Shalimar and Lake Lorraine bulkhead repair
Bulkhead repair in Shalimar can take one permit or two, depending on which side of the town line your lot sits. Lake Lorraine is unincorporated, so owners there deal with Okaloosa County alone.
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Shalimar & Lake Lorraine at a glance
- Who permits it
- Town lots: Town of Shalimar first, then Okaloosa County. Lake Lorraine: the county only.
- Call first
- Town of Shalimar, (850) 651-5723, or Okaloosa County, (850) 651-7180
- The water
- Open bay at Meigs Park and sheltered Poquito Bayou
- Local rule to know
- Inside the town, your contractor needs a Town tracking certificate, and trees may need a permit.
Get to know your waterfront
Okaloosa County runs its main permit office from Eglin Parkway in Shalimar, yet the Town of Shalimar covers less than a third of a square mile of land. Lake Lorraine, next door, is an unincorporated census place with no local government of its own. The shoreline mixes open bay frontage at Meigs Park with the sheltered water of Poquito Bayou. During Hurricane Michael in 2018, a federal sensor at Shalimar logged about 2.7 feet of water over the ground. The storm came ashore far to the east.
Growth Management · 2024 Census Gazetteer Files: Places, Florida · Okaloosa County Parks Guide · Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michael (AL142018) (Beven, Berg, Hagen; 17 May 2019)
What to check on a Shalimar-area bulkhead
First, decide what your bulkhead (seawall) faces. Meigs Park has a ramp to open Choctawhatchee Bay, while the Longwood/Poquito Bayou park sits on a sheltered bayou Okaloosa County parks guide. Open-bay walls take more wave energy. Bayou walls are more likely to show trouble as soil loss and drainage problems.
Height and storm water
Ask your surveyor for the cap elevation in NAVD88, the reference height surveyors use. The cap is the concrete beam along the top of the wall. In Michael, the Shalimar sensor read a storm tide of about 3.3 feet above NAVD88 NHC Hurricane Michael report. One reading is not a design standard for your lot, but it shows how high bayou water can climb. See bulkhead height planning.
Checks on the lot
- Flood zone. The town's flood page sends residents to the county WebGIS for FEMA flood zones and surge maps Town of Shalimar. The county's Forerunner site also shows elevation certificates Okaloosa County flood tools.
- Trees near the wall. The town requires a permit to cut certain trees Town of Shalimar FAQ. Mark any tree that blocks equipment access.
- Plants on county lots. County code keeps a 25-foot vegetative buffer along natural water bodies Okaloosa LDC 6.05.05. Ask staff how it applies to a wall on an already developed lot.
- Permit history. Shalimar began in the early 1940s as 160 houses for military officers Okaloosa County parks guide. Some waterfront lots carry decades of history, so pull past permits before design.
Inside town limits, get the Town of Shalimar permit before the county will accept plans County guide for the Town of Shalimar. Our permit guide covers the state and federal side, and the assessment guide lists what to inspect.
What could the work cost?
Inside the town, add the contractor's Town tracking certificate and any tree permit to the to-do list; either one can hold up a start date. County permit fees for docks are figured from construction cost. Ask for the main wall, any return walls and dock repairs 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 |
|---|---|---|
Town of Shalimar | Town permit first for parcels inside town limits; Planning and Zoning Board for variances; tree permits. | Town Hall, 2 Cherokee Road. Phone (850) 651-5723, weekdays 9 to noon and 1 to 4. |
Okaloosa County Growth Management | Building permit and inspections for town parcels after the Town permit, and for all of Lake Lorraine. | 1250 N Eglin Pkwy, Suite 301, Shalimar; (850) 651-7180. File online through the CSS portal. |
FDEP Northwest District | State permit, exemption or verification, plus state-lands consent. | A wall restored on its old line may fit a state exemption; ask DEP's Pensacola office at (850) 595-8300 to confirm. |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pensacola Section | The federal half of the approval. A state permit does not replace it. | Raise any design change with the Corps before building; the section's number is (850) 470-9824. |
A two-door permit checklist
Shalimar lots inside the town pass through two offices; Lake Lorraine lots pass through one. These steps help you learn which, and line up the paperwork.
