Plan a Bulkhead Project With Your Destin Neighbors
Neighbors who plan bulkhead work together can share surveys, access and mobilization. Local rules reward a continuous wall line, but each owner still signs their own contract.
Plan together. Choose for your own property.
Nearby projects may share equipment setup, deliveries and planning. Ask whether coordinating the work could reduce costs for your group.
Start by finding out who is interested. Each owner chooses their own work, price and agreement after their wall has been checked.
Share the planning
Explore equipment setup, access and timing together.
Check each wall
Each property needs its own assessment and permit review.
Keep your own choice
Each owner chooses their own work and agreement.
Four simple steps
One conversation to get started. A separate decision for every owner.
Tell us about your area
Add your canal or community and a callback number. You can start before you have a full group.
Invite nearby owners
After your request is accepted, share your invitation link or print a neighbor flyer. Each neighbor enters their own details.
Check what can be shared
Discuss your group’s needs and the next steps. Each wall, equipment access and preferred dates need to be checked.
Decide for your property
Review the proposed work and price for your property. You decide whether to go ahead.
Who can explore a group?
Start with nearby properties on the same canal, street or lake. Aim for 3 interested homes as a planning target; you can register interest before that. Different walls or permits may require separate work.
Representing an association? See the HOA project guide for ownership, board decisions and phased planning.
Common questions
Do we have to sign one contract?
Each owner should have a written description of their work, price and agreement. If equipment crosses a neighbor’s property, agree on access in advance.
What if a neighbor drops out?
Each owner makes their own decision. Before agreeing to work, ask how the price would change if fewer homes take part.
Can walls have different lengths or materials?
Yes. The walls can be different. A professional can check whether the projects could share equipment setup or deliveries.
How do we arrange a site visit?
Tell us about the group and your concerns. Discuss the next steps, including whether a site visit is needed and how to arrange it.
Can an association organize a group?
Yes. A board member or other authorized representative can get started. Let us know which walls the association owns and which belong to individual owners.
Are permits shared?
Each property may need its own permit. Ask the project professional and local permitting office which applications are needed and who will handle them.
Invite your neighbors.
Destin Bulkhead · Neighbor bulkhead interest group
Do you own a nearby waterfront property?
Explore whether seawall projects could share planning and equipment setup.
Each owner reviews the work and price for their own property.
Call (850) 904-4847
Use the invitation link to join privately.
Rules that favor a continuous wall line
Several state and local rules treat a short gap between existing walls differently from a brand-new wall.
| Rule | Gap limit | Where |
|---|---|---|
State exemption for private infill seawalls | 150 feet, joining walls at both ends on a straight line | Statewide, with limits in estuaries Section 403.813(1)(o), Fla. Stat. |
Walton bay rule | 150 feet, between two properties with existing walls | Choctawhatchee Bay, unincorporated Walton Walton LDC 4.03.03 |
Destin marsh zones | 150 feet, meeting the state infill exemption | Protected marsh areas around Joe’s, Marler and Indian bayous Destin LDC 11.01.06 |
Gulf-front armoring | Up to 250 feet between continuous armoring | Seaward of the CCCL Rule 62B-33.0051 |
So a neighbor’s wall can shape what you may build, as the permit guide explains. Map every existing wall, return and gap before the first meeting. A return is the short wall that turns inland at the end of a bulkhead.
Length can change the permit path
Joining several lots makes a longer project, and some permits change at set lengths.
- The Army Corps’ 2026 bank stabilization permit (NWP 13) is limited to 500 feet unless the Corps waives it, and needs a pre-construction notice above that. NWP 13 (2026)
- The 2026 living shoreline permit (NWP 54) covers up to 500 feet along the bank unless waived. NWP 54 (2026)
- Florida’s exemption for planting an eroding shoreline covers 500 linear feet or less. Rule 62-330.051(12)(e), F.A.C.
- DEP’s riprap general permit covers up to 100 feet at an individual single-family property. Rule 62-330.431, F.A.C.
Ask the designer whether to permit the group as one project or lot by lot. If a planted edge is an option, read the living shoreline guide. Federal permits for Okaloosa and Walton go through the Corps’ Pensacola Permits Section. USACE Pensacola Section
Property lines in the water and neighbor notice
Property lines run out into the water as riparian lines. Docks and walls near them need care and paperwork.
- Unincorporated Okaloosa will not permit a structure that crosses the extended line without the neighbor’s ink-signed permission. Okaloosa dock application
- Destin requires written notice to adjoining owners before a dock or vessel goes within 25 feet of a property line. Destin LDC 11.05.01.S
- Niceville sends neighbor objections about docks to its local planning agency. Niceville LDC 7.08.05
Each owner should sign their own contract. Florida requires a lien law notice in contracts over $2,500 on homes of one to four units. It also requires a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection when a contract tops $5,000. Section 713.015, Fla. Stat. Section 713.135, Fla. Stat. Use the scope checklist so every owner’s bid covers the same items.
Show sourcesHide sources
- 2026 Florida Statutes s. 403.813(1)(o)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Walton County LDC Chapter IV Resource Protection Standards, Sec. 4.03.03 (Municode, Supp. 70 Update 1)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Destin LDC Sec. 11.01.06 Development activities within protected environmentally sensitive zonesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- 62B-33.0051 Coastal Armoring and Related Structures (with definitions in 62B-33.002)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (full text), NWP 13Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Rule 62-330.051, F.A.C., Exempt Activities, paragraph (12)(e)Source 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
- Residential Dock Application/Requirements (Permit Form 12-0710)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Destin LDC Sec. 11.05.01-11.05.02Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Niceville LDC 7.08.05(c)-(e) Boat shelters, lifts and dock facilitiesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Section 713.015, Florida Statutes (2026), Mandatory provisions for direct contractsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Section 713.135, Florida Statutes (2026), Notice of commencement and applicability of lienSource reviewed 2026-10-27
Start a neighbor group
Tell us your canal or community and how to reach you. Use this guide to work out the next steps for your group.