Check the survey before choosing a seawall height
A taller cap changes more than the view from your lawn. It can affect connections to adjoining walls, drainage and the permitted design. Start with the property's survey and the authority responsible for the parcel. There is no single height recommendation on this page for every Naples shoreline.
- 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.
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.
Separate elevation from exposed wall height
Cap elevation is a level measured against a named survey datum. Exposed wall height measures a different distance, from the water-side ground or mudline to the cap. Panel embedment is another design dimension. A photograph or tape measurement cannot establish all three.
NOAA's Naples outer-coast predictions use MLLW. Do not subtract that tide-table number from a NAVD88 survey elevation and call the result your wall's protection. Ask a surveyor or engineer to use compatible references and explain the comparison.
Include both neighboring caps in the packet
The City seawall checklist specifically calls for adjoining seawall and top-of-cap elevations. Give the designer the latest survey, earlier approved wall plans and photographs showing each end of the wall.
- Identify the vertical datum and survey date.
- Mark low yard areas, drains and outfalls.
- Show nearby pools, patios, docks and changes in grade.
- Ask how each boundary transition will be detailed.
Leave an unknown measurement blank until it can be established professionally.
Confirm the adopted rule for this parcel
Naples' Adaptation Plan proposes updating the height ordinance. A strategy, meeting discussion or neighboring permit is not itself permission to build your wall to the same elevation.
Ask the reviewing office for the applicable code section, any adopted amendment and the review path for the proposed work. State whether you are repairing a cap, replacing panels or raising the alignment. For Gulf-front property, also identify the CCCL and local coastal review. Use the permit guide to organize those questions.
Ask where water will go after the change
A design discussion should include rainfall trapped behind the wall, existing outlets and the transition to lower adjacent land. Ask who checks the drainage system and whether the proposal changes its function. Raising the visible cap alone does not answer those questions.
Request a drawing that explains the complete wall and drainage arrangement, plus a quote that includes its supporting work. Compare that scope with repair and replacement options before choosing an elevation or material.
Take four measurement questions to the surveyor
NOAA explains that tidal and land-survey references are different, and their relationship varies by location. Ask for the following information together; a bare elevation number leaves the comparison incomplete.
- What was measured? Identify the cap segment, benchmark and survey date.
- Which reference and units? Keep the datum name and feet or meters beside every elevation.
- How were older records reconciled? Ask who checked any conversion before comparing an old drawing with the new survey.
- What does it mean for this design? Ask the engineer to explain the wall, adjoining caps and drainage on the same drawing.
This packet helps the professional evaluate the site. It does not establish a permitted height or a flood-protection guarantee.
Common questions
My quote says to raise the wall two feet. What is missing?
Ask for the existing and proposed top-of-cap elevations, their survey datum and the affected wall length. A relative increase does not identify the finished elevation. Request drawings for neighboring transitions, drainage and related dock work before comparing that quote with another proposal.
Does my neighbor's recent permit establish my allowable height?
Use it as a question for the reviewing office, not as your property's approval. Ask which code section, amendments and project conditions apply to your parcel. Share your own survey and proposed work; the neighboring permit may involve different constraints or approvals.
Can I compare a tide-app reading directly with my survey?
Only after a qualified professional establishes compatible references. NOAA's Naples outer-coast predictions use MLLW; a survey may use NAVD88. Subtracting those numbers without the appropriate relationship does not establish clearance, flood protection or an allowable cap elevation for your property.
Does a flood-zone designation tell me how high to build?
A flood-map designation does not supply a seawall design. Use Collier's flood resources to identify the property's mapped context, then ask the designer and permitting authority about the wall. Keep building elevation, cap elevation and the drainage design as distinct questions.
What should I request when one end meets a lower wall?
Request a drawing showing the boundary connection, retained ground and water path at the lower end. Ask who owns each component and who authorizes work there. Price the transition explicitly so a higher central cap does not leave the connection unresolved.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Naples outer-coast tide predictions, station 8725110Source reviewed 2026-10-25 · official indexed text
- Seawall permit checklistSource reviewed 2026-11-05
- City of Naples Adaptation PlanSource reviewed 2026-10-25 · official indexed text
- Tidal and geodetic datumsSource reviewed 2026-10-27
- Floodplain ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-25 · official indexed text
Ask about local requirements
Identify the property and the question to resolve. Keep any available survey with your planning notes.