Bulkhead Height in Destin: Caps, Tides & Flood Maps
Destin-area codes set elevations for buildings, not bulkhead caps. Start with a surveyed cap elevation and its datum, then design for storm water, not tide.
- Top of the capMeasured from a fixed survey reference.
- WaterlineRises and falls with tides and weather.
- Survey reference (datum)A named reference, such as NAVD88.
Use the survey reference printed beside the elevation.
How high should your seawall be?
Your city or county may set a lowest or highest allowed elevation for the top of the wall. The rules can change with the property’s location and the work planned. Drainage, flooding and neighboring properties also affect the design.
For local height rules, use the top-of-cap elevation on your survey. This is the top of the wall measured from a fixed survey reference. It is different from the wall’s bottom-to-top height or the water level.
Find these two items on your survey.
Find the elevation for the top of the seawall cap and the survey reference used with it. The example below shows what to look for.
Seawall cap elevation
- Top of seawall cap
- 6.00 ft
- Survey reference (datum)
- NAVD88
This example shows 6.00 ft NAVD88. Use the number and reference on your own survey.
Match the value and the reference.
- The elevation: use the number for the top of the wall cap, not a building floor, water depth or the wall’s full height.
- The reference: copy the name beside the elevation, such as NAVD88 or NGVD29. You can compare elevations only when they use the same reference.
- Cannot find both? Choose “No / not sure” in the checker. Ask a surveyor to help find them; measuring from the water will give a different result.
What does NAVD88 mean?
NAVD88 is a fixed survey reference used to measure elevations, like a shared zero point. Another survey may use NGVD29 or a tide-based reference. To compare two elevations, they must use the same reference. A surveyor can help if the references differ. Read NOAA’s explanation of survey references.
Look for the seawall cap elevation on your survey or final construction plans. A flood certificate may show only the building’s elevation. If the wall measurement is missing, ask a surveyor; you do not need to measure beside the water.
Repair, replacement and permits
Before raising or replacing the wall, ask the permitting office which rules apply to the work. An engineer can check whether the existing wall, supports and drainage can handle the change. A higher wall can also change where rainwater flows.
Use the permit guide to find the local, Florida DEP and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contacts. Describe your location and planned work and ask which permits you need. Florida DEP’s application instructions explain the information needed for shoreline projects.
Common questions
How do I plan a change in wall height?
Start with your survey, the wall’s condition and the change you want to make. An engineer can check the supports, drainage and effects on nearby properties. Tell us about your plans and we’ll help you prepare the next step.
Is maximum height the height I must build?
A maximum is the highest allowed elevation, not a target you must build to. Ask your permitting office whether there is also a minimum for your property.
What if I do not know the elevation?
You can start with the property address and what you want to change. A surveyor can identify the top-of-cap elevation and its reference on your survey.
Can an existing seawall be raised?
An engineer needs to check the wall, supports and drainage before recommending a height change. The right approach may involve modifying the wall or replacing parts of it.
Does meeting a number mean the wall is safe?
Height is only one part of the wall’s condition. The supports, drainage and signs of damage also matter. Use the warning-sign check to prepare for an assessment.
How can I get help with the height?
Tell us the property’s city or county and what you want to change. Discuss the next steps, including whether you need a survey or seawall assessment. Confirm any service details and price before going ahead.
The local codes we reviewed set no bulkhead cap height
We read the waterfront sections of the Destin, Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, Cinco Bayou, Niceville and Valparaiso codes. None of the sections we read set a required cap elevation for a private bulkhead. That is a finding about those sections, not proof that no rule exists, and Walton County was not checked for this point. FWB LDC 5.01.15 Cinco Bayou LDC 12.05.00
| Number | Where | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
Base flood elevation plus 2 feet | City of Destin | Dwellings in flood hazard areas Destin Code Sec. 6-47 |
9.6 feet NAVD88, minimum | Okaloosa Island, Zone V | The lowest horizontal structural member of new and substantially improved buildings Okaloosa LDC 3.06.10.D |
10 feet above mean sea level | Niceville | The top of boat shelters, lifts and docks; no datum named Niceville LDC 7.08.05 |
Base flood elevation (BFE) is the flood height shown on FEMA maps for a 1-percent-chance flood. Without a code number for the cap, its height is set in the engineer’s design and reviewed through the permits. Ask the permit office what it needs to see for your parcel; the Okaloosa and Walton county guides list them.
