The South Florida Seawall Inspection Guide
What an engineer actually checks during a seawall inspection — above and below the waterline.
Most homeowners think a seawall inspection is a walk along the cap with a flashlight. It isn’t. A real engineering inspection is a structured, three-phase protocol that documents above-water condition, dives the wall to record below-water condition, and produces a sealed structural report a building department, an insurance carrier, or a real-estate attorney will accept.
Phase 1 — Above water
The engineer walks every linear foot of cap, joint, and panel. They sound suspect concrete with a chain drag, photograph each defect, measure cap displacement, and inspect the landside drainage that feeds the wall.
Phase 2 — Underwater
A commercial diver records the panel-by-panel condition below the waterline — joint integrity, bottom kickout, marine fouling masking deterioration, and exposed reinforcement. Findings are correlated to the above-water survey.
Phase 3 — Engineered report
Findings are written up with a defect matrix, recommended repair scope (or replacement scope), photographic evidence, and a Florida licensed structural engineer’s seal.