Keys seawall prices from public bids
The public record: City of Key West seawall bids from 2017 to 2024 work out to about $550 to $10,510 per foot of wall. The low end is a concrete footer added to an old wall. The high end rebuilt a working boatyard with platforms and piles. Key West ITB 19-017 bid sheet Key West ITB 24-014 bids
Each figure below is the bid divided by the wall length printed in the same city documents, rounded to the nearest $10. None is a home on a canal.
| Project and year | Scope | Length | Bid | Per foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Turtle Kraals footers, Historic Seaport (2019) | Concrete toe-wall footers anchored to an existing wall; one bid line, four bidders | 174 LF | $95,700 to $147,900 | About $550 to $850 ITB 19-017 bid sheet |
Half Shell Raw Bar, Historic Seaport (2017) | Encase the wall face in 8-inch reinforced concrete, add five support piles, replace part of a wood dock; one bidder | 245 LF | $444,840 | About $1,820 ITB 17-019 award |
Conch Republic new wall, Historic Seaport (2019) | New steel sheet pile wall and reinforced concrete cap; two bid lines only, four bidders | 333 LF | $605,061 to $882,450 | About $1,820 to $2,650 ITB 19-017 bid sheet |
Truman Annex and NOAA seawall (2017) | Design-build steel sheet pile wall with cap and tie-backs, driven in front of the old wall, plus mooring piles and dock repairs | About 370 LF | $1,163,575 | About $3,140 RFP 004-17 award |
Aquarium seawall, Mallory Square (2018) | Rebuild an Irma-damaged steel sheet pile wall with a concrete cap, and move a pedestrian bridge | About 177 LF | $818,570 to $994,555 | About $4,620 to $5,620 ITB 18-036 bids |
Spencer's Boat Yard (2024) | Replace the whole boatyard wall, with steel pin piles, concrete piling, platforms and a timber dock | 189 LF | $1,986,444 to $2,755,663 | About $10,510 to $14,580 ITB 24-014 bids |
Read the scope column before the price column. The cheapest line is a footer, not a wall. The new steel walls at Conch Republic and Truman Annex come closest to a full replacement, and both sit on a busy commercial waterfront.
The Aquarium job drove about 185 feet of sheets under 177 feet of cap. On 185 feet, its price per foot is lower. ITB 18-036
Why a Key West seaport bid is not your canal-lot price
These are the only Keys seawall prices with a public wall length. Still, a seaport wall and a backyard canal wall are different jobs.
| Factor | Key West public jobs | A residential canal lot |
|---|---|---|
Wall type | Steel sheet pile; the Aquarium job used 30- and 40-foot sheets ITB 18-036 | In Key Colony Beach, usually concrete panels 10 to 16 feet long, tied back to a deadman KCB Seawall Owner's Manual |
Length | 174 to 370 feet per job | Most Key Colony Beach walls are at least 75 feet KCB Seawall Owner's Manual |
Other work in the price | Docks, mooring piles, a pedestrian bridge, platforms, utilities and electrical work | Usually the wall, cap, anchors and drainage, plus any dock or lift reset |
Contract terms | Public bidding, bonds, contingency allowances, cruise and business schedules | A private contract under Florida's residential contract rules |
Design and permits | Separate task orders of $86,012 to $160,952 per project Key West Legistar records | A smaller survey, engineering and permit package |
Treat the bid table as a ceiling, not a target. No public source in the Lower or Middle Keys gives a residential canal-wall price per foot, so this guide does not invent one.
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What could your seawall cost?
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.
Public Key West seawall bids work out to about $550 per foot for a concrete footer added to an old wall, and up to about $10,510 per foot for a boatyard rebuild with platforms. New steel sheet pile walls with caps ran about $1,820 to $5,620 per foot on three public jobs from 2017 to 2019. A canal-lot wall is a smaller, different job, so price yours from written bids.
