West Bay and Breakfast Point shoreline planning

Get to know your waterfront

West Bay is the northwest arm of St. Andrew Bay, edged by salt marsh, oyster bars and seagrass and fed by Burnt Mill and Crooked creeks. About 14.4 of its 30 miles of shorefront would stay natural under conservation plans. Burnt Mill Creek Road and West Bay Parkway are unincorporated, while Breakfast Point Boulevard splits between Panama City Beach and the county. Plan a dock across marsh before you plan a wall.

U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 6 (pages dated 25 OCT 2026) · 2026 Florida Forever Plan: West Bay Preservation Area · Bay County GIS BayView Addresses layer 0 and AdministrativeAreas layer 0 (queries) · Bay County GIS BayView Addresses layer 0 (statistics query on ST_NAME LIKE '%BREAKFAST%')

Designing for marsh, seagrass and a split boulevard

On West Bay, the habitat in front of your lot decides more than the wall does. Map the marsh and seagrass first, then confirm which office holds your parcel.

Breakfast Point: one boulevard, two building offices

Bay County's address layer codes 94 points on Breakfast Point Boulevard to Panama City Beach and 73 to unincorporated Bay County. County address layer All addresses on Burnt Mill Creek Road, West Bay Parkway and West Bay Landing Lane are county. Street check Check your own parcel before you file, using the Bay County seawall guide.

Much of this shore is set aside

• The proposed West Bay Preservation Area covers 4,598 acres, with none acquired as of the 2026 state plan. It borders the 9,600-acre Panama City Airport Conservation Easement. Florida Forever plan
• The Breakfast Point Mitigation Bank instrument describes 5,031 acres owned by St. Joe on the peninsula, ringed by about 2,250 acres of conservation land. Mitigation bank instrument
• Together these lands would keep about 14.4 miles of West Bay shorefront in natural condition. Florida Forever plan

Seagrass and Class II water shape the design

Bay County's plan classifies most of West Bay as Class II water, with the creeks excluded. Comprehensive Plan Policy 6.4.2 The county keeps shorelines natural. No mowed grass is allowed within six feet of the water unless a seawall is there. Beside Class I and II water, a 30-foot natural buffer stays in place where one exists. LDR 2807

The county also bars development that damages seagrass unless no alternative exists. LDR 1904(2) A state survey in 2011 recorded a seagrass band about 100 feet wide between Burnt Mill and Crooked creeks. Florida Forever plan West Bay lost about 1,853 acres of seagrass between the 1950s and the early 1990s. SWIM plan

Under the state dock general permit, a walkway crossing seagrass must stand at least 5 feet above mean high water, and lifts and platforms cannot sit over it. Rule 62-330.427 The dock and lift guide explains the layout choices.

Which sector plan zone is your lot in?

Inside the Bay-Walton Sector Plan, the zone sets what can be built at the water. Ordinary platted lots elsewhere follow standard zoning. LDR 1609 LDR 1605

Preservation land also bans turf grass, fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides. Comprehensive Plan Chapter 12

Bridges and oyster bars limit the boat

• The State Road 79 and Hathaway bridges each have 65 feet of vertical clearance, and nearby overhead cables are charted at 70 and 85 feet. Coast Pilot
• Several oyster bars in West Bay have only 5 to 8 feet of water over them. Coast Pilot

Size the lift and dock for the boat that can actually get out, and give the marine contractor a current chart for the barge route.

Planted shorelines have a clear permit path

State rules exempt planting native marsh along 500 feet or less of eroding shore, reaching no more than 10 feet out past the mean high water line. A low breakwater of shell or rock may be added if it stays 3 feet from seagrass or marsh. Rule 62-330.051(12)(e) Federal Nationwide Permit 54 covers living shorelines in low-energy water. NWP 54 Compare the options in the living shoreline guide and the riprap guide.

What could the work cost?

On West Bay, what sits in front of the lot drives the budget. A dock that crosses marsh or seagrass needs a longer, higher walkway. A planted shoreline may replace part of a wall, so ask bidders to price both a wall and a softer, planted option.

No public record found in Bay or Gulf County shows what a private homeowner paid per foot for a seawall. This guide shows real public bids, FEMA worksheets and fee schedules instead, each with its year, place and scope.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

West Bay dock and shoreline checklist

These steps help you describe the lot the way reviewers will look at it.

1. Map the habitat in front of the lot

   Mark marsh, seagrass and oyster bars on the survey. Seagrass limits where a lift, platform or walkway can go.

   2026 Florida Forever Plan: West Bay Preservation Area · 62-330.427 General Permit for Docks, Piers and Associated Structures

2. Name your zone

   Ask Planning whether the lot sits in the West Bay Preservation Area, West Bay Center or ordinary zoning. Marinas and shared docks turn on that answer.

   Bay County Land Development Regulations, Chapter 16 Bay-Walton Sector Plan Zones

3. Look for an existing elevation certificate

   Panama City Beach keeps elevation certificates for listed homes, mostly in Breakfast Point, Tierra Verde Phase III and Seagrass Village. Bay County posts county-held certificates from 2007 on.

   Flood Zone & Community Rating System Information · Elevation Certificates

4. Match the lift to the route out

   Check mast height against the 65-foot bridges and draft against the oyster bars before you order a lift.

   U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 12 (pages dated 25 OCT 2026) · U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 6 (pages dated 25 OCT 2026)

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Laguna Beach, Sunnyside & Lake Powell, Gulf-front Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven & North Bay

View the local guide directory.