Do you need a permit for dock construction in West Palm Beach, FL?

• • Building permit application
• • Sealed engineered drawings
• • Environmental resource permit
• • Army Corps of Engineers authorization
• • Submerged lands consent of use

1. 1. Confirm scope with the West Palm Beach building department — exemptions vary by scope, not project type.
2. 2. Prepare the documents above, including product approvals where wind-borne debris rules apply.
3. 3. Submit through the West Palm Beach permit portal and pay the review fee.
4. 4. Schedule each required inspection as the work reaches that stage.
5. 5. Get the final inspection signed off — an open permit blocks the sale of the home.

Unpermitted work commonly triggers double permit fees, a code enforcement lien, forced exposure of concealed work, insurance claim denial, and a failed disclosure at closing. Retroactive permits are possible but cost more and can require tearing out finished work.