Repair prices by type
A national range for minor repairs, then two City of Key West waterfront repair bids. One is a per-foot bid line, the other a lump sum for one pier. Neither Key West bid is a canal-lot price.
| Work | Amount | What the price covers | Area and source |
|---|---|---|---|
Minor seawall repair (national range) | $100–$250 | per foot of wall; small repairs that do not rebuild the wall; national range from a cost guide, not a Keys quote. Panels, tiebacks or a failing toe can cost more. | United States, national cost guide (2026) [1] |
Concrete toe footer anchored to an existing wall | $550–$850 | per foot of wall; one bid line for 174 LF on a commercial seaport wall, four bidders; excludes mobilization, staging and permits | Key West Historic Seaport (City bid, 2019) City of Key West |
Steel patch repair with foam grout void fill (one pier) | $796,571–$1,861,305 | lump sum for one public pier; four bids to weld steel repair panels underwater over failed patches, fill voids with polyurethane foam grout and add four dock pedestals; no wall length stated | Key West, Navy Mole pier (City re-bid, 2026) City of Key West |
New-wall prices per foot
National per-foot ranges by wall material, plus one Key West public bid for new steel sheet pile. Keys jobs often cost more than national ranges because of barge access, limestone and permits.
| Material / work | Price per foot of wall | Area, included work and source |
|---|---|---|
All residential seawalls (national range) | $150–$600 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · national residential range across vinyl, steel, concrete and wood; National installed range, not a Keys quote; island access, barge work and permits often push Keys jobs higher. [1] |
Vinyl seawall, installed | $200–$550 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · National installed range, not a Keys quote; island access, barge work and permits often push Keys jobs higher. [1] |
Concrete seawall, installed | $200–$600 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · National installed range, not a Keys quote; island access, barge work and permits often push Keys jobs higher. [1] |
Steel seawall, installed | $200–$600 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · National installed range, not a Keys quote; island access, barge work and permits often push Keys jobs higher. [1] |
Key West public bid: new steel sheet pile and concrete cap | $1,820–$2,650 | Key West Historic Seaport (City bid, 2019) · four 2019 bids for 333 ft of 35-ft steel sheet pile plus cap on a commercial seaport wall; excludes mobilization, demolition, backfill and permits City of Key West |
Reinforced vinyl or concrete wall, barge or limited access | $400–$600 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · national medium tier: basic replacement, limited land access or barge work with steel, reinforced vinyl or concrete [1] |
Wood seawall, installed | $150–$500 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · wood rots faster in salt water; National installed range, not a Keys quote; island access, barge work and permits often push Keys jobs higher. [1] |
Barge or hard-access job (national tier) | $600–$1,000 | United States, national cost guide (2026) · complex replacements and barge work from the water; national tier, not a Keys quote [1] |
50-, 75- and 100-foot examples
Multiply the wall length by the price per foot. These examples multiply a per-foot price by wall length only. They add nothing for design, permits, access or work the price leaves out.
| Material / work | 50 feet | 75 feet | 100 feet |
|---|---|---|---|
All residential seawalls (national range) | $7,500–$30,000 | $11,250–$45,000 | $15,000–$60,000 |
Vinyl seawall, installed | $10,000–$27,500 | $15,000–$41,250 | $20,000–$55,000 |
Concrete seawall, installed | $10,000–$30,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $20,000–$60,000 |
Steel seawall, installed | $10,000–$30,000 | $15,000–$45,000 | $20,000–$60,000 |
Key West public bid: new steel sheet pile and concrete cap | $91,000–$132,500 | $136,500–$198,750 | $182,000–$265,000 |
Reinforced vinyl or concrete wall, barge or limited access | $20,000–$30,000 | $30,000–$45,000 | $40,000–$60,000 |
Wood seawall, installed | $7,500–$25,000 | $11,250–$37,500 | $15,000–$50,000 |
Barge or hard-access job (national tier) | $30,000–$50,000 | $45,000–$75,000 | $60,000–$100,000 |
For example: 75 ft × $150–$600/ft = $11,250–$45,000. Measure your own wall, including returns, and confirm what each quote includes.
What to include in your price
Ask for a written list of what the price covers. In the Keys, include these items when you plan the total budget.
- Survey with cap, yard and neighbor-wall elevations in NAVD88, signed engineering plans and, in V or Coastal A zones, the no-harm flood analysis.
- Benthic or seagrass survey by a biologist the sanctuary permits, timed for the June 1 to September 30 window.
- Barge or land access, staging, any barge bond, and protection of the yard, dock, lift and neighbors' walls.
- Old-wall removal or a new wall set in front, the sheets or panels, anchors and how they are set, filter fabric, backfill and the cap.
