Undergoing shoreline construction in the Florida Keys is a fairly straightforward process when you know what to look for. However, many people building for the first time might not be as aware as they should be, which can lead to project redesigns, unnecessary costs, and ruined plans.
Here’s everything you need to know about shoreline construction in the Florida Keys.
Types of Construction
There are two primary types of shoreline construction projects, with one being seawalls. Seawalls are essentially exactly what they sound like: vertical walls created near the shoreline to stop the sea from penetrating and consuming the shoreline further and eroding the land. While they are quite a bit more expensive than rip rap, they are also much stronger and, because of their verticality, can be placed directly on the waterline. You won’t have to worry about a seawall crumbling, breaking apart, or having bits of itself torn away during storms.
Rip rap typically consists of one to three-foot boulders that are strategically placed to break up the force of waves on the shoreline and reduce erosion, as well as fabric placed behind them to prevent any material from eroding behind them in the event of a storm. It’s also significantly cheaper to construct than a seawall, but must be built at the mean-high water line and takes up a decent chunk of your land, being put on a 2-to-1 slope that could be at the shore or ten feet up from it, depending on the waterline.
Stabilizing the Shoreline
It’s crucial to stabilize your shoreline for one simple reason: once you lose the land, you don’t get it back. As the water creeps up and erodes the land, the mean-high waterline moves with it, and that’s where it stays. You can’t change it, you can’t build beyond it, it’s simply the new waterline. This is even more important when you factor in that all setback construction—whether that’s a pool, a house, a shed, or anything else—is based on the waterline, and if that moves, it can put a stopper on your project.
Losing land affects the buildable space you have to work with, as well as lowers the value of your lot. This provides an incentive to protect your land as early as you possibly can.
No Vertical Seawalls on the Ocean Front
Within the Florida Keys, construction of vertical seawalls on the ocean front is prohibited, and on open water, you can only build on a 2-to-1 slope. Knowing this will save you a lot of time and effort later on down the line when you’ve had designs drawn up and months of planning put into your project only to find out the shoreline construction won’t be able to commence.
There is a way around this, however, which involves layering rip rap in front of the seawall. While this is expensive, it does provide a way to continue with planned shoreline construction.
The More You Know
Understanding the ins and outs of shoreline construction can help you to better plan future projects and get them underway much more quickly. If you’re looking to begin construction in the Florida Keys, Rapid Permits and Engineering is happy to help.
Contact us today or call 365-916-1400 to book an appointment and get started!
