Check your bulkhead contractor.
License, registration, contract.

The three checks, in order

1. State license. Look up the company and the person who qualifies it on DBPR's site. Names and numbers should match the bid.
2. Local registration. Confirm the contractor is registered where your permit is issued: the city, the county, or both.
3. Contract terms. Check for the notices and deposit rules Florida law requires.

DBPR recommends checking both the business and its individual qualifier. DBPR business verification After Isaias, Destin urged residents to verify licenses at MyFloridaLicense.com. City of Destin update

Which state license covers bulkhead work?

Florida's contractor statute has no "marine" or "seawall" category. Section 489.105 Since May 5, 2024, a licensing board rule has created a state-certified marine specialty contractor. Rule 61G4-15.100

The older marine rule, 61G4-15.033, was repealed on May 5, 2024. A contractor quoting that rule is using an old citation. Rule history

Marine specialty contractors must carry the workers' compensation and liability coverage required by law. That includes the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Rule 61G4-15.100(4) Ask for certificates that name those coverages.

Local registration: county cards and city lists

A state license is not enough by itself. Each permit office keeps its own list.

Local marine contractor licenses

Okaloosa County lists "Marine contractor" as a local specialty license for docks, seawalls, bulkheads and related work. Okaloosa Code 6-312 Walton County's June 2026 sheet still offers a Marine license, at $50 resident, $125 nonresident or $200 out of state. Walton Division III sheet

State law limits what local licenses can require, and the current status of these county licenses has not been confirmed. Section 489.117 Ask the county which licenses it accepts for your job before you rely on one.

Okaloosa requires every registration document to show the company name exactly as it appears on the state license. Okaloosa registration checklist Use the same test on your bid.

Florida contract rules that protect you

Before each payment, ask for written lien releases from anyone who sent you a Notice to Owner. That is the lien law notice's own advice.

The Recovery Fund is a last resort

The Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund can pay homeowners harmed by a licensed contractor. It pays only after you win a judgment, arbitration award or board restitution order and cannot collect. Sections 489.140 and 489.141

• Bonds and insurance must be used up first.
• Claims must be filed within one year after the legal action ends.
• Claims are barred if the contractor was not validly licensed when you signed.

The fund office is at 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, 850.921.6593. DBPR Recovery Fund Ask it how much the fund can pay on a contract signed on your date.

Where to file a complaint

• State-licensed contractors: DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board, (850) 487-1395. DBPR contact
• Okaloosa County card holders: the county's Construction Competency Board holds disciplinary hearings. Start with Growth Management at (850) 651-7180. Okaloosa Competency Board
• Walton County license holders: the county Competency Board investigates complaints and holds hearings. Walton Competency Board

Red flags to walk away from

• Pressure to sign today, or a big payment before any work starts.
• No written contract, or no license number on the bid.
• "We don't need a permit." In Destin, seawall repairs need one, and the storm exemption covers docks and fences only. Destin storm exemption
• Asking you to pull the permit yourself.
• Cash only, or a bid far below all the others.
• A "free inspection" that ends in an urgent repair pitch.

These warning signs come from DBPR and Okaloosa County consumer guidance. DBPR before you hire Okaloosa contractor guidance Report unlicensed activity to DBPR's hotline at (866) 532-1440. In fiscal year 2024-25, construction drew 2,830 of its 5,814 complaints statewide. DBPR unlicensed activity

Check the engineer too

Florida engineers are not licensed by specialty, so an active license does not prove bulkhead experience. Ask for similar marine jobs. The Board of Professional Engineers offers a license lookup and public-record help at (850) 521-0500. FBPE directory FBPE licensee search

• In V zones and Coastal A zones, Okaloosa and Walton require a design professional's analysis for any seawall. Okaloosa LDC 3.06.16 Walton LDC 4.09.16
• In Walton's Coastal Building Zone, structural plans must be certified by a Florida-registered architect or engineer. Walton permit rules
• Ask who signs the plans, and whether that person will inspect during the build.

Confirm the permit is issued, not just applied for

An application number is not a permit. Look the permit up yourself before work starts.

• Destin: the MGO portal. The owner name must match the Property Appraiser record, and the contractor must be registered with the city. Destin permit brochure
• Okaloosa County: the CSS portal lets you search permits on a property and schedule inspections. Okaloosa permitting
• Fort Walton Beach: MGO shows permit status and inspection reports. FWB MGO page
• Mary Esther: GovWell public records list permits on a property. Mary Esther permits page

Our permit guide lists every office. When you are ready, tell us what your bulkhead needs and we will help you find a qualified marine contractor.

Printable bulkhead contractor checklist

• Company and qualifier found on DBPR, license active, names match the bid.
• License type covers the whole job: wall, cap, anchors, riprap and dock work.
• Registered with the office that issues your permit: city, county or both.
• Certificates for liability, workers' comp and Longshore coverage, confirmed with the insurer.
• License number printed on the bid and the contract.
• Lien law notice and Recovery Fund notice in the contract.
• Written permit and start dates if the deposit is over 10%.
• Scope lists wall length, materials, anchors, cap elevation in NAVD88 and riprap.
• Contract says who files the city, DEP and Army Corps permits.
• Notice of Commencement recorded before the first inspection.
• Written lien releases collected before each payment.
• Permit looked up and confirmed as issued.

Print this list and keep it with your bids. Our cost guide has a worksheet for comparing the quotes themselves.

Local contractor checks by area

Registration rules change at city and county lines. Check the one that issues your permit.

• Shalimar & Lake Lorraine: inside the town, your contractor needs a Town tracking certificate.
• Kelly Plantation & Regatta Bay: the county checks the Competency Card and license.
• Indian Bayou: the city and county sides differ in contractor registration.
• Freeport & LaGrange Bayou: the Walton County Building Division handles contractor registration for city and county parcels.