Pembroke Pines, FL Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 155.622
- Minimum waterway width
- 100 feet
- Max extension
- 10% of width or 20 ft
- Max dock width
- 20 feet parallel to shore
- Max dock area
- 300 square feet
- Max elevation
- 6.0 NGVD
- Covers over docks
- Prohibited
Summary
Pembroke Pines allows a private dock, boat landing, pier, or mooring pile as an accessory use in any residential district on a waterway, but § 155.622 caps how far it can reach: no waterway narrower than 100 feet qualifies, and the structure can extend only 10% of the water's width or 20 feet, whichever is smaller.
(A) No boat landing, dock, pier, or mooring pile shall be constructed on a parcel of land which abuts or adjoins a body of water, the width of which body of water is less than 100 feet between the mean water's edge when measured perpendicular to the lot at any point of construction. ... (C) No boat landing, dock, pier, or mooring pile shall be more than 20 feet in width, running parallel to the shore line, and in no case shall the total area of the dock exceed 300 square feet, nor shall the dock be at an elevation higher than 6.0 NGVD.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).
Full Breakdown
622 sets the dimensional envelope for residential docks citywide. No boat landing, dock, pier, or mooring pile can be built on a parcel abutting a waterway less than 100 feet wide, measured perpendicular to the lot at the point of construction, under (A). Where a waterway does qualify, the structure cannot extend into the water more than 10% of the waterway's width, or more than 20 feet past the mean water's edge, whichever produces the smaller dock, under (B). 0 NGVD, under (C). Every dock must have a permanent connection to the land under (D), and a lot gets no more than one dock, though a lot with more than one building fronting the waterway may have one dock per building, under (E).
A dock cannot encroach into the required side setback under (F), the code flatly bars any cover built in connection with a dock, boat landing, pier, or mooring pile under (G), and it bars boat or aircraft ramps on any residential lot under (H). 622(I) requires separate approval from the applicable drainage district before the structure is built.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 155 sets no dock-specific fine, so a violation falls to the city's general penalty, § 10.99: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. An oversized, overextended, or too-close dock can also be ordered removed or rebuilt to conform to § 155.622 before the city will sign off on the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How wide does a canal have to be before I can build a dock in Pembroke Pines?
How far can my dock extend into the water?
Can I build a roof or cover over my dock?
Can I put a boat ramp on my residential lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pembroke Pines
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