Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay bulkhead repair
Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay bulkhead repair goes through Okaloosa County, not the City of Destin. These neighborhoods carry Destin addresses but sit outside city limits.
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Kelly Plantation & Regatta Bay at a glance
- Who permits it
- Okaloosa County, not the City of Destin, despite the Destin address
- Call first
- Okaloosa County Growth Management, (850) 651-7180
- The water
- Open Choctawhatchee Bay and Jones Bayou
- Local rule to know
- Wave exposure drives the design. Ask bidders for a rock revetment option next to any vertical wall.
Get to know your waterfront
Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay have Destin mailing addresses, yet county GIS and the Census place them in unincorporated Okaloosa County under county MU-2 zoning. Their bay frontage faces open Choctawhatchee Bay, which runs more than 30 miles long and 4 to 6 miles wide. Jones Bayou cuts into the shore beside Kelly Plantation. Even the inland golf club addresses map to evacuation Zone C.
Okaloosa County GIS: city limits and county zoning · Census Geocoder, geographies by one-line address · In the Choctawhatchee Bay · GNIS Domestic Names, Florida (published 2026-09-29), feature 284903 · Okaloosa County GIS: evacuation and storm surge zones
What to check on an open-bay bulkhead
Wind waves build across miles of open water before they reach this shore. Choctawhatchee Bay geography That puts more energy on the face and toe of a wall than a sheltered Destin bayou sees.
- Scour at the toe, and rock that has rolled away from the wall.
- Overtopping damage: washed-out fill, broken pavers or a cracked cap behind the wall.
- Leaning or bowing panels, which can point to failed tiebacks (rods that anchor the wall to buried deadmen).
- Wave wear on dock piles and on the joint where the dock meets the wall.
- Seagrass in the shallows, which limits where dock and rock work can go.
Local records that shape the questions
- County maps show the Kelly Plantation sample point in a Category 3 surge zone and the Regatta Bay point in Category 4. Both points are inland, so check your own lot. County evacuation and surge layers
- In V zones and Coastal A zones, county code allows a bulkhead only with a design professional’s analysis showing it will not push waves onto neighbors. County LDC 3.06.16.G
- County code exempts bulkheads and docks from the 50-foot water setback that applies to homes. County LDC 2.19.00
- Bay seagrass grows on the shallow margins of the middle and western bay, so expect a survey before dock work. FWC seagrass report
- For a replacement vertical wall on an estuary, FDEP generally asks for a riprap face or a full riprap edge. s. 373.414(5), F.S.
On exposed frontage, compare riprap and toe protection with a full bulkhead replacement. If the wall leans, the tieback and anchor guide explains what holds it up.
What could the work cost?
Expect wave exposure to show up in the price. Heavier toe rock, longer sheet piles and stronger tiebacks tend to matter more here than on a bayou. Ask bidders to quote a rock revetment option next to any vertical wall, and to confirm they priced county permits, not city ones.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Okaloosa County Growth Management | Building permit for bulkhead, seawall and dock work in Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay. | Apply on the county CSS portal. Shalimar office, 1250 N. Eglin Pkwy.: (850) 651-7180. |
County Contractor Licensing | Competency Card and license check for your contractor. | Search the company name on the CSS lookup, or call (850) 651-7180. |
FDEP Northwest District | State exemption, general permit or individual permit, plus use of state-owned bottom. | Ask whether rock at the toe fits the riprap general permit. (850) 595-8300. |
Army Corps, Pensacola Permits Section | Federal bank-stabilization authorization, such as Nationwide Permit 13. | Wall length and the volume of fill below the high tide line. (850) 470-9824. |
A county-side checklist for Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay
Follow these steps so the job starts in the right office with the right records.
Prove the jurisdiction
Run your address through county GIS. If no city comes back, City of Destin rules, notices and resident perks do not reach your project.
Okaloosa County GIS: city limits and county zoning · Paid Parking Program
Pull county permit history
Search the CSS portal for past permits on the lot. Anything issued through April 2025 sits in the county’s older system.
Check the flood zone
Look up the zone and base flood elevation on the county Forerunner site. The county uses the flood study dated March 9, 2021.
Record the Notice of Commencement
County dock permits need a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection. Keep the Clerk’s recording receipt with the permit.
Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710) · Search Records; Record Services
Plan your bayfront project in Kelly Plantation or Regatta Bay
Describe your wall, your frontage and any storm damage. We will help you map out the county path and find a qualified marine contractor.
Every answer here links to the public record behind it.
Kelly Plantation & Regatta Bay project questions
Does the City of Destin permit work in Kelly Plantation?
No. County GIS returns no city for Kelly Plantation and Regatta Bay, and the Census geocoder agrees. Building permits come from Okaloosa County Growth Management, which takes applications online. City of Destin storm exemptions and fee rules do not apply. Recheck before you apply, since city limits can change.
Okaloosa County GIS: city limits and county zoning · Census Geocoder, geographies by one-line address · Permitting (Growth Management, Building)
Did Destin's storm permit exemption cover Kelly Plantation docks?
No. Destin’s October 2026 board-for-board exemption was a city notice for property inside city limits. The county’s October 2026 post-storm guide says dock and seawall repairs generally need a permit and may need state or federal approval. Regular county fees apply unless the Commission votes a waiver.
Building Permit Exemption for fence and dock repairs · Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/Plan
What does a county bulkhead permit cost?
Okaloosa County uses a value-based table. For example, work valued between $50,000 and $100,000 pays $215 for the first $50,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000. A $70 base fee and plan review are added. Seawalls are not named in the fee list, so confirm the category with Growth Management.
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Indian Bayou, Joe's Bayou, Miramar Beach & Sandestin bayside
Show sourcesHide sources
- Okaloosa County GIS: city limits and county zoningSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Census Geocoder, geographies by one-line addressSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- In the Choctawhatchee BaySource reviewed 2026-10-27
- GNIS Domestic Names, Florida (published 2026-09-29), feature 284903Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County GIS: evacuation and storm surge zonesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3 Overlay Zones, 3.06.16 Other developmentSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 2 Zoning Regulations, 2.19.00 Bulk Regulations FootnotesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Summary Report for Choctawhatchee Bay, SIMM Mapping and Monitoring Report No. 3 (FWRI Technical Report 17, Version 3, 2018)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- 2026 Florida Statutes s. 373.414Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Permitting (Growth Management, Building)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Choosing a ContractorSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- LicensingSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Northwest DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- 62-330.431 General Permit for Installation of RiprapSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (full text), NWP 13Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Paid Parking ProgramSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- CRS Flood Facts & Elevation CertificatesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Search Records; Record ServicesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Building Permit Exemption for fence and dock repairsSource reviewed 2026-11-05
- Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/PlanSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Inspection & Permitting FeesSource reviewed 2026-10-27