Buying a Waterfront Home: The Dock, Seawall, and Depth Checklist

A canal-front home is really two purchases: the house and the water in front of it. The water decides what boat fits the dock, whether the lift clears the bottom, and what the seawall will cost to keep in service. Three checks before closing cover the things buyers most often miss: the dock's permits, the seawall's condition, and the depth at mean low tide.

This checklist is a starting point. A real estate attorney, the title company, and licensed marine professionals should each look at the parts of the deal in their lane.

Confirm that every structure on the water, the dock, lift, seawall, and any deck or platform, was properly permitted. In Florida, that means state records with the Department of Environmental Protection and, where federal jurisdiction applies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plus the local records.

Review the deed, survey, plat, and title for the permitted footprint. An unpermitted structure becomes the new owner's problem, and a dock that cannot be rebuilt or replaced may limit the property's value and your boat plan.

Hire a licensed marine contractor or a Florida professional engineer with coastal experience for the seawall, not the general home inspector. The wall should be checked above the waterline and, where possible, below it.

Look for horizontal cracking, rust stains in the concrete, leaning or bowing panels, gaps between panels, undermining at the wall's base, and soil washing out behind the wall. Many walls in place today date from the 1950s through the 1980s, and concrete and steel in salt water have a limited service life. A failed wall is a major project, so the inspection period is the right time to learn the wall's true condition, not after closing.

The number that matters is depth at mean low tide, measured at low tide, not high tide. Ask the seller for the depth survey or certificate, and have the depth independently sounded at the dock if there is no recent record.

Depth at mean low tide sets the size of boat the dock can hold and whether the lift clears the hull. If the bottom has shallowed, dredging can restore the depth, but know that before you buy, and get documented before-and-after depths as part of any future project.

Confirm the property's FEMA flood zone and request the elevation certificate. Flood insurance is a recurring cost tied to the zone and elevation, and coastal flood rules can limit what can be built or rebuilt at the water's edge.

Known flood history, flood insurance cost, and the elevation certificate belong in your offer math, not discovered after closing.

The slip is only as useful as the route to open water. Check fixed bridge clearance and opening schedules on your route, the tidal range at the dock, and whether the canal gives you room to turn the boat around.

Also note the rules that will govern future work. In Broward, seawall standards now require higher elevations for new walls, replacements, and major repairs, and local dock rules vary by city.

The contract's inspection window is the time for marine specialists, depth soundings, permit research, and flood records. Bring the marine inspection and the depth check in early, while there is still time to negotiate, adjust the price, or walk away.

Ask the seller for permit records, depth records, and any drawings of the dock and seawall. Sellers who have maintained the waterway usually have the paperwork to show for it.

To request free resources about dredging, call (561) 299-1323 or email slselleck@gmail.com. A qualified crew can also measure your water depth and look at a seawall in a free site consultation if you are evaluating a property.