Seawall & Bulkhead Help in St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach publishes minimum seawall elevations and a detailed submittal list. If you are repairing or replacing a wall here, height, neighbors and paperwork all matter.
Tampa Bay: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando counties.
How high does a seawall have to be in St. Pete Beach?
The City of St. Pete Beach's seawall permitting requirements say seawalls must be elevated to at least 5.0 feet NAVD88 on the bay side and 6.0 feet NAVD88 on the Gulf side, with a recorded agreement when a wall cannot reach that height. Florida Bulk Head accepts inquiries here and connects owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available; Barefoot Marine Construction does not work in this region.
How service works in St. Pete Beach
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.
The City's Seawall Elevation Standard
The City of St. Pete Beach's Seawall Permitting Requirements, effective May 25, 2021, state that all seawalls must be elevated to at least 5.0 feet NAVD88 on the bay side and at least 6.0 feet NAVD88 on the Gulf side. The same sheet asks for the ground floor elevations of the house and of the houses on each side, and says the seawall should be raised as high as possible based on those three elevations.
When a new wall cannot reach the minimum, the city asks for a signed, notarized and recorded Seawall Agreement from the owner, and the plans must show that the wall is designed to be added on to and raised in the future. Either way, the plans must show the elevation of the new cap, and a final elevation certificate goes to the Building Official before final inspection.
A 2026 conference presentation by the city's Director of Public Services and its engineering consultant describes a later Seawalls, Bulkhead and Retaining Wall Ordinance (No. 2024-02). According to that presentation, it sets a minimum seawall elevation of 5 feet NAVD88 for bayfront properties; applies when a new seawall is built, when an existing wall is substantially repaired or improved, or when a wall in disrepair is causing tidal flooding; requires owners to keep seawalls, bulkheads, living shorelines and other shoreline protection in good repair; and offers relief through Sec. 98-104. We were not able to read the ordinance text itself, so confirm the current standard with the city's building department before design.
What the city counts as disrepair
The presentation defines disrepair as a shoreline protection structure that allows erosion, material transfer or unimpeded tidal flow through it to neighboring properties or public rights-of-way, including walls originally permitted below the required elevation that have deteriorated and now let water flow over them.
What a St. Pete Beach Seawall Permit Package Includes
Items on the city's seawall submittal list and forms
- A completed permit application and a copy of the contract.
- At least two sets of sealed construction plans, to scale and legible, showing the new cap elevation.
- Ground floor elevations for your house and the houses on each side.
- A Seawall Elevation Worksheet showing the existing and proposed elevation of your wall, your neighbors' wall elevations, grade at the midpoint of each lot, floor elevations, back-of-curb and street centerline elevations, and every retaining wall. The contractor signs it with a license number, and it is notarized.
- A recorded Seawall Agreement if the wall will not meet the minimum elevation.
- A final elevation certificate before final inspection.
The city also posts a notice to seawall contractors: a turbidity barrier must be installed before any construction, and failure to do so will result in a failed inspection and a stop work order. The city's seawall forms list its contact as 155 Corey Avenue, (727) 363-9241, permits@stpetebeach.org.
Why Elevation and Neighbors Matter on a Barrier Island
The city's presentation shows why it ties seawall height to neighboring lots and streets. In the Don CeSar neighborhood, it lists street elevations of about 1.1 to 1.8 feet NAVD88 and shows sunny-day flooding with a tide at 1.5 feet NAVD88. It also shows tide check valves the city has installed on stormwater outfalls, and it describes about 90 percent of the seawall in the city as privately owned.
On a low barrier island, a single low or leaking wall can let tidal water reach a street or a neighbor's yard even when the walls next to it are higher. That is why the worksheet asks for both neighbors' wall elevations, and why the transition at each property line deserves as much attention as the wall's face. Ask your engineer how the new cap will meet the adjoining walls.
County and State Layers
- Pinellas County Water and Navigation. The county permits seawalls, riprap, docks and tie poles in all Pinellas cities, including St. Pete Beach, through the Pinellas County Access Portal.
- Aquatic preserve. DEP describes the Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve as lying within the larger Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve, which includes all state-owned submerged land in the county. That can limit how far a rebuilt wall may move waterward; confirm the allowance with DEP.
- Coastal Construction Control Line. On the Gulf side, DEP's CCCL program governs construction seaward of the control line on sandy beaches. It does not apply to bay or canal walls.
- State restoration exemption. Section 403.813(1)(e), F.S., exempts restoring a seawall within 18 inches waterward of its old location from state environmental permitting, but it does not remove city, county or CCCL requirements.
Storm History on the Pinellas Barrier Islands
The National Hurricane Center reports that Helene (2024) produced 5 to 7 feet of inundation above ground from the Anclote River to Longboat Key. A USGS sensor at nearby Madeira Beach measured 7.26 feet above mean higher high water, with significant waves on top. Of the 12 people who drowned in the surge in Pinellas County, media reports cited by the NHC place 9 on the barrier islands from St. Pete Beach to Indian Rocks Beach.
Two weeks later, Milton's surge forecast for coastal Pinellas County was lowered step by step from 9 to 13 feet to 6 to 9 feet as offshore winds became more likely, and inundation in Tampa Bay ended up at 1 to 2 feet. Keep in mind that Helene's readings are measured above mean higher high water, while the city's seawall standard is in feet NAVD88. The two are not directly comparable.
Hiring for a St. Pete Beach Seawall
- Verify the contractor's license on the state's DBPR license search (opens in a new tab); the city's worksheet asks for the license number.
- Ask for certificates of liability and workers' compensation insurance.
