Marine Construction
South Florida’s waterfront environment is one of the most demanding in the country. Saltwater corrosion, tidal pressure, heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds, and relentless humidity put near-water structures under stress that inland construction doesn’t face.
Sea Me Dive provides full-service marine construction for residential, commercial, and governmental waterfront properties throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. We build docks, restore seawalls, install retaining walls, wrap pilings, construct environmental seawalls, and deliver complete near-water structure solutions, all with licensed marine contractors and a certified commercial diving team on every project.
Marine construction covers the design, building, repair, and restoration of structures that exist at or below the waterline – seawalls, docks, piers, pilings, bulkheads, retaining walls, and shoring systems. In South Florida, these structures face accelerated deterioration from saltwater exposure, soil erosion, marine growth, and seasonal storm loading. A marine construction contractor in Florida must understand both structural engineering and the underwater environment. Sea Me Dive handles the full scope: new construction, restoration of existing structures, and the underwater work that most contractors cannot perform without a separate diving subcontractor. What we find below the waterline shapes what we build above it. Before any construction begins, a seawall inspection establishes the baseline condition of existing structures so nothing is built on a compromised foundation.
Warning Signs
Marine construction is not always about building new. Most projects begin when an existing structure reaches a point where repair or restoration is the right answer. Here is what to look for:
The cost difference between early intervention and deferred maintenance on a waterfront structure is significant. Sea Me Dive’s projects frequently begin with a site assessment that reveals damage the property owner did not know existed – because it was below the waterline.
Services
Every project is scoped to what the site and structure actually need. We do not apply standard packages to non-standard problems:
We build new seawalls and restore existing ones - concrete panels, steel sheet piling, vinyl, and environmental seawall systems. Restoration includes crack repair, soil stabilization, tieback anchor replacement, cap restoration, and surface treatment.
We design and build residential and commercial docks, from simple fixed platforms to complex floating dock systems. Restoration work covers deck replacement, piling replacement, hardware and fastener upgrades, and structural reinforcement. Every dock project is assessed above and below the waterline before work begins.
New piling installation and piling wrap systems protect structural members from marine growth, saltwater corrosion, and impact damage. Piling wrap extends service life significantly and reduces long-term maintenance requirements for docks, piers, and marine structures.
We install retaining walls and shoring systems for waterfront properties where soil stabilization, grade control, or bank protection is needed. These systems are designed for long-term performance in South Florida's tidal and saltwater environment.
We construct environmental seawalls designed to balance structural performance with the health of the surrounding marine ecosystem. These systems create organic embankment profiles that support marine life while delivering the protection a seawall is built to provide.
Saltwater exposure causes concrete surfaces to crack, spall, and lose structural integrity over time. Our concrete restoration services repair structural marine concrete - seawall caps, dock surfaces, piling heads, and retaining wall faces - and apply protective coatings that extend service life.
Our certified commercial diving team performs construction and repair work below the waterline that cannot be done from the surface. Underwater concrete repair, piling work, debris removal, and structural fastening are all within scope. This capability sets Sea Me Dive apart from contractors who rely entirely on low-tide or dewatered access.
Our commercial marine construction division manages large-scale projects, including marina infrastructure and complex systems for commercial waterfront operators.
We specialize in projects for municipalities, ports, and government agencies, adhering to strict public-sector documentation and permitting standards, providing the best marine construction that the government can rely on.
This process specifically addresses the corrosion and structural joint failure found in existing steel sheet pile walls. For steel sheet pile walls, our steel sheet panel restoration process addresses both corrosion and structural joint failure.
Our team develops site-specific and engineered approaches for complex or non-standard marine challenges that require unconventional methods. With our innovative marine solutions, we can solve any seawall-related problems you have.
Marine Construction
The materials, methods, and project management approach are consistent across project types. The scale, permitting complexity, and documentation requirements differ substantially.
Residential projects typically involve a single seawall run, a dock, or both. The priority is giving the homeowner a durable, well-built structure that protects the property and integrates with the waterfront environment. Many residential clients come to us after a prior contractor's work has failed, after storm damage, or when a structure has simply reached the end of its useful life. We handle permitting, site access coordination, and post-construction cleanup as part of every residential project.
