Service Area · Palm Beach County
Dredging in Boca Raton
Boca Raton's waterfront stretches from Lake Boca through the Intracoastal Waterway to private canals threading inland through neighborhoods like Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, The Sanctuary, and Boca Bay Colony.
Local context
Boca Raton's waterfront stretches from Lake Boca through the Intracoastal Waterway to private canals threading inland through neighborhoods like Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, The Sanctuary, and Boca Bay Colony. Most residential basins here were originally dredged to design depths between 4 and 6 feet NAVD88. Decades of tidal sediment migration, hurricane scour, and prop wash from increased boat traffic have shoaled many of these basins to a fraction of their original depth.
Boca's permitting environment runs through Palm Beach County ERM in addition to FDEP and, for any canal connected to the Intracoastal, USACE. Lake Boca itself is a hybrid — partially navigable, partially residential — which adds an extra coordination layer for shoreline work on the lake.
Waterways we work in Boca Raton
- Lake Boca Raton
- Intracoastal Waterway
- Hillsboro Canal
- El Rio Canal
- Spanish River
Neighborhoods served
- Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club
- The Sanctuary
- Boca Bay Colony
- Hidden Valley
- Boca Harbour
- Lake Floresta
- Boca Inlet
- Spanish River
Permitting in Boca Raton
- Palm Beach County ERM Environmental Resource Permit
- City of Boca Raton Building Department permit
- FDEP standard or general permit depending on scope
- USACE Section 10/404 where the waterway is jurisdictional
Common dredging projects in Boca Raton
- Residential dock and boat lift dredging
- Lake Boca canal restoration
- HOA waterway maintenance
- Pre-construction dredging coordinated with seawall replacement
Frequently asked
- How long does dredging take in Boca Raton?
- Most residential dredging projects run 2-5 days in the field once mobilized. The full timeline from first call to closeout survey is typically 4-7 months, with most of that being permit review. Boca Raton permits flow through Palm Beach County ERM Environmental Resource Permit alongside the state and federal reviews.
- Do I need a permit to dredge in Boca Raton?
- Yes. Dredging in Boca Raton requires authorization from FDEP and, in most cases, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Palm Beach County environmental review applies as well. We handle the full permit application as part of every project.
- What does residential dredging cost in Boca Raton?
- Residential projects in Boca Raton start around $4,000 for small dock-side clear-outs and scale up based on volume removed, spoil disposal distance, and site access. We provide a fixed-price quote after an on-site depth survey at no cost.
From the blog
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