Many Longboat Key seawalls damaged in the 2024 storms can be repaired in place, and when a wall is rebuilt, the town now allows it to go higher than before.
866-398-9323Licensed seawall specialists — FL · GA · SC
Seawall Repairs by Solid Foundations provides seawall repair in Longboat Key, FL for bayfront homeowners, condominium associations, and club communities. Typical projects include void fill behind Sarasota Bay canal walls after Helene's surge, joint and cap repair on older bayfront walls, and anchoring walls that shifted when Milton's surge followed two weeks later. Call 866-398-9323 or use the quote form to book a free on-site inspection.
Longboat Key is a town split almost evenly between Manatee and Sarasota counties, with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Sarasota Bay on the other. Its north end faces Anna Maria Island across Longboat Pass, where a bridge first crossed in 1929. Most private seawalls line the bay side and the canals cut into it. What sets the key apart is policy: in April 2024 the town commission voted 7-0 to raise the maximum seawall height from 4.5 to 6 feet, tied to its sea-level-rise resilience plan. Because the north half of the key is in Manatee County, our Bradenton seawall repair team handles Longboat Key projects from design through completion.
According to coverage of the April 1, 2024 vote, the change came out of the town's Sea Level Rise and Recurring Flooding Resilience Plan. Local data showed sea level had risen about 6 inches over two decades, about three times the rate seen between 1947 and 2000. Since seawalls typically last decades, letting owners build higher on replacement means a new wall isn't already too short the day it's finished.
For you, that means a decision point. If your wall needs only void fill and joint sealing, repair is the economical choice. If it needs a new cap or a full rebuild, it may make sense to design for the higher limit.
The National Hurricane Center measured Helene's storm tide on Longboat Key at 6.68 feet above mean higher high water, in a band of 5 to 7 feet of inundation from the Anclote River to Longboat Key. Milton followed with 5.04 feet above mean higher high water at the same location, with significant waves on top, and 4 to 6 feet of inundation from Longboat Key to Venice.
Two surges that close together soaked and drained the backfill behind many walls twice. We commonly find hollow ground behind caps, open joints, and walls leaning slightly toward the bay.
Filling the voids. Where the wall still stands straight, we inject polyurethane behind it to fill the empty pockets and seal joints from the land side. No excavation is needed.
Fixing cracks and caps. Damaged caps and failed seams are the core of our Bradenton bulkhead repair service, which also covers the islands.
Stopping movement. A wall that has started to tilt needs anchors first. Our page on seawall reinforcement in Bradenton explains how helical tiebacks lock it in place.
Building permits on the key are issued by the Town of Longboat Key Planning, Zoning and Building Department. State law separately exempts restoring a seawall at its old location, or within 18 inches waterward, from a Chapter 403 environmental permit. We confirm with the town whether your project needs anything more.
Across Longboat Pass, Bradenton Beach seawall repair covers the south end of Anna Maria Island, and Anna Maria seawall repair handles its northern tip on Tampa Bay. Farther south on the same bay system, Siesta Key seawall repair covers the key where Milton came ashore. Sarasota Bay links all of them; the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program reports that over 80 percent of the bay's shoreline is hardened.
Seawall Repairs by Solid Foundations has served Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina since 1996. We are an NCFI-certified polyurethane installer, licensed in Florida under CBC1267322, and every project begins with a free inspection. Request yours or call 866-398-9323.
The town's 2024 ordinance allows walls up to 6 feet, up from 4.5. Raising a wall is a design change, so it needs engineering and a permit; we can price it alongside a standard repair.
The Town of Longboat Key's Planning, Zoning and Building Department issues building permits on the key. We confirm any county or state approvals your lot needs on top of that.
By the NHC's sensor readings on the key, Helene's water was higher (6.68 feet versus 5.04 feet above mean higher high water), but Milton added waves on top. Many walls show damage from both.
If it's sound, maintenance is cheaper. If it's failing, rebuilding to the higher limit may be worth considering. We'll give you both options.
In addition to Longboat Key, our licensed seawall repair team serves these nearby Florida communities:
Service Area: Sarasota Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway
We serve all waterfront properties on Sarasota Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway and surrounding canals, lakes, and waterways.
Seawall Repairs by Solid Foundations also serves these waterfront communities near Longboat Key:
Licensed, insured, NCFI-certified. Serving Florida, Georgia & South Carolina since 1996.
866-398-9323