Seawall damage after a hurricane

First: stay safe and record the damage

• Keep off the cap and the ground just behind the wall. Soil can wash out from under grass, pavers or a pool deck and leave a hollow that looks solid.
• Look from a distance for a cracked or shifted cap, a wall leaning toward the water, holes or soft ground behind it, missing panels, and damage to the dock or lift.
• Photograph and film everything before anything is moved or repaired, with the date. Include close-ups, wide shots from the water if you can, and any high-water marks.
• Keep receipts for any emergency work, such as stabilizing the wall to stop more soil washing out. That's temporary; the permanent repair still needs the usual approvals.

Our repair or replace guide explains what each sign usually means.

What insurance usually covers

Flood insurance doesn't cover the wall. The National Flood Insurance Program's standard policy for homes lists "fences, retaining walls, seawalls, bulkheads, wharves, piers, bridges, and docks" as property it doesn't insure. The policy's definition of flood includes the overflow of tidal waters, which is how storm surge is usually treated.

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood. Florida's Department of Financial Services says plainly that flood damage isn't covered by a homeowners policy. A homeowners policy covers the house and certain unattached structures. Whether your seawall or dock is one of them, and for which causes, such as wind, depends on your policy.

• Call your insurer or agent before permanent work starts, and ask in writing what's covered.
• Send them your photos and the contractor's written findings.
• Don't assume a "no" for the house means a "no" for the dock or lift, or the other way round. Ask about each.

Permits for storm repairs

State: Florida DEP

Florida law already exempts some repairs from a state environmental permit, storm or no storm (section 403.813):

• Seawalls: restoring a seawall at its previous location, upland of it, or up to 18 inches in front of it.
• Docks: repairing or replacing an existing dock or pier with no fill, within 5 feet of the same location and no larger than before.

After a declared hurricane, DEP usually issues an emergency final order for the affected counties, as it did after Ian in 2022 and Helene in 2024. DEP's post-storm guidance says the order's purpose is to let people repair what legally existed just before the storm. Replacing a structure that was completely destroyed may need a field authorization from the DEP district office, by a deadline set in each order. Nothing in the order covers a structure that wasn't legally there before.

Federal: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The Corps' nationwide permit for maintenance (NWP 3, reissued for 2026 to 2031) covers repairing or replacing structures damaged by a storm, as long as the work starts, or is under contract to start, within two years of the damage. After a hurricane, the district engineer can waive that limit if funding or contract delays hold the work up.

Local: your city or county

The state and federal rules cover environmental approval. The seawall or dock work itself still needs your city or county's permit, applied for by your licensed contractor in their own name. In Broward, a repair to more than half of your shoreline counts as substantial, so the rebuilt wall must meet the county's 5 ft height rule.

County details: Broward permits · Broward's 5 ft rule · Lee County permits · Pinellas permits.

Hiring after a storm

Contracting without a licence in Florida is normally a first-degree misdemeanor. During a state of emergency declared by the Governor, it's a third-degree felony (section 489.127). Check any contractor's licence on the Florida DBPR licence search, or with the county for county-certified marine contractors.

• Be wary of door-to-door offers, "today only" prices and cash-only deals.
• Florida's rule on deposits over 10% still applies after a storm.
• Don't let anyone talk you out of permits "to save time".

Our contractor checklist covers licences, insurance, deposits and contracts.

Get a written inspection

A wall can look fine from the yard after a surge and still have scour at its base or failed tiebacks. A licensed marine contractor or an engineer can inspect it and write down what they found, which helps with an insurance claim, the permit and the choice between repair and replacement. Walls that were patched in a hurry after an earlier storm are worth checking too. See seawall inspection, or ask us for a quote with the form below.

Sources: Florida Statutes section 403.813 and section 489.127 (2025). NFIP Standard Flood Insurance Policy, Dwelling Form, 44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1). Florida Department of Financial Services, homeowners insurance overview. Florida DEP post-storm permitting guidance (2022) and emergency final orders after Ian and Helene. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2026 nationwide permits. Broward County Code section 39-406, as summarized in our 5 ft rule guide.

This page summarizes published rules and prices for general information. It isn't engineering or legal advice, and codes change. Your contractor, engineer and building department have the final word for your property.

Common questions