Seawall Height in Panama City Beach: Tides, Datums & Surveys
Start with your surveyed cap elevation and its datum. Then compare it with local tide levels and storm peaks measured on the same reference.
- 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
- 6.0 ft
- Survey reference (datum)
- NAVD88
This example shows 6.0 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.
How high does normal tide reach in Panama City Beach?
Not very high. At NOAA's Panama City Beach pier station, mean higher high water (MHHW, the average of the higher daily high tide) sits about 0.9 feet above NAVD88. The normal daily range is about 1.4 feet. NOAA station 8729210 datums
The bay is similar. At Panama City on St. Andrew Bay, MHHW is about 0.8 feet above NAVD88. NOAA station 8729108 datums NAVD88 is the national vertical reference surveyors use for elevations.
With so little daily tide, storm surge and waves drive most seawall and bulkhead height decisions here.
What storm water levels have local gauges recorded?
| Gauge | Storm | Peak, feet above MHHW |
|---|---|---|
Panama City Beach pier | Opal, 1995 | About 7.1 |
Panama City Beach pier | Isaias, October 2026 | 5.6 |
Panama City, St. Andrew Bay | Michael, 2018 | About 5.3 |
Panama City, St. Andrew Bay | Isaias, October 2026 | About 3.0 |
These peaks are measured from MHHW at each gauge, not from NAVD88 and not from your yard. NOAA Panama City Beach pier top ten NOAA Panama City top ten Michael put far more water into Mexico Beach, where a USGS sensor on the pier recorded about 15.6 feet NAVD88. NHC Michael report
Sea level adds slowly to every number. NOAA's Panama City trend is about 1.2 inches per decade since 1973, roughly a foot per century. NOAA sea level trend The storm guide covers each event.
Which local rules set a height?
The height rules found in local and state codes measure other things. None of them sets a seawall cap height.
- In aquatic preserve resource protection areas, dock walkways must sit at least 5 feet above mean high water. Rule 18-20.004(5), F.A.C.
- Bay County dune walkovers for new beachfront projects sit about 3 feet above the sand. Bay County LDR 1904(8)(a)
- In Panama City Beach V and Coastal A zones, a deck attached to a building must sit at or above the design flood elevation. Panama City Beach LDC 3.02.16F
On the Gulf front, Florida's armoring rule, in effect since July 7, 2026, calls for at least a 30-year design life, a design for at least a 15-year storm and 30 years of sea level rise. Rule 62B-33.0051, F.A.C. The Gulf-front armoring guide has the details. For bay and canal walls, ask the building official which elevation, if any, applies. The permit guide lists the offices.
Give your surveyor a clear brief
Ask for elevations in NAVD88 from a Florida-registered land surveyor. NOAA says NGVD29, an older reference, is no longer supported by the National Geodetic Survey. NOAA datum definitions
Lynn Haven's seawall checklist shows what a full survey looks like: NAVD elevations at the corners, lot-line midpoints and road crown, plus flood zone and drainage. It will not take a survey dated before October 4, 2002. Lynn Haven seawall checklist
Take extra care on St. Joseph Bay. NOAA's Port St. Joe station publishes no NAVD88 relationship, so its tide figures cannot be read straight onto a survey. NOAA station 8728912 Bring the survey to any seawall replacement meeting.
Show sourcesHide sources
- CO-OPS datums: 8729210 Panama City Beach, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- CO-OPS datums: 8729108 Panama City, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- CO-OPS Top Ten Water Levels: Panama City Beach, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- CO-OPS Top Ten Water Levels: Panama City, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michael (AL142018), 7-11 October 2018Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- CO-OPS Sea Level Trends (derived product API)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Rule 18-20.004(5) Standards and Criteria for Docking FacilitiesSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- Bay County Land Development Regulations, Section 1904(8)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- Land Development Code, Panama City Beach, Section 3.02.16FSource reviewed 2026-10-28
- 62B-33.0051 Coastal Armoring and Related Structures (current text, effective 7/7/2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-27
- NOAA tidal datum definitionsSource reviewed 2026-09-05
- Docks and Seawalls Permit Application (Residential Seawall checklist)Source reviewed 2026-10-28
- CO-OPS datums: 8728912 Port St. Joe, FLSource reviewed 2026-10-28
Ask about local requirements
Identify the property and the question to resolve. Keep any available survey with your planning notes.