Freeport and LaGrange Bayou bulkhead permits
Freeport bulkhead, seawall and dock projects start with one question: is the parcel inside Freeport city limits? The answer decides which planning office reviews it and which shoreline code applies.
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Freeport & LaGrange Bayou at a glance
- Who permits it
- Inside city limits: Freeport Planning & Zoning, then Walton County. Outside: Walton County.
- Call first
- City of Freeport, (850) 835-2340, or Walton County Planning, (850) 267-1955
- The water
- LaGrange Bayou and Choctawhatchee Bay
- Local rule to know
- A 'City of Freeport' line on your tax bill tells you which planning office reviews the job.
Get to know your waterfront
Freeport has two separate planning offices. The city's Planning & Zoning office handles parcels inside city limits, and Walton County Planning handles everything outside, even with a Freeport address. A 'City of Freeport' line on the tax bill settles it. Either way, Walton County issues the building permit. LaGrange Bayou's historic NOAA tide station shows a range of about half a foot.
Planning (City of Freeport) · Building Process for the City of Freeport · NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729333 LaGrange Bayou
Is your Freeport shoreline inside or outside city limits?
Check the tax bill first. A "City of Freeport" line item, or the tax district on the Walton County Property Appraiser site, shows a parcel is inside the city City of Freeport. A Freeport mailing address alone does not tell you.
| Question | Inside Freeport city limits | Outside city limits (Walton County) |
|---|---|---|
First review | City Planning & Zoning, 16040 Business 331, (850) 835-2340 City of Freeport | County Planning, 842 State Hwy 20 E, Unit 110, (850) 267-1955 Walton Planning |
Building permit | Walton County, after the city approves the packet Freeport building process | Walton County Building Division Walton Building Division |
Shoreline zone | From where emergent plants stop growing in the water to 50 feet landward of the water's edge Freeport LDC 4.01.03 | The bay and connected bayous, plus 50 feet landward of mean high water Walton LDC 4.03.03.B |
New vertical bulkhead | Left out of the listed riprap special use; ask the city how it treats a seawall Freeport LDC 4.01.04.C | Only as infill between two existing seawalls, 150 feet max Walton LDC 4.03.03.B.4 |
Rock or riprap | New riprap along up to 50 feet of shoreline, as a special use Freeport LDC 4.01.04.C.1.b | A required alternative to vertical walls; state general permit covers up to 100 feet Rule 62-330.431 |
Inside the city, the review takes 7 to 10 business days once the packet is complete. The city's approval and receipt then go to the Walton County Building Department Freeport building process.
What Freeport's code allows at the water
- Timber catwalks, docks and trail bridges 4 feet wide or less, with no dredging or fill beyond the pilings Freeport LDC 4.01.03.B.
- One water-access corridor up to 15 feet waterward and an open area up to 25 feet landward, plus one more for each added full 100 feet of frontage Freeport LDC 4.01.03.B.
- Larger docks only if no longer than 25% of the water body's width, with fewer than one slip per 100 feet of shoreline and 100 feet from any federal navigation project Freeport LDC 4.01.04.C.
- Minor maintenance or emergency repair of existing structures Freeport LDC 4.01.03.
A special use also needs proof that public benefits outweigh the environmental harm and that no practicable alternative exists Freeport LDC 4.01.04.C. The posted Article 4 is dated August 9, 2022, so confirm it is still current Freeport LDC Article 4.
Water and weather at the east end of the bay
- Hurricane Opal (1995): NHC estimated its strongest winds, 100 knots, in a narrow swath near the far eastern tip of Choctawhatchee Bay NHC Opal report.
- Hurricane Sally (2020): Alaqua Creek rose above record flood stage and put up to 4 feet of water in homes along SR-20 west of Freeport NHC Sally report. That was rain-driven creek flooding, not storm surge.
- Seagrass in the brackish eastern bay is sensitive to swings in salinity and murky runoff after heavy rain FWC seagrass report.
Public landings nearby
Grady Brown Park sits on the north side of the bay at the Clyde B. Wells Bridge, with boat and canoe access Walton County Parks. A planned 400-foot expansion of the Lafayette Creek boat dock was dropped at the county's request because of cost NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration.
For runoff washing soil out behind a wall, read sinkholes and soil loss. For rock options, see riprap and toe protection, and check bidders with the contractor checklist.
What could the work cost?
Inside city limits, budget time for two reviews in a row: the city's packet review, then the county building permit. If a wall is off the table, price riprap within the city's 50-foot special-use limit, or a planted shoreline. Ask bidders to show survey, engineering and permit costs as separate lines.
