Seawall and dock permits in Lee County

Cape Coral

The City of Cape Coral's residential seawall guideline (with or without a concrete dock, last revised June 2020) lists:

• Who may apply: a certified general (CGC), residential (CRC) or building (CBC) contractor, a marine contractor, or the owner as owner-builder (with an owner-builder affidavit).
• Application: a Marine Improvement Application, two copies of a site plan showing existing structures with the seawall located at the property line, and two copies of the details and specifications.
• Design: either the city's approved Engineering Design Standards or plans signed and sealed by an engineer or architect.
• Other approvals: Florida DEP approval or the Army Corps' SAJ-91 general permit, except for freshwater canals, and a burrowing owl and gopher tortoise affidavit.
• Notice of Commencement if the job is worth $2,500 or more.
• Inspections: seawall slab; seawall cap, alignment and tieback; concrete dock forms and steel (if a dock is included); and the final.
• Fee and expiry: $110.25, and the permit expires after six months.

The city's Engineering Design Standards also require a floating turbidity screen around the work during clearing, excavating, jetting and backfilling. It stays in place for at least 24 hours afterwards, or until the water clears. Docks and boat lifts have their own permits and inspections.

City of Fort Myers

Properties inside the City of Fort Myers get permits from the city's building department. Many homes with a Fort Myers mailing address are actually in unincorporated Lee County, so check which applies before anyone applies. See Fort Myers.

Unincorporated Lee County

Lee County's Department of Community Development issues dock and shoreline permits outside the cities. Its Dock and Shoreline Guide says the contractor must hold either a state licence registered with Lee County or a Lee County certificate of competency. To register a state licence, the county asks for a licensed contractor agreement and a certificate of insurance naming Lee County. Contractor Licensing can be reached at ContractorLicensing@leegov.com.

Other towns

Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Bonita Springs have their own building departments, and their rules for seawalls and docks differ in the details. A contractor who works there regularly will know them.

State and federal approvals

Work on saltwater canals, state-owned submerged land or navigable waters can need Florida DEP or Army Corps approval on top of the local permit. Your contractor or engineer usually handles this. It's a common reason saltwater projects take longer than freshwater ones.

Checking the contractor's licence

Look up state licences on the Florida DBPR licence search. For county certificates, ask Lee County Contractor Licensing. Our contractor checklist covers insurance, contracts and deposits.

Sources: City of Cape Coral, Seawall Guideline, Residential. Lee County DCD, Dock and Shoreline 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