Daytona Beach Seawall Height & Survey Guide
A seawall elevation only makes sense with its survey reference. Find the cap measurement and datum first, then ask which design requirements apply to your property.
- Top of the capMeasured from a fixed survey reference.
- WaterlineRises and falls with tides and weather.
- Survey reference (datum)A named reference, such as NAVD88.
Use the survey reference printed beside the elevation.
At a glance
- Copy both the cap elevation and its survey reference.
- Ask the city and designer which requirements apply to this parcel.
- Include drainage and neighboring wall transitions in a proposed height change.
Find these two items on your survey.
Find the elevation for the top of the seawall cap and the survey reference used with it. The example below shows what to look for.
Seawall cap elevation
- Top of seawall cap
- 6.00 ft
- Survey reference (datum)
- NAVD88
This example shows 6.00 ft NAVD88. Use the number and reference on your own survey.
Match the value and the reference.
- The elevation: use the number for the top of the wall cap, not a building floor, water depth or the wall’s full height.
- The reference: copy the name beside the elevation, such as NAVD88 or NGVD29. You can compare elevations only when they use the same reference.
- Cannot find both? Choose “No / not sure” in the checker. Ask a surveyor to help find them; measuring from the water will give a different result.
Ask for the cap elevation and its reference
The top-of-cap elevation is a survey value, not the wall’s full physical height or its distance above today’s waterline. Copy both the number and datum from the survey. NOAA distinguishes NAVD88, NGVD29 and water-level references; do not subtract values with different references.
No single published cap target is established here
The reviewed Daytona checklist requires engineering and FDEP approval but does not state one citywide cap elevation for every seawall. Ask the city and designer which requirements apply to the parcel and proposed work. Do not import another Florida city’s height rule.
Daytona’s floodplain substantial-improvement guidance concerns buildings. It does not by itself set the height of an existing seawall.
Daytona Beach permit types and documentation · Daytona Beach: Build Responsibly
Do not design from a regional average
Volusia’s beach study uses regional infrastructure elevations and exposure metrics. Those are planning inputs, not a property’s cap survey or required wall height. Oceanfront work also needs the coastal approval questions resolved with DEP and the county.
Volusia beach feasibility assessment posters · DEP CCCL managers · Volusia County Beach and Dune Permit
What should the designer check before raising a wall?
- Existing panels, cap, anchors and foundation condition.
- Top-of-cap elevations at low points, returns and neighboring transitions.
- Drainage and retained-ground levels.
- Alignment, dock attachments and affected utilities.
- Applicable environmental and building approvals.
Ask for the assumptions and unresolved measurements in writing. A higher cap alone is not proof of structural adequacy.
Which height numbers can you actually compare?
| Number you have | How to use it |
|---|---|
Top-of-cap elevation | Pair it with its vertical datum, units, survey date and measured location. Check whether several points along the wall were surveyed. |
Distance above the water today | Treat it as an observation. It is not automatically a NAVD88 elevation or a design target. |
Building floor or flood elevation | Keep it labeled as a building or flood value. Do not relabel it as the seawall cap height. |
An older survey with another datum | Give both records to the surveyor. Do not apply a guessed conversion or subtract the values as if they shared a reference. |
Ask for the comparison in writing
“Please identify the existing cap measurements, reference datum and proposed design elevations, including low points and neighboring transitions. Which requirement or design condition supports the proposed change?”
Keep the drawing and the explanation together. The height checker organizes the supplied information; it cannot establish a missing survey value or a parcel’s required design.
Show sourcesHide sources
- NOAA survey datum questionsSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Daytona Beach permit types and documentationSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Daytona Beach: Build ResponsiblySource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Volusia beach feasibility assessment postersSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- DEP CCCL managersSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Volusia County Beach and Dune PermitSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- FEMA shorelines mitigation fact sheetSource reviewed 2026-10-25
Ask about local requirements
Identify the property and the question to resolve. Keep any available survey with your planning notes.