The code changed. “We can raise your seawall as much as two feet by adding to the existing concrete cap at a fraction of the cost of a new seawall.”
An entirely new seawall is a major expense, and for most structurally sound walls, it’s simply not necessary.
The Bay & Key Seawall Topper adds engineered height to your existing seawall at a fraction of the cost, giving you the elevation your property is entitled to under new code changes without the burden of starting over.
Recent hurricane seasons pushed water over area seawalls by just a few inches in some neighborhoods, enough to fill pools with silt, destroy landscaping, and ruin pool equipment that costs thousands of dollars to replace. A higher cap solves this at the source, keeping the water out rather than repairing the damage after it gets in.
A property finished at the current maximum permitted grade is more resilient, easier to insure, and a stronger story to tell a future buyer than one built to a now-outdated standard.
Building code often limits waterfront homeowers pool deck elevation to 30″ above the seawall capso every inch you add to the wall becomes an inch of design freedom for your pool, your patio, and your outdoor living space.
Waterfront homeowners are unaware there’s an important development worth understanding: Sarasota, Longboat Key, Bird Key, Lido Key, and Siesta Key have all recently increased the maximum permitted height for residential seawalls. In many instances, by over two feet.
In 2024, the Town of Longboat Key increased the maximum allowable seawall height from 4.5 feet NAVD88 to 6.0 feet NAVD88. In 2025, the City of Sarasota changed its code as well to account for future sea level rise and flooding resilience, setting a new maximum top of seawall standard of 7.27 feet NAVD88, up from the previous limit of 5 feet above Mean Low Water. For most property owners, that change converts to an approximate 18 to 24 inches of additional allowable seawall height.
In practical terms, even a well-maintained, structurally sound seawall may now sit well below what a property is legally entitled to. You could be leaving additional storm protection, property value, and design freedom for your waterfront property on the table.
Depending on the condition of your existing wall, the affordable fix isn’t a traditional full replacement. A seawall cap topper will effectively raise the height of your seawall by as much as two feet or more, and a visible seam is often the only sign the wall wasn’t always this height.
Our team visits your property, evaluates your existing wall, and tells you approximately how many inches you can gain, including a preliminary estimate at no cost and with no obligation.
A licensed engineer evaluates your existing wall’s structural capacity to confirm it can support the additional weight, then provides signed and sealed engineering plans which we take to permitting. This typically takes 6 to 8 weeks before construction begins.
Steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete is tied into your existing cap per engineer’s specs. Done well, a visible seam is the only sign the wall wasn’t always this height. Construction typically takes less than 3 weeks.
Bay & Key has spent 20 years bringing superior craftsmanship to the Florida coast. This is the community we build in and the coastline we care about protecting, and it shows in how we work: engineered to the highest standard, properly permitted, and finished to a standard the high-end market expects.
If you’re an architect, pool company, landscape architect or company, home builder, or general contractor working waterfront properties across Sarasota, Longboat Key, Bird Key, Lido Key, and Siesta Key, this is a straightforward opportunity worth exploring. It’s a partnership, not a lead-share. You keep the client relationship and everything downstream of the seawall work, and the trade’s role in the project doesn’t go away; it often expands.
Your clients get a property upgrade that results in better flood protection, property value, and insurability.
Your opportunity? Be the proactive builder that gets previous project builds up to the new standard with a cap raise, instead of waiting for the client to come to you. Be confident in recommending this cost effective alternative instead of a full seawall replacement. For new projects, a cap raise creates greater design flexibility, even if it is not incorporated in the initial design. It can significantly reduce the elevation drop between the outdoor living area or first-floor elevation to the pool deck, and a more seamless transition between the home and pool area.
Your clients can invest in premium pool equipment with confidence knowing its protected.
Your opportunity? Turn a seawall cap raise into a two-foot higher pool deck and equipment location height. Once a pool and equipment pad are protected from the surge that used to put them at risk, recommending a premium pump, heater, or automation upgrade becomes a confident, forward-looking pitch rather than a routine maintenance visit. It positions your business as the one that solved the real problem, not just the one called back out after every storm season.
Prevent storm surge and unusual high tides from damaging your clients’ landscape projects.
Your opportunity? A seawall cap raise creates a natural, billable regrading and drainage scope, including backfill and, where needed, a Venetian drain system. These projects become proactive, higher-value work instead of the same reactive storm cleanup repeated year after year.