Bay tides are small; storm water is not
Inside Choctawhatchee Bay and its bayous, the daily tide range is only about half a foot. NOAA’s former Destin East Pass station shows about 0.6 feet. NOAA Valparaiso station NOAA Driftwood Point station NOAA Destin East Pass station
At NOAA’s former Okaloosa Island station, the range was about 1.4 feet. NOAA Okaloosa Island station
Storms work on a different scale. In Hurricane Isaias, preliminary NWS data show a peak of about 4.0 feet at Old Pass Lagoon. The same data show about 3.7 feet at East Pass. Both are above mean higher high water (MHHW). NWS says the gauges likely missed the true peak. NWS Isaias report
In this bay, storms raise the water far more than the daily tide does. Those Isaias numbers are measured above MHHW, not NAVD88, so do not add them to a survey elevation.
Match the datum before you compare numbers
A datum is the zero point an elevation is measured from. NOAA says neither NAVD88 nor the older NGVD29 should be used as mean sea level, and NGS no longer supports NGVD29. NOAA datum definitions
Compare two elevations only when they use the same datum. NOAA survey datums An old survey, a set of plans or a code that says “mean sea level” may each use a different zero.
- Ask a Florida-registered land surveyor for the existing cap elevation in NAVD88. Some Florida seawall checklists require exactly that. Florida seawall checklists
- Ask for the neighbors’ cap elevations too, so a new wall lines up with theirs.
- Let the surveyor convert any old NGVD29 numbers rather than doing it yourself.
Raising a wall in a V zone or on the Gulf
Destin and Okaloosa County both use FEMA’s flood study dated March 9, 2021. Check the parcel’s flood zone on the Forerunner portals first. Destin LDC 11.04.02 Okaloosa flood tools
A V zone is a coastal high hazard area where FEMA expects waves in a flood. There, Destin, Okaloosa County and Walton County each require analysis from a registered design professional. It must show the wall will not divert floodwater or reflect waves onto neighboring buildings. Destin LDC 11.04.17.G Okaloosa LDC 3.06.16.G Walton LDC 4.09.16.G
- Okaloosa and Walton apply the same test in Coastal A zones.
- Gulf-front armoring designs must now plan for a 30-year design life, at least a 15-year storm and 30 years of sea-level rise. Rule 62B-33.0051 (2026)
- A higher wall can change where yard runoff goes, so ask the engineer to show the drainage path.
See the permit guide for the offices involved and the replacement guide if raising means rebuilding.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Land Development Code, City of Fort Walton Beach (Municode, Supp. No. 17, codified through Ord. No. 2194, enacted January 27, 2026), Sec. 5.01.15Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Code of Ordinances, Town of Cinco Bayou (Municode, Supp. No. 8, codified through Ord. No. 248, enacted September 9, 2021), Land Development Code Sec. 12.05.00Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- Destin Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-47 Administrative amendments to the Florida Building CodeSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County LDC Chapter 3, 3.06.10 Buildings and structuresSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Niceville LDC 7.08.05 Boat shelters, lifts and dock facilitiesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729501 ValparaisoSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729425 Driftwood Point, Choctawhatchee BaySource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729511 Destin, East PassSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA CO-OPS datums, station 8729547 Okaloosa IslandSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Isaias (NWS Mobile/Pensacola), last updated 10/13/2026, initial issuanceSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA tidal datum definitionsSource reviewed 2026-09-05
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey datum FAQSource reviewed 2026-10-23
- Flood Map & Other Mapping Information; Destin LDC 11.04.02.CSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- CRS Flood Facts & Elevation CertificatesSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Destin LDC Sec. 11.04.17 Flood resistant development - Other developmentSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Walton County LDC Sec. 4.09.16 Other Development (Floodplain Protection)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- 62B-33.0051 Coastal Armoring and Related Structures (current text, effective 7/7/2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
Ask about local requirements
Identify the property and the question to resolve. Keep any available survey with your planning notes.