Pensacola Seawall Height: Surveys, Tides & Local Review
Start with a surveyed cap elevation and the correct reference. Then ask what your parcel, drainage and proposed work require.
- Top of the capMeasured from a fixed survey reference.
- WaterlineRises and falls with tides and weather.
- Survey reference (datum)A named reference, such as NAVD88.
Use the survey reference printed beside the elevation.
How high should your seawall be?
Your city or county may set a lowest or highest allowed elevation for the top of the wall. The rules can change with the property’s location and the work planned. Drainage, flooding and neighboring properties also affect the design.
For local height rules, use the top-of-cap elevation on your survey. This is the top of the wall measured from a fixed survey reference. It is different from the wall’s bottom-to-top height or the water level.
Find these two items on your survey.
Find the elevation for the top of the seawall cap and the survey reference used with it. The example below shows what to look for.
Seawall cap elevation
- Top of seawall cap
- 6.00 ft
- Survey reference (datum)
- NAVD88
This example shows 6.00 ft NAVD88. Use the number and reference on your own survey.
Match the value and the reference.
- The elevation: use the number for the top of the wall cap, not a building floor, water depth or the wall’s full height.
- The reference: copy the name beside the elevation, such as NAVD88 or NGVD29. You can compare elevations only when they use the same reference.
- Cannot find both? Choose “No / not sure” in the checker. Ask a surveyor to help find them; measuring from the water will give a different result.
What does NAVD88 mean?
NAVD88 is a fixed survey reference used to measure elevations, like a shared zero point. Another survey may use NGVD29 or a tide-based reference. To compare two elevations, they must use the same reference. A surveyor can help if the references differ. Read NOAA’s explanation of survey references.
Look for the seawall cap elevation on your survey or final construction plans. A flood certificate may show only the building’s elevation. If the wall measurement is missing, ask a surveyor; you do not need to measure beside the water.
Repair, replacement and permits
Before raising or replacing the wall, ask the permitting office which rules apply to the work. An engineer can check whether the existing wall, supports and drainage can handle the change. A higher wall can also change where rainwater flows.
Use the permit guide to find the local, Florida DEP and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contacts. Describe your location and planned work and ask which permits you need. Florida DEP’s application instructions explain the information needed for shoreline projects.
Common questions
How do I plan a change in wall height?
Start with your survey, the wall’s condition and the change you want to make. An engineer can check the supports, drainage and effects on nearby properties. Tell us about your plans and we’ll help you prepare the next step.
Is maximum height the height I must build?
A maximum is the highest allowed elevation, not a target you must build to. Ask your permitting office whether there is also a minimum for your property.
What if I do not know the elevation?
You can start with the property address and what you want to change. A surveyor can identify the top-of-cap elevation and its reference on your survey.
Can an existing seawall be raised?
An engineer needs to check the wall, supports and drainage before recommending a height change. The right approach may involve modifying the wall or replacing parts of it.
Does meeting a number mean the wall is safe?
Height is only one part of the wall’s condition. The supports, drainage and signs of damage also matter. Use the warning-sign check to prepare for an assessment.
How can I get help with the height?
Tell us the property’s city or county and what you want to change. Discuss the next steps, including whether you need a survey or seawall assessment. Confirm any service details and price before going ahead.
Pensacola’s tide range is not a wall-height requirement
NOAA station 8729840 lists a mean tidal range of 1.20 feet and a diurnal range of 1.26 feet. Those are station tidal statistics, not a required cap elevation or allowance for storm surge. A reading at the station is also not a survey of your yard. NOAA Pensacola tide station 8729840 NOAA Pensacola tide station 8729840
For a useful design conversation, collect the cap elevation, adjacent ground elevation and the named datum from the survey. Ask the surveyor or engineer to put any tidal reference and land survey on a compatible basis. Do not add a tide-range number to the visible wall and treat the result as a design.
Use Hurricane Sally as history, with its reference intact
The National Hurricane Center reports a Pensacola water level of 5.6 feet above mean higher high water during Hurricane Sally in September 2020. That value describes a tidal reference; it is not 5.6 feet of flooding at every property and is not a NAVD88 cap target. National Hurricane Center Hurricane Sally report
Ask the designer how the proposed wall, yard drainage and adjoining walls will work together during both rainfall and elevated water. SRIA cautions against barriers that divert water onto neighboring Pensacola Beach property. A height change needs that wider drainage discussion. Santa Rosa Island Authority construction rules
A five-foot shoreline zone is a different measurement
Santa Rosa County defines Shoreline Protection Zone 2 along specified bays, basins and bayous as extending from mean high water to five feet landward. This describes an area on the land; it does not establish a five-foot seawall height. Santa Rosa coastal construction
Take the parcel number, survey and proposed work to the responsible planning office. Ask which shoreline zone applies, whether a change in alignment is proposed and which elevation information the application needs. Keep shoreline-zone dimensions, flood elevations and structural wall dimensions labeled separately in the plans.
Give your surveyor a clear brief
Use this request when the existing documents are unclear: “We are considering a cap-height change. Please identify the existing cap elevation and named datum, relevant adjoining grades and the information needed to compare the proposed elevation with applicable requirements.”
Attach the survey and mark the affected wall segment. If someone has supplied a number from a tide chart, storm report or neighboring wall, label its source instead of treating it as a compatible survey measurement.
For example, Sally’s Pensacola water level was reported relative to mean higher high water. It is not a NAVD88 construction target. Ask the professional to reconcile references before any numerical comparison is used in design or permitting. National Hurricane Center Hurricane Sally report
Show sourcesHide sources
- NOAA Pensacola tide station 8729840Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- National Hurricane Center Hurricane Sally reportSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Santa Rosa Island Authority construction rulesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Santa Rosa coastal constructionSource reviewed 2026-10-27 · official indexed text
Ask about local requirements
Identify the property and the question to resolve. Keep any available survey with your planning notes.