- Riprap at the toe where the county or city asks for it, with stone size and slope.
- Dock, lift and davit removal and reset, plus wiring, water and lights.
- Local permit, any Notice to Proceed, DEP, Army Corps and sanctuary filings, inspections and the final survey.
- Unit prices for extra anchors, fill and rock, a contingency for hidden conditions, cleanup, restoration and warranty terms.
Same plans, very different bids
In 2025, eight bids for one Key West seawall job ran from $946,266 to $2,643,017. The top bid was about 2.8 times the low one. Key West ITB 25-010 bids
| Project | Bids | Low | High | High as a multiple of low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Southernmost Seawall Phase One (2025) | 8 | $946,266 | $2,643,017 | About 2.8 ITB 25-010 |
Navy Mole pier seawall repair, re-bid (2026) | 4 | $796,571 | $1,861,305 | About 2.3 ITB 26-002 |
Zero Duval seawall and Mallory T-Pier (2016) | 5 | $1,618,469 | $2,772,000 | About 1.7 ITB 002-16 |
Spencer's Boat Yard (2024) | 5 | $1,986,444 | $2,755,663 | About 1.4 ITB 24-014 |
Aquarium seawall (2018) | 2 | $818,570 | $994,555 | About 1.2 ITB 18-036 |
A low total can hide high line items. On the 2019 seaport job, the overall low bidder was not the lowest on the new wall itself. Another firm priced the sheet pile and cap at about $1,820 per foot. ITB 19-017 bid sheet
Key West has also thrown out bids that came in too high or over budget: the first Half Shell bid in 2017, the first Spencer's bids in 2024 and every Navy Mole bid in late 2025. ITB 17-002 rejection ITB 24-004 rejection ITB 25-018 rejection
What this means for you: get at least three itemized bids on the same written scope. Compare them line by line, not just the totals.
What drives seawall cost in the Keys
Island work adds costs a mainland job never sees. Ask about each of these before you compare totals.
| Driver | Why it matters here | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
Barge or land access | Key Colony Beach's manual says developed lots often need work from a barge, and houses, docks, davits, trees, sprinklers and conduits add cost. KCB Seawall Owner's Manual | Will the crew work from a barge or the yard? Who restores the yard? |
Barge bond | Key Colony Beach requires a $50,000 bond before water-borne construction equipment enters the city. KCB Code Sec. 5-61 | Who posts the bond, and is it in the price? |
Mobilization | On the 2019 seaport job, the low bidder priced mobilization alone at $136,973. ITB 19-017 bid sheet | Is mobilization its own line? Is it charged again for a second trip? |
Anchoring and what lies below | Marathon's seawall inspections include an auger tie-back stage, and the Spencer's design used 3,990 feet of driven steel pin piles. Marathon inspection list ITB 24-014 estimate | How will the wall be anchored? What does the price assume if the crew hits limestone or other hard rock? |
Hidden conditions | Key West added a $125,000 unforeseen-conditions allowance at Zero Duval and a 15% contingency at Southernmost; contaminated soil added $45,783 at Spencer's. ITB 002-16 memo ITB 25-010 award | How are unknowns priced? Ask for unit prices for extra anchors, fill and rock. |
Surveys and the sanctuary | The sanctuary will likely ask for a seafloor (benthic) survey, done June 1 to September 30 by a biologist holding a sanctuary permit. NOAA sanctuary nearshore permits Sanctuary survey protocol, 2022 | Who pays for the survey, the engineering and each permit fee? |
Footprint | A wall set farther out can need a state letter of consent on top of other approvals. Rule 18-21.005(1)(c) | Does the new wall stay in the old footprint? If not, why? |
Insurance over water | Work from barges or boats may need federal Longshore coverage, and the county warns the owner may be liable if it is missing. Monroe County Work Over the Water Notice | Ask for the certificate, not a promise. |
Seawall permit fees by jurisdiction
Permit fees are small next to construction, but they add up across offices. Every local fee below is priced on your contract value.
