Seawall Construction in Miami & South Florida.
Engineered new-build seawalls — design, permit, and construction under one Florida licensed engineer of record.
Why seawall construction matters in South Florida
Building a new seawall in South Florida is not a remodeling job. It is a structural engineering project sitting in one of the most regulated and most exposed environments in the country. The wall has to satisfy current Florida Building Code minimums, Miami-Dade or Broward AHJ requirements, Miami-Dade DERM environmental standards, Florida DEP rules, and — where the work touches navigable water — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversight. It has to perform against tide, storm surge, salt-driven chloride loading, and the soil conditions on the specific lot.
Owners come to Souffront for new seawall construction in two scenarios. The first: an existing wall has reached the end of its service life and replacement is more economical than continued repair. The second: a property is being developed (or redeveloped) and the original wall is missing, undersized, or non-compliant with current code.
Souffront keeps the entire path — site survey, geotechnical evaluation, structural design, permit submittal, construction, inspection, and closeout — under one Florida-licensed engineer of record. The engineer who designs the wall is the engineer who signs the permit drawings, supervises construction, and signs the closeout certificate.
The construction process
1. Site survey & existing-conditions assessment. Topographic and bathymetric survey, existing wall condition assessment (where being replaced), and lot/setback verification.
2. Geotechnical evaluation. Soil borings where the design warrants — typical for any wall over 6 feet exposed height, deeper canals, or where existing wall failure suggests soil-loss conditions.
3. Structural design. Wall typology selection (panel, sheet pile, anchored), tieback and deadman engineering, cap design, drainage and weep system specification.
4. Permit submittal. Sealed drawings to the building department. DERM environmental clearance. Florida DEP approval. USACE permit where the work extends into or over navigable water.
5. Mobilization & construction. In-house crews supervised by the engineer of record. Phased construction to maintain landside access.
6. As-built & closeout. Sealed as-built drawings, inspection sign-offs, and closeout certificate from the engineer of record.
What’s included
- Site and bathymetric survey
- Geotechnical investigation where required
- Sealed structural design and engineering drawings
- Full permit path — building, DERM, DEP, USACE where applicable
- Marine-grade panel system or sheet pile (concrete, vinyl, composite, or steel)
- Deadman tieback system engineered to load and depth
- Cap form and pour with reinforcement specified for chloride exposure
- Drainage and weep system
- In-house construction crews supervised by engineer of record
- Sealed as-built drawings and AHJ closeout package
- Project warranty
Wall systems we build
Concrete panel walls. The most common system for residential and HOA waterfront. Precast or cast-in-place concrete panels with engineered tieback and cap. Long service life with proper detailing.
Vinyl & composite sheet pile. Lightweight, corrosion-immune sheet pile systems for residential and light-commercial applications where chloride exposure rules out steel. Faster installation, lower maintenance.
Steel sheet pile. For commercial, marina, and high-load applications where panel systems aren’t sufficient. Coated or cathodically protected against marine corrosion.
Anchored & tieback systems. Where soil conditions require structural anchorage, helical or deadman tieback systems engineered to the load profile.
The deliverable
Every new-construction seawall project closes with the documentation package the AHJ and the property owner need: sealed structural drawings, sealed as-built record, inspection sign-offs, materials data sheets, and a closeout certificate from the engineer of record. The package supports insurance binding, real-estate transactions, and lender requirements.
When to engage us
- Existing wall reaching end of service life — replacement more economical than ongoing repair
- Existing wall non-compliant with current code (elevation, capacity, drainage)
- New construction or redevelopment without an existing wall
- Insurance carrier or lender requires wall replacement
- Storm event damaged wall beyond economical repair
- Code-enforcement or DERM violation requiring rebuild
Pricing
New seawall construction is priced fixed-fee against the engineered scope, quoted after the site survey and the engineering design pass. Pricing is driven by linear feet, exposed height, water depth, soil conditions, wall typology, and permitting complexity. The fee includes engineering, permitting, construction, and closeout — no hourly billing.
For HOAs and large-format commercial waterfront, multi-phase master agreements stage construction across a budget cycle while keeping the engineer of record continuous.
Service areas
We deliver this service across South Florida — from Key Largo north to Palm Beach.
Frequently asked questions
Recent Florida canal projects commonly fall in a $600–$1,200 per linear foot range for full replacement, with bids above or below that band depending on wall typology, exposed height, water depth, soil conditions, rock-toe requirements, and site access. Souffront writes a fixed-fee proposal once site survey and engineering design are complete — the number is final before mobilization.
Properly designed concrete panel walls deliver 40–50+ years of service when detailed for chloride exposure and protected by appropriate cap and tieback engineering. Vinyl and composite sheet pile systems are corrosion-immune and routinely deliver 30–50 years. Steel sheet pile averages around 35 years and can last longer with galvanizing and cathodic protection. The right material is the one that matches the load, the exposure, and the budget — there is no single best answer.
Often, yes. Many South Florida jurisdictions — Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and others — have adopted elevated minimum cap elevations (typically referenced to NAVD88) to address rising sea level and king-tide overtopping. Walls being fully replaced are usually required to meet the current minimum. Walls being repaired in place may be grandfathered. The permit-track engineering review establishes which side of the line you are on.
Permitting typically runs 8–16 weeks depending on jurisdiction and environmental scope (DERM, DEP, USACE add their own review cycles). Construction itself runs 4–10 weeks for a residential wall and longer for HOA and commercial scopes. Phased construction is standard so the property retains landside access through the build.
Partially, in a defined work zone. New seawall construction requires a staging area along the run, equipment access, and a temporary fence enclosing the active work corridor. Most of the rear yard remains usable. We sequence the work to compress the high-impact phases and coordinate with the owner on pool, dock, and lift access throughout the project.
Souffront warrants the workmanship of every new-construction seawall, with the warranty period and the covered scope defined in the contract. The engineering of the design and the marine-grade materials carry their own separate manufacturer warranties where applicable. The closeout package — sealed as-built drawings, materials data sheets, and the engineer's certificate — is the artifact insurance carriers, lenders, and buyers will ask for years down the line.