Condo Seawall Repair in the Keys: SIRS, Reserves & Docks
Condo seawall work runs on Florida’s reserve and study rules, and the SIRS deadline is close. Start with what your study says about the wall, then plan the money and the residents.
Start with the structural integrity reserve study
Florida requires a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) at least every 10 years for buildings three habitable stories or higher. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat.
- Beyond the listed building items, the SIRS covers any item over $25,675 in 2026 whose failure would harm those items. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat.
- The study’s visual inspection decides if the seawall qualifies. Ask the engineer to explain the call in writing. DBPR milestone and SIRS guidance
- A firm that bids on the study must disclose in writing if it plans to bid on the repairs. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat.
- At turnover, the developer’s sealed inspection report must cover seawalls. Section 718.301(4)(q), Fla. Stat.
Buildings under three stories fall outside the SIRS law. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat. Their walls still need a line in the budget.
Fund it and vote on it the right way
Condo law sets the money and meeting rules. Section 718.112(2)(f), Fla. Stat. Chapter 718, Fla. Stat.
| Topic | Requirement |
|---|---|
Reserves | Required for items over $25,675 (2026), based on remaining life and replacement cost |
Waiving SIRS reserves | Not allowed in budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024 |
Special assessment notice | At least 14 days, with estimated cost, purpose and any contract attached |
Assessment money | Spent only on the purpose stated in the notice |
Bids | Required over 5% of the total annual budget; engineering is exempt |
Website posting, 25 or more units | Inspection reports, latest SIRS, planned permits and the bid list |
Funding SIRS reserves with a special assessment, line of credit or loan takes a majority of total voting interests. Section 718.112(2)(f), Fla. Stat.
Plan for residents, renters and boats
Seawall work at a condo moves boats, closes docks and puts equipment near the pool. Tell owners early.
- List which slips, lifts and walkways close, and for how long.
- Warn owners who rent. In Key Colony Beach, an ignored seawall notice can cost a vacation rental license. KCB Code Sec. 6-45
- In unincorporated Monroe County, the Work Over the Water Notice is signed when the permit issues. Decide who signs for the association. Monroe County Work Over the Water Notice
- The NFIP condominium association policy excludes seawalls and docks, so do not plan around a flood claim. Federal condo flood policy
Associations must re-determine property insurance replacement cost at least every 3 years. Section 718.111(11), Fla. Stat. Ask the agent how the shoreline is treated.
Keep the next review in view.
Ask about a maintenance plan to keep records up to date and arrange a sensible schedule for future checks.
Common questions
Does our SIRS have to include the seawall?
Only if the study finds it qualifies. Beyond listed items, the SIRS covers items over $25,675 (2026) whose failure would harm the listed items, as its visual inspection determines. Ask your engineer to explain the decision in writing. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat.
When is the SIRS deadline?
Associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 had until December 31, 2025. The law says no SIRS may be completed after December 31, 2026. If yours is not done, call your association attorney now. Section 718.112(2)(g), Fla. Stat.
Can owners vote to skip seawall reserves?
Owners may waive or reduce reserves by majority vote, except for SIRS items in budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024. If the wall is a SIRS item, its reserves cannot be waived. Section 718.112(2)(f), Fla. Stat.
Do we need competitive bids?
Yes, for contracts over 5% of the total annual budget, reserves included. Engineering and architecture services are exempt. Section 718.3026, Fla. Stat.
What must we post online?
Associations with 25 or more units post inspection reports, the latest SIRS, permits for planned construction and the list of bids received. Section 718.111(12)(g), Fla. Stat.
Does a 12-slip condo dock need a state lease?
If it sits over state-owned bottom, very likely. In Monroe County, any dock designed or used to moor ten or more vessels needs a submerged land lease. Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C.
Same condo wall, different rule book by city
Your SIRS may carry a line for “seawall replacement.” What the permit office will approve depends on where the building sits.
| Where | Policy |
|---|---|
Key Colony Beach | Seawalls required wherever state or federal agencies allow; full frontage at once; caps 5 to 10 feet wide KCB Code Sec. 5-25 KCB Code Secs. 5-52 to 5-55 |
Marathon | Vertical walls only where riprap or a sloping revetment will not suffice, as the City Biologist decides Marathon code 106.36 |
Key West | Riprap first; new hardening only for a critical peril Key West Code 110-182 |
Unincorporated Monroe County | New vertical walls only on manmade canals and basins, none on open water Monroe County code 118-12(k)(3) |
Layton | Plan policy favors riprap, plants or cantilevered platforms Layton Comprehensive Plan 5.d |
Ask the engineer to price the option your city will permit, not a generic wall.
Condo docks: the ten-vessel and ten-slip lines
Two Keys thresholds catch larger condo docks.
- State lease. In Monroe County, a dock designed or used to moor ten or more vessels needs a submerged land lease. Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C.
- Sanctuary. Sanctuary rules allow seabed work on docks, seawalls and marinas with fewer than ten slips under a valid permit. Marinas with ten or more slips are on NOAA’s list needing sanctuary authorization. 15 CFR 922.163 NOAA nearshore activities
- Coral. Injuring living or dead coral stays prohibited either way. 15 CFR 922.163
Count slips before the engineer draws anything. A design that adds slips can change the whole permit path.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Code of Ordinances Ch. 5, Art. III Marine Construction and Improvements, Docking of BoatsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- LDR Sec. 106.36 Criteria For Approval (Hardened Shorelines)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Code of Ordinances, Subpart B Land Development Regulations, Ch. 110 Resource Protection, Art. IV Coastal ResourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 118 - Environmental ProtectionSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Comprehensive Plan Amendment Package (Ord. No. 2022-11-01), adopted June 1, 2023Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C. (Forms of Authorization)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- 15 CFR 922.163, Prohibited activities - Sanctuary-wideSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Nearshore Construction PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
Discuss a condo shoreline project
Record the affected shoreline and the decision you need to make. Use the notes when discussing scope with the appropriate professional.