The four checks, in order
Check four things before you pay a deposit: the state license, the local card or registration, the insurance for work over water, and the contract. Each takes minutes online or by phone.
- State license. Look up the company and its qualifier on DBPR, and match both to the bid. DBPR business licensing
- Local card or registration. Monroe County requires a Certificate of Competency; the cities keep their own lists. Monroe County contractor page
- Insurance. Marine contractors must carry the coverage state and federal law require, including the Longshore Act where it applies. Rule 61G4-15.100(4)
- Contract. A residential contract over $2,500 must include the Recovery Fund notice. Section 489.1425
Which state license covers seawall work?
Florida's licensing board created marine specialty licenses in 2024. A marine specialty contractor may build and repair docks, seawalls, bulkheads, piers, boatlifts, revetments and other marine structures, including pile driving and dredge and fill. Rule 61G4-15.100(3)(b)
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
Marine specialty contractor | The full list above, including seawalls, bulkheads, docks, boatlifts and revetments |
Marine seawall work | Supporting members of piers and docks, with work below and beyond the low-water line to build or take down piers, docks and seawalls |
Marine bulkhead work | Bulkheads and their supporting members |
Marine dock work | Docks, piers and marine decks, and the pile driving they need |
Marine pile driving | Concrete, wood or steel piles for marine structures, including seawalls and bulkheads Rule 61G4-15.100(3)(c)-(f) |
A license in one subcategory does not cover work outside it. Match the category on the DBPR record to every part of your job: wall, cap, anchors, riprap and dock. Rule 61G4-15.100 A certified general contractor can also build seawalls. Rule 61G4-15.100
Local cards and registration in the Keys
A state license alone is not enough here. Each permit office keeps its own requirement.
| Office | What it requires | How to check |
|---|---|---|
Unincorporated Monroe County | A Certificate of Competency in the trade, plus liability and workers' comp insurance. A business tax receipt is not a license, and there is no handyman license. Monroe County contractor page | Licensing Coordinator (305) 289-2583, or the county's online license search Monroe County contractor page |
City of Key West | State-licensed contractors register with the city: a copy of the state license, a liability certificate naming the city, and workers' comp. Online DBPR registration lists no fee. Key West contractor licensing Key West DBPR registration | Building Department (305) 809-3956 Key West Building Department |
City of Marathon | State or county licensed, and registered with both Marathon and Monroe County Marathon Building FAQ | Building Department (305) 289-5052 |
Key Colony Beach | Florida-licensed and registered with the city, including firms that inject foam or treat soil behind walls KCB soil amendment warning | Building Department (305) 289-1212 ext. 3 KCB Building Department |
City of Layton | No contractor rules are posted; building code work is contracted to a private firm City of Layton staff | City Hall (305) 664-4667 City of Layton contact |
Foam injection: what Key Colony Beach warns about
Key Colony Beach's Building Official has warned residents about "soil amendment" firms offering foam injection behind seawalls. The concern is that some may be unlicensed or unregulated in Florida. KCB soil amendment warning
Any work that could affect your wall's structure, or a neighbor's, must be done there by a Florida-licensed contractor registered with the city.
- Which state license and city registration does the firm hold?
- What caused the void, and how will the leak be stopped?
- Will the job be permitted, with an engineer's plan?
- What happens if foam reaches the water or a neighbor's wall?
Foam grout is a real method when it is engineered and permitted. Key West's 2026 Navy Mole repair paired welded steel panels with polyurethane foam grout to fill voids behind the wall. Key West ITB 26-002
Know what foam does and does not do. Army Corps guidance says urethane grouts mainly stop water and fill space, while epoxies bond cracks structurally. Army Corps grouting manual See foam injection.
Insurance for work over the water
Ask for certificates, then call the insurer to confirm them. Florida requires certified specialty contractors to carry workers' compensation and general liability, and for marine work the rule names the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Rule 61G4-15.100(4)
Monroe County's Work Over the Water Notice warns that the owner may be liable for injuries if the contractor lacks proper coverage. You and the contractor sign it, notarized, when the permit issues. Monroe County Work Over the Water Notice
- A general liability certificate. Key West's registration asks for one naming the city as holder. Key West DBPR registration
- Workers' compensation, or a valid exemption.
- Longshore coverage if the crew works from barges or boats.
- In Key Colony Beach, the $50,000 bond for water-borne equipment. KCB Code Sec. 5-61
Florida's Attorney General also advises checking insurance yourself, not trusting a copy. Florida Attorney General
Florida contract rules that protect you
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
Deposits over 10% (Section 489.126) | The contractor must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days after they issue, unless you agree in writing to longer. Misusing the money is a crime, up to a felony. Section 489.126 |
Recovery Fund notice (Section 489.1425) | Residential contracts over $2,500 must include it. The fund helps only after losses caused by a licensed contractor. Section 489.1425 |
Unlicensed contracts (Section 489.128) | An unlicensed contractor cannot enforce the contract and has no lien rights. Section 489.128 |
Penalties (Section 489.127) | Unlicensed contracting is a misdemeanor, and a felony on repeat or during a declared emergency. Section 489.127 |
Notice of Commencement | Key West requires a recorded notice for projects of $5,000 or more before the first inspection. Key West dock checklist |
Before the final payment, collect lien releases from subcontractors and suppliers. Florida Attorney General
Confirm the permit is issued, not just applied for
An application number is not a permit. Look it up yourself before work starts.
