DEP). Accessed November 3, 2026. Lists an expiration date of July 27, 2026
- Ordinance No. 24-15 (Sec. 30-1542, Shoreline Setback) — Islamorada, Village of Islands. Accessed November 2, 2026. Includes the Department of Commerce final order approving it
- Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Lignumvitae Key Aquatic Preserve — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Rule 62-302.700, F.A.C.: Special Protection, Outstanding Florida Waters — Legal Information Institute (copy of the Florida Administrative Code). Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017) — NOAA National Hurricane Center. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Milton (AL142024) — NOAA National Hurricane Center. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Regulations, programs and conditions change. Always confirm requirements with the agency that has jurisdiction over your property.