Seawall & Bulkhead Repair in Jacksonville Beach, FL
Duval County's beach cities face two waters: the open Atlantic, with a NOAA mean range of about 5 ft at Jacksonville Beach, and the Intracoastal Waterway along Pablo Creek to the west. Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach each run their own building departments.
Northeast Florida: Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Clay, Flagler, Putnam counties.
Who repairs seawalls and bulkheads in Jacksonville Beach?
The Duval beach cities are part of Barefoot Marine Construction's direct service area, so Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach owners work with the Jacksonville company that owns Florida Bulk Head. Permits do not go through Jacksonville's JaxEPICS: each beach city runs its own building office, and oceanfront work seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line also goes to FDEP.
How service works in Jacksonville Beach
Barefoot Marine Construction, the owner and operator of Florida Bulk Head, works directly with waterfront property owners in this region.
Call (904) 821-5744 or send your project details and photos. Barefoot Marine Construction reviews every Northeast Florida request itself and follows up to schedule a site visit when one is needed.
Two Shorelines, Two Sets of Rules
The beach cities sit between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. On the ocean side, a wall deals with breaking waves, moving sand and dune loss, and FDEP's Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) program regulates work that can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes, damage upland property or interfere with public access. On the Pablo Creek side, a bulkhead deals with a 3.77 ft tide, currents and boat wakes, and goes through state Environmental Resource Permit review and, where required, the Corps of Engineers.
FDEP says adopting a CCCL establishes an area of jurisdiction. Whether your lot is seaward of the line is a mapping question FDEP and the city building office can answer before design starts. Either way, the local permit comes from the city where the lot sits:
| City | Office | How to Apply | Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Beach | Building Inspection Division, Planning and Development, 11 N. Third St. (904-247-6235) | Contact the division; past permits are searchable in C.O.A.S.T. without a login | Construction hours 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday (Ordinance 2006-7929) |
| Atlantic Beach | Building Division, 800 Seminole Road (904-247-5800) | BSAOnline | A licensed plans examiner reviews the project before work begins |
| Neptune Beach | Building office, 116 First St. ((904) 270-2400) | Notarized application with required documents | FDEP Notice to Proceed listed for property east of the CCCL |
Jacksonville Beach
The Jacksonville Beach Building Inspection Division, part of Planning and Development at 11 N. Third St., issues building permits, reviews construction documents and inspects work within city limits. Applications are designed to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), and the City links flood-resistant coastal construction guidance from its building page. Anyone can look up historical permits through the City's C.O.A.S.T. search tool, which is useful for finding past work on an existing wall.
The City's construction hours are 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, under Ordinance 2006-7929, with no building work on Sundays or on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. The ordinance is written around building work, so ask the division how it applies to a seawall job before setting a schedule.
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach permits run through its Building Division, listed under the Neighborhoods Department, with the City at 800 Seminole Road. The City says a licensed plans examiner reviews a permitted project before work begins and an inspector checks the work at key stages, and that contractors apply and schedule inspections through BSAOnline. Permit technicians handle general permit and BSAOnline questions at 904-247-5800. The City also notes that its plans examiner works part-time, so build review time into the schedule.
Neptune Beach
Neptune Beach's building office is at 116 First St. Its building permit application asks for a notarized application with proof of ownership, a signed legal survey, a tree survey with an arbor permit application where trees are affected, and a recorded Notice of Commencement above the stated value. For oceanfront lots, it also lists a Department of Environmental Protection Notice to Proceed if the property is east of the Coastal Construction Control Line. Confirm current forms with the office at (904) 270-2400 before applying.
Storms and the Beach Cities
- Matthew (2016): major to locally extreme beach erosion in Jacksonville Beach, some dunes completely swept away, and part of the pier knocked down by battering waves (NHC).
- Irma (2017): 6.55 ft NAVD88 at the Jacksonville Beach storm tide sensor, about 4.1 ft above mean higher high water (NHC).
Irma's reading sat about 4.1 ft above an ordinary high tide at Jacksonville Beach, which is why oceanfront and Pablo Creek owners alike should raise cap height, toe protection and drainage early. A storm reading is not a design standard on its own; the engineer sets design water levels for the site.
Working With Barefoot at the Beaches
All three beach cities are in Barefoot Marine Construction's direct Duval County service area, served from its base on Patton Rd in Jacksonville. Repair, replacement and new construction of bulkheads and seawalls on the Pablo Creek side are standard work. Oceanfront armoring seaward of the CCCL is a separate permit program, and whether that specific scope is performed in-house is settled at the estimate.
Projects move through Request a Quote, Site Assessment, Plan & Permit, Build or Repair, and Protect Your Property. Call (904) 821-5744 or send photos and details, and tell us which city the lot is in and whether the wall faces the ocean or Pablo Creek, since that sets both the permit office and the state program. If you are deciding between a vertical wall and a sloped option, the bulkhead vs. seawall guide explains the terms.
Shorelines and waterways in Jacksonville Beach
Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville Beach
NOAA's Jacksonville Beach station (8720291) lists a 5.07 ft mean range, from a 1974–1975 datum period adjusted to the national epoch. In Hurricane Matthew, NHC reported major to locally extreme beach erosion here, with some dunes completely swept away.
Atlantic Ocean at Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach
NOAA publishes no mean range for its Atlantic Beach prediction station, so the Jacksonville Beach ocean station (5.07 ft) is the closest published reference. Neptune Beach's building permit application asks for an FDEP Notice to Proceed when a property is east of the Coastal Construction Control Line.
Intracoastal Waterway at Pablo Creek
West of the beach cities, the ICW runs through Pablo Creek. NOAA lists a 3.77 ft mean range at the Pablo Creek ICWW bridge, smaller than the ocean's but still enough to wet and drain a tall band of an ICW-side bulkhead twice a day.