These per-foot figures are 2019 City of Destin bids for a 325-foot public park seawall. They are not a residential quote or a 2026 market average; your written, itemized scope sets the real price.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
City of Freeport Planning & Zoning | First stop inside city limits: shoreline zone, special uses and the packet review. | Tax bill showing the City of Freeport line, a survey and plans. 16040 Business 331; (850) 835-2340. |
Walton County Planning & Development Services | Parcels outside city limits: bay buffer and the vertical-wall limit. | 842 State Hwy 20 E, Unit 110, Freeport; (850) 267-1955. Apply under 'My Plans' in the EnerGov portal. |
Walton County Building Division | The building permit for both city and county parcels; contractor registration. | The city's approval and receipt if the parcel is inside city limits. (850) 892-8160. |
Florida DEP Northwest District and the Corps' Pensacola Permits Section | State and federal approval for any work in the water, inside or outside city limits. | One plan set for both. DEP: (850) 595-8300. Corps: (850) 470-9824. |
Freeport shoreline steps, in order
Freeport projects stall when the wrong office gets the first call. Follow these steps in order.
Read the tax bill
Look for a City of Freeport line item, or check the tax district on the property appraiser site. That tells you which planning office starts the review.
Survey what the city code measures
Inside the city, have the survey show the water's edge, where emergent plants stop growing, and the 50-foot line. Note your frontage in feet, because access clearing depends on it.
City of Freeport Land Development Code Article 4 Resource Protection Standards (August 9, 2022)
Check the contractor's Walton registration
State-certified contractors must register with Walton County, and county licenses expire August 31 each year. The county also issues a local Marine Contractor license, and Florida certifies marine specialty contractors for seawalls, docks and revetments.
Contractors License · Types of license issued and fees for Walton County · Rule 61G4-15.100, F.A.C., Certified Specialty Contractors
Start state and federal review early
Docks, seawalls and riprap go to DEP, not the water management district. Federal review runs through the Corps' Pensacola section in parallel.
Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Chapter 373, F.S., Between NWFWMD and DEP · Jacksonville District Regulatory Office Locations
Plan your Freeport or LaGrange Bayou project
Tell us whether the parcel is inside city limits, what you see along the bank or bulkhead, and what you hope to build. We will help you plan the next step and find a qualified marine contractor.
Every answer here links to the public record behind it.
Freeport & LaGrange Bayou project questions
Can I build a seawall on LaGrange Bayou inside Freeport?
The city code does not list one. Its permittable special uses include new riprap along up to 50 feet of shoreline but expressly leave out seawalls and bulkheads. Minor maintenance and emergency repair of existing structures is allowed in the shoreline zone. Call Planning & Zoning at (850) 835-2340 about your wall.
City of Freeport Land Development Code, Article 4 - Resource Protection Standards (August 9, 2022) · City of Freeport Land Development Code Article 4 Resource Protection Standards (August 9, 2022) · Planning
Who issues the building permit for a Freeport dock?
Walton County. Inside the city, the contractor first gets a city review, which takes 7 to 10 business days once the packet is complete. The city's approval and receipt then go to the Walton County Building Department. Outside city limits, county Planning reviews first, then the county Building Division issues the permit.
Building Process for the City of Freeport · Planning and Development Services · Building Division
Is LaGrange Bayou Gulf sturgeon critical habitat?
It is not named. Unit 12 covers the main bay plus Hogtown Bayou, Jolly Bay, Bunker Cove and Grassy Cove, and excludes other bayous at their mouths. The Choctawhatchee River has its own unit. Work at the bayou mouth or out in the bay can get a closer federal look.
Is construction planned on LaGrange Road?
The city lists LaGrange Road Sewer Improvements. The project uses about $1.5 million from Walton County ARPA funds. Design and permitting were 100% complete as of September 16, 2026. The construction schedule was not stated. Ask the city how the work affects street access before you book shoreline equipment.
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Choctaw Beach & Basin Bayou, Santa Rosa Beach, Hogtown Bayou & Point Washington, 30A coastal dune lakes
Show sourcesHide sources
- Planning (City of Freeport)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Building Process for the City of FreeportSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729333 LaGrange BayouSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Planning and Development ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Building DivisionSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- City of Freeport Land Development Code Article 4 Resource Protection Standards (August 9, 2022)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Walton County LDC Sec. 4.03.03 Restrictions on Development within the Shoreline Protection ZonesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- City of Freeport Land Development Code, Article 4 - Resource Protection Standards (August 9, 2022)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- 62-330.431 General Permit for Installation of RiprapSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Preliminary Report: Hurricane Opal, 27 September - 6 October 1995 (Mayfield; updated 9 Sep 2014)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Sally (AL192020)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Summary Report for Choctawhatchee Bay, SIMM Report No. 3 (2018)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Grady Brown ParkSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Getting Out on the Water in the Sunshine StateSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Contractors LicenseSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Northwest DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Chapter 373, F.S., Between NWFWMD and DEPSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Types of license issued and fees for Walton CountySource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Rule 61G4-15.100, F.A.C., Certified Specialty ContractorsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- 50 CFR 226.214 Critical habitat for Gulf sturgeonSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- City of Freeport - Infrastructure Projects updateSource reviewed 2026-10-27