| Office | Seawall fee rule | Extras to expect |
|---|---|---|
Unincorporated Monroe County | Under $5,000: a flat $236 ($214 building, $7 planning, $15 environmental). Res. 277-2025 From $5,000 to $99,999: up to $62.18 per $1,000 ($42.79 building, $9.20 planning, $10.19 environmental). The building share is 25% for processing plus 15% for each discipline reviewed. Res. 277-2025 value bands | Notice to Proceed $976. Fish and Wildlife Service review $825 when your permit is sent to FWS. Res. 277-2025 Res. 277-2025 An $11 investigation fee, $2 per discipline for education, and state surcharges. Res. 277-2025 payment rules |
City of Key West | $36 per $1,000 of contract price, minimum $100, for new seawalls and repairs. Key West Code Sec. 14-2 | 0.1% processing (minimum $10), state surcharges of 1% and 1.5% of the permit fee, and $40 floodplain and $40 environmental reviews that may apply. Key West fee schedule |
City of Marathon | $17.50 per $1,000 for seawalls, bulkheads and riprap, with a $93.50 minimum. Marathon Res. 2025-73 | A $4 education fee and state surcharges of 1% and 1.5%. |
Key Colony Beach | $100 flat up to $2,500, then $35 per $1,000 or part above $2,500. An approved private inspection provider takes 10% off. KCB Res. 2026-01 | A 2.5% surcharge (minimum $4), a refundable $1,000 clean-up bond for a single-family home, and the $50,000 barge bond. KCB Res. 2026-01 KCB Code Sec. 5-61 |
City of Layton | No fee schedule is posted. Layton permit report FY 2024/25 | Ask City Hall at (305) 664-4667. City of Layton contact |
Worked example: a $60,000 seawall contract
$60,000 is a round number for the arithmetic, not an estimate of your wall. Totals are rounded to the nearest $100 and cover the local permit only.
| Office | Local permit fee | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
Monroe County | About $2,200 to $2,600 | A structural review, maybe flood, plus planning and environmental. With the $976 Notice to Proceed: about $3,200 to $3,600. Add $825 if sent to FWS. |
Key West | About $2,300 to $2,400 | Fee, processing and surcharges; the high end adds both $40 reviews. |
Marathon | About $1,100 | Fee, education fee and surcharges. |
Key Colony Beach | About $2,200 | Fee and surcharge, before any private-inspector discount. |
Monroe County fees adjust for inflation each October 1 after September 30, 2026, so today's amounts may be a few percent higher. The Building Official makes the final fee decision. Res. 277-2025
Starting work before the permit costs more
- Key Colony Beach: triple fees plus $500. On the $60,000 example, that is about $6,900. KCB Res. 2026-01
- Key West: $250 on the first $5,000, then double the permit fee above $5,000. Key West fee schedule
- Monroe County: a 100% penalty on top of the normal fee, plus code compliance fees. Res. 277-2025 penalties
State and federal reviews bring their own costs, mostly in surveys and engineering time. DEP's online self-certification for a single-family dock has no fee. DEP online permitting See the permit guide for each office.
Public seawall budgets without a per-foot price
Most Keys public records give a budget or a lump sum with no matching length. Those cannot become a per-foot price, so this guide leaves them as totals.
| Project | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
Charter Boat Row, Garrison Bight (Key West) | $4,970,000 | FY 25/26 budget to replace a T-pile wall more than 50 years old with sheet pile set in front of it Key West capital plan, City Marina |
LAB seawall, City Marina (Key West) | $5,225,000 | Budget to replace 1,180 LF of T-pile wall with sheet pile and a cap; roughly $3,900 per foot of construction at planning level Key West capital plan, City Marina |
Angelfish seawall, Garrison Bight | $3,625,000 | Estimate for about 625 to 650 LF of new wall plus 550 LF of marginal dock Key West engineering projects |
Higgs Beach (Key West) | $3.7 million | Seawall replacement and beach renourishment, construction targeted for summer 2027 Key West engineering projects |
Zero Duval (Key West, 2016) | $815,694 | Lump sum to replace a bulkhead, fix an outfall and stabilize a road; no length stated ITB 002-16 award |
Navy Mole Bulkhead 497 (Key West, 2012) | Up to $3,278,882 | Repair award; scope and length not in the records read Key West Legistar |
Marathon City Marina canal seawall (2019) | $900,000 | Proposed line in an Irma recovery request, not an award Marathon CDBG-DR list |
Mallory Square seawall and footbridge (Irma) | $855,759 | FEMA Public Assistance project amount, now closed out OpenFEMA |
FEMA's Irma money for these walls went to public applicants like the city. Private seawalls are a different story. OpenFEMA Public Assistance data See the insurance guide.