- Confirm the contractor will file both the city permit and the Pinellas County Water and Navigation application.
- Ask what NAVD88 elevation the new cap will reach and how it meets your neighbors' walls.
- Confirm a turbidity barrier is in the plan before any work starts.
Florida Bulk Head accepts project inquiries from St. Pete Beach and connects owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available, subject to availability. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region.
Shorelines and waterways in St. Pete Beach
Boca Ciega Bay
The bay side of the island and its canals. City requirements call for at least 5.0 ft NAVD88 on bay-side seawalls. Part of the Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve.
Gulf beachfront
The open-Gulf side, where the city's minimum is 6.0 ft NAVD88 and DEP's Coastal Construction Control Line program applies on the sandy beach.
Residential canals
Canal-front lots on the bay side of the island fall under the city's 5.0 ft NAVD88 bay-side minimum, and seawall work on them needs a Pinellas County Water and Navigation permit.
Local construction considerations
Published Minimum Elevations
City requirements call for 5.0 ft NAVD88 on the bay side and 6.0 ft NAVD88 on the Gulf side, and the 2024 ordinance described by city staff sets 5 ft NAVD88 for bayfront lots.
Neighbors Are Part of the Design
The elevation worksheet asks for both neighbors' wall and floor elevations, and the city expects walls raised as high as those elevations allow.
A Path When Height Is Not Possible
A recorded Seawall Agreement and a design that can be raised later are required when a new wall cannot meet the minimum.
Maintenance Is an Obligation
City staff describe a duty to keep shoreline protection in good repair, and a wall in disrepair that causes tidal flooding can trigger the elevation standard.
Turbidity Barrier First
The city warns that work without a turbidity barrier fails inspection and gets a stop work order.
Common seawall concerns
- Low walls that tidal water overtops or seeps through to neighboring lots and streets.
- Gaps at property lines where a new wall meets an older, lower neighbor wall. See joint separation.
- Fill loss behind the cap after surge and wave overtopping. See soil washout.
- Cracked and spalling caps on older concrete walls. See cracked caps.
- Storm damage to caps, docks and backfill on the barrier island. See storm damage.
Regional cost factors
- Raising the wall to the city's minimum elevation, which adds panel height, cap work and backfill.
- Survey and elevation work for the worksheet, the sealed plans and the final elevation certificate.
- Transitions to neighboring walls at different heights.
- Gulf-front work that also needs CCCL review from DEP.
- Access on tight barrier-island lots, and removal and replacement of docks, pools or landscaping near the wall.
Permitting agencies and local rules
- City of St. Pete Beach: Seawall Permitting Requirements (effective May 25, 2021): seawalls must be at least 5.0 ft NAVD88 on the bay side and 6.0 ft NAVD88 on the Gulf side; a recorded Seawall Agreement and a raisable design are required if the minimum cannot be met. Official source
- City of St. Pete Beach: Contractors must install a turbidity barrier before any seawall construction, or the job fails inspection and receives a stop work order. Official source
- Pinellas County: Water and Navigation permits are required for seawalls, riprap, docks and tie poles in all Pinellas cities, including St. Pete Beach. Official source
- City of St. Pete Beach permits and applications
- Pinellas County Water and Navigation (docks, seawalls, dredge and fill)
- Florida DEP Coastal Construction Control Line program
Requirements depend on your exact property, waterway and scope. Confirm with each agency. See the Florida seawall permit guide.
More communities in Tampa Bay
Bulkhead and seawall services through the partner network
St. Pete Beach seawall and bulkhead questions
Does the 5.0 or 6.0 foot minimum apply to a seawall repair?
The city's 2021 requirements apply to seawall permits, and the 2024 ordinance described by city staff applies when a wall is newly built, substantially repaired or improved, or in disrepair and causing tidal flooding. Minor repairs may be treated differently. Ask the city's building department how your scope is classified.
What if my lot cannot support a wall that high?
The city's requirements allow a signed, notarized and recorded Seawall Agreement when the new wall cannot meet the minimum. The plans must then show that the wall is designed to be added on to and raised later. Relief from the 2024 ordinance's standards is described under Sec. 98-104.
Do I need a Pinellas County permit too?
Yes, in most cases. Pinellas County's Water and Navigation section permits seawall, riprap and dock projects in all Pinellas cities. Gulf-front work may also need DEP Coastal Construction Control Line review.
Why does the city want my neighbors' elevations?
The worksheet records your neighbors' seawall elevations and floor elevations so the city can see how your wall fits the block. The requirements say the seawall should be raised as high as possible based on your house and the houses on each side.
Can Florida Bulk Head connect me with a contractor in St. Pete Beach?
St. Pete Beach is in a partner-network region, and no participating contractor is confirmed yet. Florida Bulk Head accepts inquiries and connects owners with a qualified participating contractor when one is available. Barefoot Marine Construction does not perform work in this region.
Sources and references
- Seawall Permitting Requirements (effective May 25, 2021) — City of St. Pete Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Seawall Elevation Worksheet (June 2023) — City of St. Pete Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Notice to Seawall Contractors — City of St. Pete Beach. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Coastal Resilience in Action: St. Pete Beach's Blueprint for Smarter Stormwater Management — Florida Stormwater Association 2026 conference (presentation by Halff and the City of St. Pete Beach Director of Public Services). Accessed November 2, 2026. Describes Ordinance No. 2024-02; the ordinance text was not reviewed.
- Docks / Dredge & Fill (Water and Navigation) — Pinellas County. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve — Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Aquatic Preserves. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Apply for a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) Permit — Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Helene (AL092024) — 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.