- Monroe County: the OPAL portal; permits applied for since October 1, 2022 show "completed" when closed. Monroe County online permitting Monroe County inspections page
- Key West: the eTRAKiT portal. Key West application policy
- Marathon: the Viewpoint portal; do not pay until it says the permit is ready for payment. Marathon permit information
- Key Colony Beach: the Citizenserve portal. KCB Building Department
In unincorporated Monroe County, an issued permit is not yet the green light. Work waits for the Notice to Proceed. Monroe County Notice to Proceed handout
Check the engineer too
Florida engineers are not licensed by discipline, so an active license does not prove seawall experience. Look up the person and the firm, and ask for similar marine jobs. FBPE engineering directory FBPE licensee search
- Key Colony Beach requires seawall plans signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed engineer. KCB Code Sec. 6-45
- In V and Coastal A zones, Monroe County wants a design professional's analysis that the wall will not divert floodwater or reflect waves onto neighbors. Monroe County county code 122-31(d)
- Key West and Marathon apply the same rule in V zones. Key West Code Sec. 34-139 Marathon code 107.102.11
Red flags, and where to report them
- Pressure to sign today, or a large payment before permits are filed.
- "No permit needed." Key Colony Beach, for one, requires a permit for major structural seawall repair. KCB Code Sec. 6-6
- A business tax receipt offered in place of a license. Monroe County contractor page
- No license number on the bid or the contract.
- Cash only, or a company name that does not match the DBPR record.
- A door-to-door offer after a storm from a firm with no local registration.
Report unlicensed activity to DBPR at (866) 532-1440 or ULA@MyFloridaLicense.com. DBPR unlicensed activity release In Monroe County, the Contractor Investigator is at (305) 453-8753. Monroe County contractor page
Printable seawall contractor checklist
- Company and qualifier found on DBPR, license active, names match the bid.
- License category covers the whole job: wall, cap, anchors, riprap and dock.
- Registered with the office that issues your permit: county, city or both.
- Liability, workers' comp and Longshore certificates, confirmed with the insurer.
- License number printed on the bid and the contract.
- Recovery Fund notice in the contract.
- Written permit and start dates if the deposit is over 10%.
- Scope lists wall length, materials, anchors, cap elevation in NAVD88 and riprap.
- Contract says who files the local, DEP, Army Corps and sanctuary paperwork.
- Permit looked up and confirmed as issued, and any Notice to Proceed received.
- Lien releases collected before each payment.
Keep this list with your bids. The cost guide has a worksheet for comparing the quotes themselves.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Florida DBPR construction business verificationSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Protect Yourself & OthersSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 61G4-15.100, Certified Specialty ContractorsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Section 489.1425, Florida Statutes: Duty of contractor to notify residential property owner of recovery fundSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Contractor Licensing InformationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- DBPR State Licensed Contractor On-Line FormSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building Department - About UsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building Frequently Asked QuestionsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Warning: Soil Amendment ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Building Department and Code EnforcementSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- City StaffSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Contact UsSource 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
- EM 1110-2-3506, Grouting TechnologySource reviewed 2026-10-23
- Work Over the Water NoticeSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Code of Ordinances Ch. 5, Art. III Marine Construction and Improvements, Docking of BoatsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- How to Protect Yourself: ContractorsSource reviewed 2026-10-23
- Section 489.126, Florida Statutes: Moneys received by contractorsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Section 489.128, Florida Statutes: Contracts entered into by unlicensed contractors unenforceableSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Section 489.127, Florida Statutes: Prohibitions; penaltiesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Checklist for Dock Permit ApplicationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Online Permitting ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- InspectionsSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Expedited Building Permit Policy & Procedures (Effective 1/01/2025)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Permit and Inspection InformationSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)Source reviewed 2026-11-05
- Engineering DirectorySource reviewed 2026-10-23
- Florida Board of Professional Engineers licensee searchSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Code of Ordinances Ch. 6 Buildings, Art. II, Sec. 6-45 Seawall conditions; compliance requirements; enforcementSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Monroe County Land Development Code, Chapter 122 - Floodplain ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Code of Ordinances, Ch. 34 Floods, Sec. 34-139 Other developmentSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- LDR Sec. 107.102.11 Other DevelopmentSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- DBPR participates in national effort to fight unlicensed activity; warns Floridians of unlicensed contracting scamsSource reviewed 2026-10-28