Seawall, dock and boat lift work in Lee County

Who issues the permits

Lee County doesn't have one seawall rulebook. Who you deal with depends on where the property is:

• Cape Coral: the City of Cape Coral issues seawall, dock and boat lift permits, under its own residential guidelines and Engineering Design Standards.
• City of Fort Myers: the city's own building department.
• Unincorporated Lee County, including many homes with a "Fort Myers" mailing address: Lee County's Department of Community Development.
• Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Bonita Springs run their own building departments.

The Lee County permits page covers each one.

Saltwater and freshwater canals

Cape Coral has both. Its residential seawall guideline requires approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, or the Army Corps of Engineers' SAJ-91 general permit, for seawall work, except on freshwater canals. That extra approval adds paperwork and time on saltwater lots, so ask your contractor which applies to yours.

After the storms

Hurricane Ian came ashore in Lee County in September 2022, and the 2024 storms brought more surge and damage. Many walls, docks and lifts were repaired quickly afterwards, and some temporary repairs are now due for permanent work. If your wall was stabilized after a storm but never properly rebuilt, it's worth having it inspected.

What we can help with

Cities we cover

• Cape Coral
• Fort Myers
• Fort Myers Beach

We also pass on requests from Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Estero, Pine Island, North Fort Myers and the rest of Lee County.

The contractors we work with

Before we pass a request to a contractor, we check for a current licence for marine work (a Florida state licence, or a Lee County certificate), insurance, and a track record in public reviews. Each request goes to one contractor. Contractors pay us a fee for it, and homeowners pay nothing. How it works.