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Okaloosa Island · Your waterfront project

Okaloosa Island bulkhead repair and leasehold review

Okaloosa Island bulkhead repair needs a leaseholder committee review before Okaloosa County issues a permit. The island's 1955 covenants still shape every dock and seawall.

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Okaloosa Island waterfront mapNorth is up. The accent marker identifies the selected community. Choose a community label to open its local guide. Nearby guide links also appear below the map.Okaloosa IslandFort Walton BeachSantaRosaSoundOkaloosa Island waterfront mapNorth is up. The accent marker identifies the selected community. Choose a community label to open its local guide. Nearby guide links also appear below the map.Okaloosa IslandFort Walton BeachSantaRosaSound
Land and water: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2026. Reference points: USGS GNIS, NOAA CO-OPS and Okaloosa County GIS. General orientation only; not a survey, flood map or service boundary.

Okaloosa Island at a glance

Who permits it
The Leaseholders Association review committee first, then Okaloosa County
Call first
Okaloosa County Growth Management, (850) 651-7180
The water
Santa Rosa Sound and Choctawhatchee Bay
Local rule to know
The island's 1955 covenants apply whether a lot is leased or owned outright.

Get to know your waterfront

Okaloosa Island runs under 1955 covenants that still apply whether a lot is leased or owned outright. Homes in residential blocks 4 through 9 back onto Santa Rosa Sound, where the Intracoastal Waterway passes Little Marler Park. On the Choctawhatchee Bay side, the county finished 2,000 feet of living shoreline at Veterans and Ross Marler parks in February 2026. Eglin Air Force Base land borders the developed strip, including nearly 4 miles of shore between it and East Pass.

Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island; Okaloosa County Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710, 01/02/2020) · Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island · Okaloosa County Parks Guide · Okaloosa County Completes 2,000 feet of Living Shoreline on the Choctawhatchee Bay · Hurricane Sally Post-Storm Beach Conditions and Coastal Impact Report

What to check on a sound-side or bay-side bulkhead

The island has two working shorelines, and they wear differently. Sound-side walls face boat traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway. County parks guide On the bay side, erosion at Veterans Park was blamed on vessel wake, storms and natural processes. UF/IFAS project description

  • Toe scour and undermining from wake, especially at wall ends and returns.
  • Cracks, spalling or exposed rebar in the concrete cap.
  • Gaps between panels that let sand escape into the water.
  • Dock piles and lift supports that are tied into the wall.
  • Seagrass in front of the wall. Turtlegrass is the main species in Santa Rosa Sound. FWC Santa Rosa Sound report

Local records that shape the questions

  • The county’s Veterans Park project used 16 stone breakwaters, about 5,000 tons of stone and one acre of new salt marsh. UF/IFAS project description
  • Its funding came to about $4.6 million: $1.5 million in bed tax, a $1.5 million NFWF grant and $1.6 million in RESTORE money. County release, Feb. 2026
  • In V zones on the island, new and substantially improved buildings need their lowest structural member at or above 9.6 feet NAVD88, the national elevation datum. The rule is for buildings, not wall caps. County LDC 3.06.10.D
  • Hurricane Ivan destroyed three retaining walls or seawalls seaward of the CCCL on the island in 2004. FDEP Ivan assessment
  • The tide range at the island’s Gulf-side station is about 1.4 feet, more than double the range at Destin’s East Pass. NOAA station 8729547 NOAA station 8729511

Compare a planted edge with a wall in the living shoreline guide. For cracked caps, see cap and panel repair. Island condo boards can use the condo seawall guide.

What could the work cost?

Add time and paperwork to the budget: the committee review, any Commission approval and the state and federal permits all come before the county permit. On the bay side, where the county itself chose a living shoreline, ask bidders to price a rock or planted toe alongside a vertical wall.

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

Okaloosa Island researched starting points
Starting pointWhat to resolvePrepare and look up
Okaloosa Island Leaseholders Association Architectural Review Committee
Review of single-family dock and seawall plans before the county permit.
Plans that also meet state and federal rules. The county’s 2012 island guide listed Thursday 9 a.m. meetings; confirm the current schedule.
Permit Guide for Projects on Okaloosa Island · Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3, 3.01.00 Subdivision of Okaloosa Island
Okaloosa County Growth Management
Technical review and building permit, and whether Commission approval is needed below the high-water line.
Committee approval, survey and drawings, uploaded on the CSS portal. (850) 651-7180.
Growth Management · Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island (OR Book 121, Pages 233-250, as updated) · Permitting
FDEP Northwest District
State permit or exemption for sound-side and bay-side work.
Existing and proposed wall alignment on one drawing. (850) 595-8300.
Northwest District
Army Corps, Pensacola Permits Section
Federal authorization for work in Santa Rosa Sound or the bay.
Seagrass details for the water in front of the wall. (850) 470-9824.
Jacksonville District Regulatory Office Locations

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

An island permit checklist

These steps line up the leasehold, county and agency approvals in the order they are needed.

