There Are Prerequisites to Building Your New Boat Dock!
Permits are required here in Florida for fresh or salt water. You may find it very difficult or impossible to build a new boat dock; a replacement dock is easier but still takes some leg work. Unless you would like to tear down your new and expensive dock, get the permits! There are codes you have to follow and even requirements for special circumstances.
The Department of Environmental Protection is a necessary first stop; you must get their approval first. The D.E.P. is not always required but it is best to be sure, they do have the clout to cause your new expensive boat dock to get torn down after all.
The Army Corps of Engineers also gets a say in the matter. Once done with the federal requirements, it’s time to move on to your local permit and code requirements for boat docks.
Both the D.E.P. and the A.C.O.E. will take some time to complete their requirements, take your time and follow their guidelines carefully or it will take even longer. Around three months is average from what I can find out.
You will need your local counties building permits for your boat dock. Certain municipalities may also want their share.
Each of those steps requires fees and those fees vary from department to department, and county to county. States may differ in their individual permits and code requirements on boat docks as well.
In Florida your dock is required to have no posts in the sea grass line. Shade on the grass is also a no no… There are more special requirements for the surface of the dock over sea grass; the surface boards can be no wider than eight inches and have to have a half inch spacing between them to allow sunlight through.
Also there are height, width and length restrictions. You may want a six foot wide, one hundred foot long dock, but the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Protection or your county may have a differing opinion. They will force you to take it down or pay to have it torn down. So get all the permits in order before you even consider buying any material!
You will be required to submit drawings for the dock to scale. In several different views, top, side showing post lengths in the water view as well. You may be able to submit only two views if you carefully detail all required measurements. Water depth at the dock is another required view. You will be required to submit sealed engineered plans on a new dock.
So settle in for a long waiting process; a process that may be denied in certain situations, Usually due to environmental restrictions such as an Aquatic Preserve or Manatee Sanctuary. Other factors are flood management, access, type of boat dock, and impeding navigation. Certain areas are simply closed to new dock construction.
There may be even more requirements in your area, that must be met before any construction can take place. One thing is certain; you will not get it built any time soon.
For a great article on boat docks and property values look
Once you do get the dock up, grab the fishing poles, your choice of a cold drink and enjoy!
Resources:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection web site.
Florida county web sites