Local construction considerations
Neptune Beach Asks for the State's Sign-Off First
Neptune Beach's permit application lists an FDEP Notice to Proceed among required documents for property east of the Coastal Construction Control Line. On an oceanfront lot, plan for the state CCCL step before the city application is complete.
Each Beach City Runs Its Own Office
The City of Jacksonville's resilience strategy notes that Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach manage their own municipal services, plans and codes. Permits here are not filed through Jacksonville's JaxEPICS system.
Construction Hours in Jacksonville Beach
Under Ordinance 2006-7929, the City lists construction hours of 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and says it is unlawful to erect, excavate, demolish, alter or repair any building on Sundays and listed holidays. Plan noisy work such as pile driving within those hours.
A Five-Foot Ocean Tide
With a 5.07 ft mean range on the ocean and 3.77 ft on Pablo Creek, a large band of any wall face is wetted and drained twice a day. On sandy lots, that cycling can pull fill through gaps and joints if drainage details are not right.
Look Up Past Permits Before You Plan
Jacksonville Beach's C.O.A.S.T. tool lets anyone search historical permit records without logging in. Earlier permits for a wall or dock can show what was built, and when, before an assessment starts.
Common seawall concerns
- Dune loss that leaves oceanfront structures exposed, as when Matthew swept some Jacksonville Beach dunes away completely
- Sand and fill drawn out through joints behind Pablo Creek bulkheads, which can show up as soil washout or sinkholes in the yard
- Overtopping and backfill loss when storm water climbs several feet above normal high tide, as Irma's 6.55 ft NAVD88 reading at Jacksonville Beach did
- Concrete spalling on walls exposed to salt water and spray
- Joint separation and leaning sections on older ICW-side walls
Regional cost factors
- Which side of the island the wall is on: oceanfront work can add CCCL survey, engineering and permit conditions
- Equipment access on narrow beach lots versus water access on the ICW
- Which beach city issues the permit, and what its application asks for, such as Neptune Beach's survey and tree survey requirements
- Permit conditions tied to dunes and sea turtle protection on the oceanfront
- Allowed working hours, such as Jacksonville Beach's Monday-through-Saturday construction window
- Replacement of fill lost behind the wall in storms or through failed joints
Permitting agencies and local rules
- City of Jacksonville Beach: Construction hours are 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday (Ordinance 2006-7929). Applications are designed to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). Official source
- City of Neptune Beach: The building permit application lists a Department of Environmental Protection Notice to Proceed among required documents if the property is east of the Coastal Construction Control Line, along with a legal survey and a recorded Notice of Commencement above the stated value. Official source
- City of Atlantic Beach: The Building Division in the Neighborhoods Department provides plan review and inspections; property owners and contractors apply through BSAOnline. Official source
- Jacksonville Beach Building Inspection Division11 N. Third St., Jacksonville Beach · 904-247-6235
- Atlantic Beach Building PermitsBuilding Division, Neighborhoods Department · BSAOnline · 904-247-5800
- Neptune Beach Building Permit Application (PDF)116 First St., Neptune Beach · (904) 270-2400
- FDEP Coastal Construction Control Line Program850-245-8570
- FDEP Northeast DistrictGenerally reviews Pablo Creek-side work on single-family lots not part of a larger development
Requirements depend on your exact property, waterway and scope. Confirm with each agency. See the Florida seawall permit guide.
More communities in Northeast Florida
Bulkhead and seawall services from Barefoot Marine Construction
Jacksonville Beach seawall and bulkhead questions
Do I need a CCCL permit for my seawall in Jacksonville Beach?
Generally only if the work is seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line on the Atlantic beach. FDEP's CCCL program regulates work that can cause beach erosion or destabilize dunes, so it is aimed at the beach and dune system, not walls on Pablo Creek. ICW-side walls go through the city building office, state ERP review and, where required, the Corps of Engineers.
Which office issues building permits in Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach?
Each city issues its own. Atlantic Beach's Building Division, in the Neighborhoods Department, takes applications through BSAOnline (904-247-5800). Neptune Beach's building office is at 116 First St. ((904) 270-2400). Neither is permitted through the City of Jacksonville's JaxEPICS system.
When can construction happen in Jacksonville Beach?
The City lists construction hours of 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, under Ordinance 2006-7929. Building work is not allowed on Sundays or on listed holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Are tides smaller on the Intracoastal side?
Somewhat. NOAA lists a 5.07 ft mean range for the Jacksonville Beach ocean station and 3.77 ft for the Pablo Creek ICWW bridge. That is still enough for a tall band of an ICW wall to wet and drain twice a day, which is why drainage and toe protection matter on both sides.
Does Barefoot work on oceanfront seawalls?
Barefoot Marine Construction serves the Duval beach cities directly and handles seawall and bulkhead repair, replacement and new construction. Oceanfront armoring seaward of the CCCL is a separate permit program, and whether a specific oceanfront scope is performed in-house is confirmed during the estimate.
Sources and references
- Station datums, Jacksonville Beach 8720291 — NOAA Tides and Currents. Accessed November 2, 2026. Same datum page format used for Pablo Creek ICWW bridge (8720267); NOAA lists no datums for Atlantic Beach (8720259)
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew — National Hurricane Center. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma — National Hurricane Center. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Coastal Construction Control Line Program — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building Inspection Division — City of Jacksonville Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building Permits — City of Atlantic Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Building Permit Application — City of Neptune Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Resilient Jacksonville (October 2023) — City of Jacksonville. Accessed November 2, 2026. Beach cities manage their own municipal services, plans and codes
Regulations, programs and conditions change. Always confirm requirements with the agency that has jurisdiction over your property.