  1. Confirm lease or title

    Check whether the parcel is still a county leasehold or was converted to title. The covenants apply either way.

    Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island; Okaloosa County Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710, 01/02/2020) · Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island

  2. Read your block’s covenant terms

    Blocks 4 through 9 keep a 20-foot building setback from the sound. The Gulf beach within 300 feet of mean water level is under strict county control.

    Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island · Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island (Official Records Book 121, Pages 233-250, as updated)

  3. Get the committee approval first

    The county dock application requires the Leaseholders Association approval as an attachment. Have it in hand before you upload plans.

    Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island; Okaloosa County Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710, 01/02/2020) · Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710)

  4. Plan Gulf-side lighting

    South of U.S. 98 and Santa Rosa Boulevard, the county’s sea turtle rules run May 1 to Oct. 31. Temporary construction lights must be minimal and no more than 8 feet high.

    Okaloosa County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Article IV - Sea Turtle Conservation (Secs. 5-90 to 5-97)

Start with what you know

Start your Okaloosa Island project

Tell us which side of the island you are on and what the wall or dock needs. We will help you plan the approvals and find a qualified marine contractor.

Every answer here links to the public record behind it.

Prefer to talk it through?(850) 904-4847

Getting your form ready…

Okaloosa Island project questions

Does Okaloosa Island need approval beyond the county permit?

Yes. County code classes single-family docks and seawalls on the island as minor projects. The Leaseholders Association committee and county staff review them before the building permit issues. The covenants also call for written Commission approval for structures below the high-water line, so ask Growth Management which applies.

Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3, 3.01.00 Subdivision of Okaloosa Island · Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island (OR Book 121, Pages 233-250, as updated)

I own my island lot outright. Do the covenants still apply?

Yes. The Okaloosa Island Authority was abolished in 1975 and its assets passed to the County Commission. A 1992 policy let leaseholders exchange leases for title, but the covenants stayed in force. Check your parcel’s status in the Property Appraiser and Clerk records before you plan work.

Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island

Is a living shoreline realistic on the bay side of the island?

The county thinks so for its own parkland. It finished 2,000 feet at Veterans and Ross Marler parks in February 2026 and called it more cost-effective than traditional barriers. A private lot still needs its own site review of wave exposure, slope, soils and neighboring shores first.

Okaloosa County Completes 2,000 feet of Living Shoreline on the Choctawhatchee Bay · NOAA living shoreline planning and suitability

Keep planning

Prepare for an assessmentCompare repair and replacementReview the project scope

Nearby waterfront guides

Fort Walton Beach, Destin Harbor & Holiday Isle, Crystal Beach & Gulf-front Destin

View the local guide directory.

Show sourcesHide sources
  1. Protective Covenants and Restrictions for Okaloosa Island; Okaloosa County Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710, 01/02/2020)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
  2. Okaloosa County Parks GuideSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  3. Okaloosa County Completes 2,000 feet of Living Shoreline on the Choctawhatchee BaySource reviewed 2026-10-27
  4. Hurricane Sally Post-Storm Beach Conditions and Coastal Impact ReportSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  5. Choctawhatchee Bay Living ShorelinesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  6. Summary Report for Pensacola Bay Region (incl. Santa Rosa Sound), SIMM Report No. 3Source reviewed 2026-10-27
  7. Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3, 3.06.10 Buildings and structuresSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  8. Hurricane Ivan Beach and Dune Erosion and Structural Damage Assessment and Post-Storm Recovery Plan for the Panhandle Coast of FloridaSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  9. NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729547 Okaloosa IslandSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  10. NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729511 Destin, East PassSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  11. Permit Guide for Projects on Okaloosa IslandSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  12. Growth ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  13. Protective Covenants and Restrictions, Okaloosa Island (OR Book 121, Pages 233-250, as updated)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
  14. PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  15. Northwest DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  16. Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
  17. Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
  18. Okaloosa County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Article IV - Sea Turtle Conservation (Secs. 5-90 to 5-97)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
  19. NOAA living shoreline planning and suitabilitySource reviewed 2026-10-27
Plan your project(850) 904-4847