In short
- Cape Coral issued 1,804 Marine Improvement permits in 2025 and 1,521 in 2026 so far (to October 25), about 150 a month.
- Permits that mention a seawall have a median declared value of about $15,400; those that also say "replace" run about $30,000.
- Dock permits run higher, with a median of about $27,800, and boat lift permits about $17,900.
- The median wait from application to issue was about 34 days.
On this page
- Cape Coral issues about 150 marine permits a month
- What applicants declared: seawalls, docks and boat lifts
- How this compares with our seawall cost guide
- Permits by ZIP: 33914 and 33904 lead
- How long a marine permit takes to issue
- How we built this, and what the data cannot tell you
- Frequently asked questions
If you are searching for Cape Coral seawall and dock permits and what they cost, the City's own permit records give a real-world check. We counted the marine permits and summarised the values people declared on them. This is context for budgeting, not a quote. We are an independent referral service, not a contractor.
Cape Coral issues about 150 marine permits a month
The "Marine Improvement" category is broad: seawalls, docks, boat lifts, pilings and davits all share it. That is why we split it by what the description says below.
| Month | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 158 | 120 |
| February | 98 | 141 |
| March | 202 | 125 |
| April | 177 | 134 |
| May | 197 | 189 |
| June | 168 | 136 |
| July | 87 | 187 |
| August | 161 | 221 |
| September | 114 | 153 |
| October | 132 | 115 |
| November | 151 | - |
| December | 159 | - |
Permits issued per month. 2026 runs to October 25, so October is partial. No obvious season: counts swing by month in both years.
What applicants declared: seawalls, docks and boat lifts
Each permit lists a declared value. We grouped permits by words in the description: one that says "seawall" counts as a seawall permit, "dock" as a dock permit and "lift" as a boat lift permit. A permit can match more than one group (a dock and lift together, for example), so the rows overlap and do not add up to the total.
| Description mentions | Permits | Middle half | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any marine permit | 3,311 | $5,800-$35,000 | $15,700 |
| Seawall | 1,015 | $8,000-$25,700 | $15,400 |
| Seawall and "replace" | 164 | $19,800-$47,000 | $30,000 |
| Seawall and "cap" | 44 | $8,800-$35,000 | $18,000 |
| Dock | 1,701 | $4,900-$50,000 | $27,800 |
| Boat lift | 1,658 | $4,600-$46,500 | $17,900 |
The middle half is the range between the 25th and 75th percentile: a quarter of permits declared less than the first number and a quarter more than the second. Permits with a declared value above $0, issued 2025-01-01 to 2026-10-25.
Median declared value, by what the permit description mentions.
Read this carefully: a declared permit value is what the applicant wrote on the application. It is not the contract price or the final bill, and the City does not publish wall length, so these figures cannot be turned into a cost per foot. Many seawall permits are repairs, caps or small sections, which pull the seawall median down.
How this compares with our seawall cost guide
Our seawall replacement cost guide uses a planning range of roughly $400 to $900 per linear foot, which is about $24,000 to $54,000 for 60 feet. The permit data is a different kind of evidence, so the two are not meant to match line by line.
| Measure | What it covers | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Cost guide (planning range) | Full replacement, per foot, estimate | $400-$900 per ft |
| Permits saying "seawall" and "replace" | Declared total, wall length unknown | $30,000 median |
| All permits saying "seawall" | Repairs, caps, new walls and more | $15,400 median |
The replacement median sits inside the guide's 60-foot range, but that is not proof either number is right. Declared values can be low or incomplete, and we do not know how long those walls were. Use the permit data as a sanity check, and the guide plus our cost calculator for your own wall length.
- Ask for itemized quotes. Wall, cap, tiebacks, permit and engineering, dock or lift work and restoration on separate lines.
- Ask what value goes on the permit. Your contractor normally files it, so know what is being declared.
- Ask about timing. A permit that takes about a month to issue is only part of the schedule.
Permits by ZIP: 33914 and 33904 lead
ZIP is the mailing ZIP on the permit record. It follows postal routes, not city or neighborhood lines, so use it as a rough guide to where the work is. Only ZIPs with at least 20 permits are shown.
| ZIP | Permits | Median declared value |
|---|---|---|
| 33914 | 962 | $19,500 |
| 33904 | 874 | $19,200 |
| 33993 | 687 | $16,000 |
| 33909 | 315 | $9,500 |
| 33990 | 239 | $14,000 |
| 33991 | 232 | $14,800 |
All marine permits with a declared value, 2025-01-01 to 2026-10-25. Differences reflect the mix of jobs (docks and lifts versus seawalls), not how expensive a ZIP is for the same job.
How long a marine permit takes to issue
This is from the application date to the issue date on 3,305 marine permits. It excludes any time before you apply, such as surveys and drawings, and anything over 730 days or with a date earlier than the application. It also says nothing about state or federal review, which some seawall work needs. See our Cape Coral seawall permit guide for the layers that can apply.
How we built this, and what the data cannot tell you
Source: City of Cape Coral, "Building Permits" table in the OpenData ArcGIS service. The City publishes it without a stated licence, with this note: "The accuracy of this data varies and should not be used for precise measurements or calculations." We publish only counts, medians and percentiles, and use no names, addresses or parcel numbers.
| Item | What we used |
|---|---|
| Queried | 2026-10-25 |
| Permit type | Work class equals "Marine Improvement" |
| Dates | Issue date from 2025-01-01 (the table has nothing earlier) to the query date; later junk dates dropped |
| Value filter | Declared value above $0 (3,311 of 3,325 permits issued) |
| Text match | Description contains the word "seawall", "dock", "lift", "replac" or "cap", in any case; rows overlap |
| Days to issue | Issue date minus application date, 0 to 730 days |
Limits: text matching is inexact, since "lift" can also describe a davit or other equipment, and some descriptions are short. Values are declared, the data starts only in 2025, and we cannot say how long any wall was. For decisions, get itemized quotes from licensed marine contractors, and read how to choose a seawall contractor and repair versus replacement.
Frequently asked questions
How many marine permits does Cape Coral issue a year?
The City's permit table shows 1,804 Marine Improvement permits issued in 2025 and 1,521 so far in 2026 (through October 25). That is roughly 150 a month. The table has no issue dates before January 2025, so we cannot show earlier years.
What is the median declared value of a Cape Coral seawall permit?
About $15,400 across the 1,015 permits since 2025 whose description mentions a seawall, with the middle half between about $8,000 and $25,700. For the 164 that also mention replacement, the median is about $30,000. These are values the applicant declared, not final prices.
Is the permit value what I will pay a contractor?
No. The permit value is what the applicant declared on the application. It may leave out items, cover only part of a job, or be rounded. There is no wall length in the data, so you cannot turn it into a price per foot. Use written quotes for your own price.
How long does a Cape Coral marine permit take to issue?
Across 3,305 marine permits issued since 2025, the median was about 34 days from application to issue, and the middle half took 29 to 42 days. That is application to issue only; it does not include design time before you apply or the contractor's schedule after.
Where does this data come from?
The City of Cape Coral publishes its building permit table through a public ArcGIS service. We queried it on 2026-10-25 and publish only counts, medians and percentiles. The City says the accuracy of its data varies, so treat the numbers as a guide.
Does this page replace your seawall cost guide?
No. The cost guide gives planning ranges per linear foot for a full replacement. This page shows what applicants declared on permits, which is a different measure. Read both, then get itemized quotes.