Start with the parcel, not the ZIP code
For a parcel inside the City of Vero Beach, coordinate city Planning and Development with Indian River County Building Division. Unincorporated parcels use county review. Indian River Shores, Orchid and Sebastian have their own building departments.
- Find the parcel ID in your tax record or the county GIS map.
- Describe the proposed wall, dock, drainage, excavation and access as one project brief.
- Ask the office to confirm jurisdiction in writing if the parcel is near a boundary.
Vero Beach building and planning split · Building jurisdiction and contact · County GIS resources
Understand what each approval answers
Local review
The municipality and building department address their own planning, structural and inspection requirements. City limits determine the starting desk.
State review
DEP considers the applicable shoreline and environmental route. State-owned submerged lands or oceanfront coastal rules may need separate attention.
Federal review
USACE determines the applicable federal authorization. A local permit or a state exemption does not settle that decision.
Use one dated scope and drawing revision for these conversations. If the wall moves, the fill changes or a dock is added, flag the change to the reviewers instead of assuming an earlier answer still covers the work.
Seawall review routing · 2026 Florida Statutes, section 403.813 · Apply for a Coastal Construction Control Line permit
Prepare a drawing package that tells one story
The county/city checklist separates dock and seawall applications. Keep the drawings consistent: the alignment on the survey should match the structural plans. For city review, use the city code-compliance application as well.
| Prepare | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Survey or site plan | Shows the existing shoreline, property limits and proposed work. |
Sealed structural drawings | Defines the wall and its supports for technical review. |
Written work scope and job value | Keeps the permit description aligned with the contract. |
Drainage and access notes | Identifies changes affecting the upland property and neighboring edges. |
Separate dock and seawall applications · Survey and structural drawings · Documenting permit job value · City code-compliance application · Drainage information for city review
Avoid a mismatch between the survey and the plan
A common review question to prevent
The survey shows the existing wall, while a structural sheet shows a replacement in a different position. If the sheets do not label both alignments, the reviewer has to ask which position is proposed.
Before submission, have the design team reconcile the wall location, dimensions, dock connections and revision dates across the package. Keep the application description consistent with those drawings. The local checklist explicitly requires the structural drawings and survey or site plan to agree.
Use the current DEP district
Indian River County is now in DEP’s Central District. The district boundary change took effect September 1, 2025. Older handouts can still point to Southeast District; start with the current directory and ask who reviews your shoreline scope.
Ask separately about environmental authorization, state-owned submerged lands and federal review. A dock self-certification does not establish permission to rebuild a seawall. Oceanfront work needs the coastal armoring route checked too.
Budget for approvals as separate line items
The county’s published schedule effective October 11, 2021 lists a $200 application fee for Deck, Dock or Seawall. Confirm the current assessment before paying; this is not the total cost of permitting, design or environmental review.
Ask each reviewer whether there are additional fees, a separate application, or a required specialist study. Keep those answers alongside the construction scope.
Track completeness, inspections and closeout
The checklist distinguishes a submitted application from a complete one. Do not schedule demolition around a guessed approval date. Ask which outside approvals remain outstanding and what is needed to start review.
- Keep the application number and reviewer comments.
- Confirm the required inspection sequence before work starts.
- Save issued plans, approved revisions and final inspection records together.
Official permit resources
| City or county | Permit office | Official source |
|---|---|---|
Vero Beach city | ||
Unincorporated Indian River County | ||
Indian River Shores | ||
Orchid | ||
Sebastian | ||
Florida DEP | ||
Federal |
Show sourcesHide sources
- Vero Beach building and planning splitSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- Building jurisdiction and contactSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- County GIS resourcesSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- Seawall review routingSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- 2026 Florida Statutes, section 403.813Source reviewed 2026-10-26
- Apply for a Coastal Construction Control Line permitSource reviewed 2026-10-26 · official indexed text
- City code-compliance applicationSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- DEP district boundary updateSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- DEP Central District contactSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- Published permit fee scheduleSource reviewed 2026-10-26