Key Haven seawall repair: a Key West address, a county permit
Key Haven homes carry Key West mailing addresses, but the island is outside city limits. Monroe County, not the City of Key West, permits seawall and dock work here.
Describe your project on this page ↓
Key Haven (Raccoon Key) at a glance
- Who permits it
- Monroe County, not the City of Key West
- Call first
- County Stock Island office, (305) 295-3990
- The water
- Five bayside canals (457 to 473) serving 428 parcels
- Road outlook
- Streets within half a foot of projected 2025-2035 king tides
- Local rule to know
- Replacement walls keep the existing footprint as far as practicable
Get to know your waterfront
Key Haven, called Key Haven/Raccoon Key in the county road study, is a bayside canal neighborhood at mile marker 5. Its homes use Key West addresses, yet the city’s floodplain page places it outside city limits and under Monroe County. Five canals numbered 457 to 473 serve 428 parcels along roughly 9,600 ft of water.
Monroe County Roadway Vulnerability Study Final Report (Table 2: Adaptation Plan List) · Floodplain Management (FEMA) · Monroe County Residential Canals (Google Earth KMZ layer 'Residential_Canals_WGS', linked as 'Google Earth Document with Downloaded Canal Information')
Key Haven’s five canals and what they mean for your wall
The first thing to get right on Key Haven is the permit office. The City of Key West says its flood rules apply only inside its corporate limits, and it names Key Haven among places with Key West addresses that fall under Monroe County. Key West floodplain page So your seawall permit comes from the county, filed through its online system. County online permitting
Which Key Haven canal is yours?
The county lists five Key Haven canals, all bayside at mile marker 5. Together they serve 428 parcels along roughly 9,600 ft of water. County canal inventory
| Canal | Streets | Note |
|---|---|---|
457 | Driftwood Dr and Ter; Evergreen Ave, Ct, Ln and Ter; Floral Ave; Key Haven Rd | Culvert to nearshore water at the first bend |
461 | Not named in the county street list | Confirm on the county map |
469 | Beechwood, Birchwood, Cactus and Coconut Drives | |
471 | Allamanda, Amaryllis, Arbutus, Aster, Azalea and Bamboo | 190 parcels |
473 | Key Haven Terrace |
Street links come from the county lookup, and one street can touch more than one canal. County canal street list The tide range field for these canals reads about 0.9 ft, and three of the five carry a “Good” water-quality label. County canal inventory
Canal 457 and its $16.2 million plan
On the county’s 2021 draft ranking, canal 457 placed 65th of 96. The recommended work is organic removal, backfilling, culvert maintenance and a weed gate, estimated at about $16.2 million. 2021 county canal ranking
That is public water-quality work in the canal, not a seawall program, and the estimate says nothing about your wall’s price. If restoration is scheduled, ask the county canal program at (305) 453-8774 how barges and equipment will use the canal. County canal restoration page
Key Haven streets and king tides
Key Haven has 31 road segments, about 18,167 ft serving 351 homes, on the county’s list of its most critical roads. They include Key Haven Road (score 4.99), Azalea Drive and Arbutus Drive. County critical roads list
The road study rates these streets more than a foot above projected 2025 sea level. It also puts them within half a foot, up or down, of projected 2025-2035 king tides. County road study
Your cap height is your call. The county adopted sea-level projections but sets no private seawall height on its resiliency page. County resiliency page Ask your engineer to show the proposed cap in NAVD88 next to those king tide levels.
County rules on a Key Haven canal wall
- A lawfully existing wall can be repaired or replaced, keeping its footprint as far as practicable. Monroe County code Sec. 118-12
- Ground behind a bulkhead must sit at least six inches below its top, and riprap is placed at the toe of solid seawalls to absorb wave energy. Monroe County code Sec. 118-12
- Dredged canals sit outside Outstanding Florida Waters, so the state dock exemption reaches 1,000 sq ft here, not 500. Rule 62-302.700, F.A.C. Sec. 403.813, F.S.
- Construction waits for a $976 Notice to Proceed, issued after you file state and federal approvals. County Notice to Proceed handout Monroe Res. 277-2025
In Wilma, NWS logged canals across the Lower Keys overflowing between 5 and 6 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2005. NWS Key West Wilma summary Irma brought 2 to 4 ft of inundation to the stretch from west of Cudjoe Key to Key West. Hurricane Center Irma report For a full condition check, start with a seawall assessment.
What could the work cost?
County fees are charged per $1,000 of project value in marginal bands, and a $976 Notice to Proceed is added once state and federal approvals are filed. Ask bidders to list water access and any toe riprap as separate lines.