Find your street on the town list
The Town FAQ lists the streets likely inside town limits. Only #2 Carl Brandt is in town, and Old Ferry Road is split; the county guide says only its even addresses are in the town.
Frequently Asked Questions: Do I live in the Town of Shalimar? · Permit Guide for Town of Shalimar
Confirm the contractor's town certificate
Every contractor working inside town limits needs a Town Contractor's Tracking Certificate. The town collects insurance, the state license and the county business tax certificate, and takes exact cash or check.
Frequently Asked Questions: Do you need a license to do work in Shalimar?
Ask about town shoreline rules
The town's Land Development Code, passed in April 2016, is posted as PDFs on the town website. Ask Town Hall whether your dock or wall needs Planning and Zoning review or a variance.
Ordinances & Manuals | Shalimar, FL · Frequently Asked Questions: Do I need a permit to .......?
Take proof to the county
After the town approves, bring proof of the Town permit to county Growth Management, which issues the building permit.
Permit Guide for Town of Shalimar (Department of Growth Management, May 2025) · Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/Plan
Plan your Shalimar or Lake Lorraine project
Tell us your street, whether you face the bay or a bayou, and what has changed at the wall. We will help you sort out the town or county permit path and find a qualified marine contractor.
Every answer here links to the public record behind it.
Shalimar & Lake Lorraine project questions
I have a Shalimar address. Do I need a Town permit?
Only if the parcel is inside town limits. A Shalimar mailing address does not put a home inside the town. Check the town's street list and zoning map, then confirm with the property appraiser. Lots in unincorporated Okaloosa County skip the Town step and apply straight to county Growth Management.
Frequently Asked Questions: Do I live in the Town of Shalimar? · Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/Plan
Who inspects a seawall job inside the Town of Shalimar?
Okaloosa County issues the building permit for Shalimar parcels and handles its inspections. The town checks drainage, sidewalks and setbacks, and assigns addresses. The town says its permit rules mostly mirror the county's, with its own tree and sign ordinances on top.
Permit Guide for Town of Shalimar · Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/Plan · Frequently Asked Questions: Do I need a permit to .......?
What does a contractor need before working in Shalimar?
Inside town limits, a Town Contractor's Tracking Certificate: $30 from October through March, or $15 from April through September, paid by exact cash or check. In unincorporated areas such as Lake Lorraine, the county requires a current Competency Card. Check a contractor's county registration at (850) 651-7180.
Frequently Asked Questions: Do you need a license to do work in Shalimar? · Choosing a Contractor
How high can storm water get on a Shalimar bayou?
There is no single answer for every lot. One measured example comes from Hurricane Michael in 2018. A USGS sensor at Shalimar recorded a storm tide of about 3.3 feet above NAVD88. That is about 2.7 feet over the ground there. Michael came ashore far to the east. Compare that with your own surveyed cap height.
Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michael (AL142018) (Beven, Berg, Hagen; 17 May 2019)
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Cinco Bayou, Ocean City & Wright, Niceville & Boggy Bayou, Fort Walton Beach
Show sourcesHide sources
- Growth ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- 2024 Census Gazetteer Files: Places, FloridaSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County Parks GuideSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michael (AL142018) (Beven, Berg, Hagen; 17 May 2019)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Ordinances & Manuals - Town of ShalimarSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- CRS Flood Facts & Elevation CertificatesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Frequently Asked Questions: Do I need a permit to .......?Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 6 Development Design Standards, 6.05.05 and 6.06.09Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Permit Guide for Town of Shalimar (Department of Growth Management, May 2025)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Town Hall | Shalimar, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County Storm Post-storm Permitting Guide/PlanSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- PermittingSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Northwest DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- 2026 Florida Statutes section 403.813Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Jacksonville District Regulatory Office LocationsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- USACE South Atlantic Division Florida regulatory guidanceSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Frequently Asked Questions: Do I live in the Town of Shalimar?Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Frequently Asked Questions: Do you need a license to do work in Shalimar?Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Choosing a ContractorSource reviewed 2026-10-27