Seawall Repair in Boca Grande, FL

Gasparilla Island is split between two counties. The village of Boca Grande sits entirely in the Lee County part, while the north end of the island belongs to Charlotte County. That one fact decides which permit office reviews your wall. Boca Grande Pass, at the island's south tip, runs nearly 80 feet deep and is called the deepest natural pass in Florida. Across it lies Cayo Costa, where Hurricane Ian first made landfall in 2022. Boca Grande projects are run by our Punta Gorda seawall repair team, the Charlotte Harbor hub that schedules our island work.

What Has Storm Surge Done to Boca Grande?

Three big storms in twenty years have tested walls here:

• Charley (2004) hit Boca Grande heavily.
• Ian (2022) made its first landfall on Cayo Costa, just across Boca Grande Pass.
• Milton (2024) pushed 6 to 9 feet of surge from Venice south to Boca Grande, per the National Hurricane Center.

Surge that tops a wall soaks the fill behind it. As it drains back out through open joints, it takes soil with it. Weeks later you see a soft spot or a sunken paver near the cap.

Which Permit Rules Apply to a Boca Grande Wall?

The village is unincorporated. Lee County governs it and has designated it a Historic District. For seawalls, Lee County's Ordinance 22-24 (Land Development Code Chapter 26) says:

• A replacement wall on an artificial waterbody follows the existing alignment and sits no more than 1 foot waterward of the old wall.
• Riprap goes along at least half the length of a new or replacement wall.
• On natural waterbodies, no new or expanded seawalls are allowed, but existing walls may be repaired or replaced in kind.
• A permit is required to repair or replace a wall, though the county director may exempt minor repairs.

At the state level, Fla. Stat. 403.813(1)(e) exempts restoring a wall at its old location or within 18 inches waterward. If your lot is on the Charlotte County end of Gasparilla Island, Charlotte County's residential seawall permit applies instead. We confirm the county line before drawing anything up.

Can a Boca Grande Seawall Be Fixed Without Replacing It?

Often, yes. Replacement here triggers the riprap rule and a full permit, so a sound repair saves time and money.

• Void fill and joint sealing: NCFI-certified polyurethane injection fills the pockets surge left behind and seals the joints from the land side.
• Cap and crack repair: our Punta Gorda bulkhead repair crew handles spalled caps and cracked panels on harbor-area walls.
• Leaning sections: seawall reinforcement from Punta Gorda adds anchors to walls that have started to tip.

How Does Boca Grande Fit With Nearby Towns?

The 1958 causeway and its swing bridge at Placida Harbor tie Boca Grande to the mainland, and to Englewood seawall repair on Lemon Bay just to the north. Inland across the harbor, seawall repair in Port Charlotte works under Charlotte County rules. South across the pass and Cayo Costa, Captiva seawall work shares Boca Grande's Lee County code, and both islands took Ian's surge.

What Should Boca Grande Owners Check After a Storm?

Walk the wall at low tide. Look for soft ground within a few feet of the cap, muddy water at the base after the tide drops, and gaps between panels. Photograph anything you find. Those photos help with insurance and with the permit file.

Then book a free inspection or call 866-398-9323. We're licensed in Florida (CBC1267322) and have worked FL, GA, and SC waterfronts since 1996.