Marine Construction in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Transforming Waterfronts with Precision and Craftsmanship — serving Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding waterfront communities.
Who handles marine construction permitting in Fort Lauderdale?
Because Fort Lauderdale has roughly 165 miles of navigable canals plus direct New River and Intracoastal frontage, most marine construction projects need sign-off from more than one agency: the City of Fort Lauderdale for waterway ordinance compliance, Broward County's Environmental Protection and Growth Management Division for environmental resource permits, and, when work touches federally navigable water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Watson Marine coordinates this permitting sequence as part of the build.
Why does marine construction in Fort Lauderdale need to account for flood elevation?
Much of Fort Lauderdale's waterfront falls in FEMA Zone AE or VE, and the city's March 2023 tidal-barrier and seawall ordinance raised minimum elevation standards for new and substantially repaired marine structures. New docks, seawalls, and pilings have to meet current top-of-bank and cap elevations, not just match what was there before.
What marine construction looks like in Fort Lauderdale
Much of Fort Lauderdale's waterfront sits in FEMA Zone AE or VE, and in March 2023 the city adopted a tidal-barrier and seawall ordinance that raised minimum seawall and top-of-bank elevations to match Broward County's regional flood-resilience standard.
Fort Lauderdale has roughly 165 miles of navigable inland waterways within city limits, which is why the city is known as the "Venice of America."
165 miles of navigable inland waterways within city limits mean most residential waterfront lots touch a canal, the New River, or the Intracoastal directly.
The city's March 2023 tidal-barrier and seawall ordinance raised minimum seawall cap elevations to align with Broward County's regional flood-resilience standard, affecting how new marine structures are engineered.
Multi-agency review is routine: the City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County EPGMD, and (for federally navigable water) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may all touch a single project.
We regularly work in Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, Harbor Beach, Coral Ridge and Seven Isles, and coordinate permitting with the City of Fort Lauderdale (waterway ordinance and building permits, with unusual dock configurations reviewed by the city's Marine Advisory Board), coordinated with Broward County's Environmental Protection and Growth Management Division (EPGMD) and, where applicable, FDEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
For the complete breakdown of our marine construction process, materials, and options, see the full Marine Construction page. Want to explore other cities we serve? Visit Areas Served.
Marine Construction in Fort Lauderdale — Frequently Asked Questions
Watson Marine starts with a site and structure assessment, then prepares and submits permit applications to the applicable agencies — the City of Fort Lauderdale, and Broward County EPGMD, FDEP, or the Army Corps of Engineers when the work touches submerged land or federally navigable water — before mobilizing crews once approvals are in hand.
Ready to build on the water in Fort Lauderdale?
Tell us about your Fort Lauderdale property and what you need built — we'll follow up to schedule a site visit and put together a quote.