How to compare two Keys seawall quotes
A lower total often means a smaller scope. Put both quotes on the same lines before you compare them.
| Line | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
Wall system and length, including returns | ||
Cap elevation (NAVD88) and cap width | ||
Anchor type, spacing and how it is set | ||
Old wall removed, or new wall set in front | ||
Toe riprap: stone size, slope and length | ||
Barge or land access, staging and bonds | ||
Dock, lift and davit removal and reset | ||
Survey, engineering and seafloor (benthic) survey | ||
Who files each permit, and which fees are included | ||
Mobilization and unit prices for extras | ||
Start date, survey window and finish date | ||
Warranty terms |
If a line is blank on one quote, ask for it in writing before you sign. Then talk it through with your two quotes in hand.
Show sourcesHide sources
How to use these prices
Every number is copied with its source, year, unit and scope, and was checked on October 28, 2026. Per-foot figures divide a City of Key West bid or award by the wall length stated in the same bid documents, rounded to the nearest $10. All are commercial or public waterfront jobs with bonding, mobilization and public-contract rules a home job may not carry. Lump sums without a stated length are never turned into per-foot rates. No public source in the Lower or Middle Keys gives a residential canal-wall price, so the calculator starts from national per-foot ranges until you enter your own written price. Calculator starting ranges use HomeGuide's 2026 national cost guide (read October 29, 2026), shown with its geography; they are not adjusted for the Keys.
Price and technical sources
- HomeGuide. 2026 Seawall Costs: Bulkhead & Lake Seawall Costs Per Foot. United States (national cost guide). Source reviewed 2026-10-29
- ITB 19-017 Bids Spreadsheet (attachment to Resolution 19-217)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- City Clerk Interoffice Memorandum: Aquarium Seawall Repair Bid 18-036 (bid opening)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Memorandum: File ID 26-5049 - Awarding the Re-Bid Navy Mole Pier Seawall Repair Project to Marino Construction Group, Inc. (ITB 26-002)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- City Clerk Interoffice Memorandum: ITB 24-014 Spencer's Boat Yard Seawall (bid opening)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Executive Summary: Awarding of Contract for ITB #17-019 REBID: Half Shell Raw Bar Seawall Repairs - Key West Historic Seaport (Resolution 17-166)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Executive Summary: Approve the Award of RFP 004-17 Truman Annex/NOAA Seawall Design-Build Construction to Ebsary Foundation CompanySource reviewed 2026-10-28
- City of Key Colony Beach Seawall Owner's ManualSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- City of Key West Legistar matters with "seawall" in the title (2012-2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Memorandum: File ID 25-3925 - Award of Phase One Southernmost Seawall Project, ITB #25-010, to BDI Marine Contractors, LLCSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Memorandum: Bid Award for Repairs and Improvements at Zero Duval and Mallory Square (Resolution 16-112 backup)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Memorandum: 24-5945 Reject Bids Received for Spencer's Boatyard Seawall ITB #24-004Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Code of Ordinances Ch. 5, Art. III Marine Construction and Improvements, Docking of BoatsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Permit and Inspection InformationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Nearshore Construction PermitsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Resource Assessment Survey Protocols for Nearshore Construction ProjectsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 18-21.005, F.A.C. (Forms of Authorization)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Work Over the Water NoticeSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Resolution No. 277-2025 (Building Department permitting fee schedule)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building Fees (Code Sec. 14-1 and 14-2)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Resolution 2025-73, Exhibit A Permit Fee ScheduleSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Resolution No. 2026-01 (Fee Schedule for Building Department Permits and Services)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building Permit and Inspection Utilization Report, FY 2024/25Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Contact UsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- ERP e-PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- City Marina at Garrison Bight Capital Projects (FY 25/26 CIP Project Detail, GB75511701)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Engineering Projects in Progress (Angelfish Pier)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- City of Key West Legistar matters: Navy Mole Bulkhead 497 repairs (Res 12-114, 12-258, 13-020)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- CDBG-DR Infrastructure Marina (Rebuild Florida/Long Term Recovery list)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- OpenFEMA dataset: Public Assistance Funded Projects Details (Monroe County, FL)Source reviewed 2026-10-28