Dock Builders in Hillsboro Beach, FL

Hillsboro Beach is a narrow town on the south end of the barrier island locals call Deerfield Beach Island, and dock builders working here are almost always on the Intracoastal side of A1A. The town's only main road is a 3.2-mile stretch of A1A known as the Hillsboro Mile, lined with large homes, and the Intracoastal separates the town from Lighthouse Point to the west. Hillsboro Inlet sits at the south end, with the 1907 Hillsboro Inlet Light on its north side.

New dock construction on a wide waterway

Docks on the Intracoastal face conditions canal docks rarely see: steady boat wakes, stronger current and more wind across open water. That calls for pilings driven deeper, heavier framing and hardware that can take repeated shock loads. We plan new docks here around the boat you own now and the one you may own next, because adding length later usually means new permits and new pilings.

Docks on the Intracoastal can also draw more review than a canal dock. Depending on size and location, state and federal reviews may apply on top of the Broward County license and local approval, so allow time for them. We prepare the drawings and explain each review so you know where the project stands.

Lifts and davits

A lift is often the right call on this stretch of water because a boat tied to a dock takes a beating from passing wakes. Elevator lifts and four-post lifts are the usual choices for larger boats. For tenders, jet skis or a small center console, davits mounted on the seawall or dock can lift the boat clear with less structure in the water.

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The inlet next door

The Hillsboro Inlet Light marks the northern limit of the Florida Reef, and Hillsboro Point was listed as a hazard to navigation as early as 1855. The inlet became much busier in the second half of the 20th century. Florida's manatee rule sets a year-round slow speed zone on the inlet, and the Intracoastal across Broward County has a 25 mph cap with slow speed within 50 feet of shore. For dock owners, that slow zone near the shoreline helps reduce wake damage, but it does not eliminate it.

Erosion and storms

Wikipedia notes that Hurricane Irma washed sand from beneath the lighthouse foundation and that erosion is still a threat at the site. Waterfront structures on the Intracoastal side face their own version of that: scour around pilings and soil loss behind seawalls. When we inspect an existing dock or wall here, we look for voids behind the cap, settling pavers and pilings that have lost embedment.

Seawall height

The Broward County tidal flood barrier standard requires new and substantially repaired seawalls to reach five feet NAVD88, and it applies across tidally influenced cities. If your dock project touches a wall below that height, we flag it at the start.