Calculator ranges come from a 2026 national cost guide and one Key West public bid. None is a quote; your written, itemized scope sets your price.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
Monroe County Building Department | Building permits for Key Haven seawall, riprap and dock work. Applications are online only, through OPAL. | Register on OPAL. Nearest office: 5503 College Road, Suite 203, Stock Island, (305) 295-3990; help line (305) 294-4641. |
Monroe County Planning & Environmental Resources | Review under county code 118-12, including the footprint rule for replacement walls. | Existing and proposed wall lines on the survey. Environmental Resources: (305) 289-2502. |
Florida DEP Marathon branch | State exemption for seawall work in residential canals; mangrove questions. | Photos and a short description of the work. (305) 289-7070. |
Army Corps Keys Permits Section | Federal authorization for work in the canal. | (305) 526-7181. The Keys general permit SAJ-82 expired June 24, 2026; ask what now covers canal seawalls. |
A Key Haven planning checklist
Four steps that sort out the county paperwork before anyone prices the wall.
Confirm county jurisdiction
Check your parcel record. Key Haven is outside Key West, so city permits and city fee schedules do not apply.
Register on OPAL
Monroe County accepts applications only online. Register early, and have your contractor file an agent authorization if someone else submits for them.
Look up your canal
Use the county’s Residential Canals map file to confirm your canal number and ranking, or call the canal program at (305) 453-8774.
Canal Restoration · Canal, Roads Names and Areas (List of Keys Residential Canals by location)
Plan for the Notice to Proceed
Budget $976 for the Notice to Proceed. The county’s 2022 handout gives you 180 days to file your state and federal approvals before the permit expires.
Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy) · Resolution No. 277-2025 (Building Department permitting fee schedule)
Plan your Key Haven canal wall
Tell us your street, your canal number if you know it and what you see along the cap. We will help you plan the county permit and the repair.
Every answer here links to the public record behind it.
Key Haven (Raccoon Key) project questions
My address says Key West. Why does Monroe County permit my seawall?
Key Haven is outside Key West city limits. The city’s floodplain page names Key Haven among areas with Key West mailing addresses that fall under Monroe County. File with the county through OPAL; the Stock Island office is at (305) 295-3990.
Floodplain Management (FEMA) · Online Permitting Services · Building and Permitting
Which canal is my Key Haven home on?
The county ties canal 457 to Driftwood, Evergreen, Floral and Key Haven Road, and canal 469 to Beechwood, Birchwood, Cactus and Coconut Drives. Canal 471 takes Allamanda through Bamboo, and 473 is Key Haven Terrace. Confirm your parcel on the county canal map.
Canal, Roads Names and Areas (List of Keys Residential Canals by location)
Is canal 457 going to be restored?
It is on the county’s list. The 2021 draft ranking placed it 65th of 96, with organic removal, backfilling, culvert maintenance and a weed gate estimated at about $16.2 million. That is a water-quality project, not seawall repair, so ask the canal program at (305) 453-8774 about timing.
Monroe County Canal Restoration Ranking List (dated 06/16/2021; page footer 4/12/2021) · Canal Restoration
Does the county set a seawall height for Key Haven?
Its resiliency page sets no private seawall height. The road study puts Key Haven streets within half a foot of projected 2025-2035 king tides. Ask your engineer to show your proposed cap in NAVD88 against those levels.
Resiliency · Monroe County Roadway Vulnerability Study Final Report (Table 2: Adaptation Plan List)
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Stock Island, Big Coppitt, Rockland & Geiger Key, Key West: New Town, Riviera Canal & Salt Ponds
Show sourcesHide sources
- Monroe County Roadway Vulnerability Study Final Report (Table 2: Adaptation Plan List)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Floodplain Management (FEMA)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Monroe County Residential Canals (Google Earth KMZ layer 'Residential_Canals_WGS', linked as 'Google Earth Document with Downloaded Canal Information')Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Online Permitting ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Canal, Roads Names and Areas (List of Keys Residential Canals by location)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Monroe County Canal Restoration Ranking List (dated 06/16/2021; page footer 4/12/2021)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Canal RestorationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Appendix K: Prioritization of Roadway Segments (Technical Memorandum, Dec. 29, 2020; Initial 25% Critical Roadways list dated 6/10/2021)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- ResiliencySource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 118 - Environmental ProtectionSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 62-302.700, F.A.C. (Special Protection, Outstanding Florida Waters)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Section 403.813, Florida Statutes (2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)Source reviewed 2026-11-05
- Resolution No. 277-2025 (Building Department permitting fee schedule)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Hurricane Wilma (2005) event summarySource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), current version dated 8 July 2026Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building and PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Environmental ResourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- SED Marathon OfficeSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 62-330.051, F.A.C. (Exempt Activities)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Regional General Permit SAJ-82Source reviewed 2026-10-28