Commercial projects involve greater structural loads, more complex permitting pathways, and higher documentation and engineering requirements. Marinas, boat yards, port facilities, and commercial waterfront operators need a contractor who understands the regulatory environment as well as the construction itself. Our commercial marine construction division handles large-scale dock systems, commercial seawall runs, marina infrastructure, and complex multi-phase waterfront projects. For municipalities, ports, and government agencies, our governmental marine construction team brings the permitting experience and public-sector documentation standards that those projects require.
Our Process
Every marine construction project follows the same structured sequence. Scope creep, budget surprises, and construction delays almost always trace back to steps that were skipped at the beginning.
We assess the existing site conditions: structure type, current condition, soil stability, water access, and any known problem areas. For projects that include existing structures, a dive inspection is performed to evaluate below-waterline conditions before any scope is defined.
Based on the assessment, we define a clear project scope - what will be built, what will be restored, what materials will be used, and what the expected service life is. We do not present a proposal until we understand what the site actually requires.
Marine Construction in Florida requires permits from state and local authorities. We manage the permitting process, coordinate with relevant agencies, and ensure the project scope is fully compliant before a single tool hits the water.
Equipment, materials, and the dive team are mobilized to the site. We coordinate access, protect adjacent structures and landscaping, and ensure the site is properly staged for efficient construction.
Above-waterline and below-waterline work are performed by the same integrated team. Our commercial divers handle everything that requires underwater access - no separate subcontractor, no hand-off delays, no scope gaps.
Completed work is inspected above and below the waterline. Photographs and video document the finished structure. Any punch-list items are addressed before the project is closed.
We walk the client through the completed project, explain what maintenance the structure requires, and provide documentation of the work performed. A maintenance baseline protects the investment made in new or restored construction.
Why It Matters?
Waterfront property in South Florida commands a premium precisely because of its water access. The seawall, dock, and near-water structures that make that access possible are not decorative, they are load-bearing infrastructure that protects the land, the property, and the investment. A seawall that fails does not just require replacement; it can cause soil loss behind the wall, damage to landscaping and hardscape, and in severe cases, undermining of structures on the property itself.
A dock built to a lower standard than the environment demands will require repair before it should, and may fail during exactly the conditions, storm surge, high winds, wave action, when it most needs to hold. Quality marine construction in South Florida means building for the environment, not just to the minimum specification. If damage is caught early enough, seawall repair addresses it before it becomes a full construction project.
A structurally sound seawall prevents the soil loss that can undermine everything built behind it.
Marine structures built with the right materials and methods for South Florida's environment require less repair over their service life.
Proper construction, paired with protective systems piling wraps, surface coatings, and concrete sealers, adds decades to a structure's lifespan.
Sea Me Dive performs both, which eliminates the coordination gaps that cause problems when two separate contractors share a project.
Documented construction by a licensed marine contractor provides the paper trail lenders, insurers, and regulators require.
South Florida hurricane season tests waterfront structures every year. Construction that accounts for storm loading from the start survives it far better.
Materials & Methods
Material selection is one of the most consequential decisions in any marine construction project. The wrong material in South Florida’s saltwater environment will fail well before its engineered service life. Sea Me Dive uses concrete, vinyl, steel sheet piling, and composite materials depending on the structure type, site conditions, load requirements, and client priorities. Concrete seawalls offer proven durability and are the most common wall type in South Florida.
Vinyl panels are corrosion-resistant and well-suited to moderate-load residential applications. Steel sheet piling provides exceptional strength for high-load commercial and governmental applications and is paired with our steel sheet panel restoration process when existing steel structures require rehabilitation. Environmental seawall systems use a combination of structural and organic materials to create living shorelines that perform structurally while supporting the marine ecosystem. Where complex or non-standard challenges require engineering beyond conventional methods, our innovative marine solutions team develops site-specific approaches.
Why Choose Us
Sea Me Dive has been building and restoring waterfront structures in South Florida for over 20 years. The difference that matters most is our integrated above and below-waterline capability. Most marine contractors assess and build from the surface. We put a certified commercial dive team on every project – which means we see what is actually happening at the footer, at the piling base, and at every underwater joint. What we find below the waterline shapes what we build above it. That is not how most marine construction companies operate. It is how we operate on every project.
Licensed marine contractors with a full construction and restoration scope in Florida.
Certified commercial divers on every project - above and below-waterline work performed by one crew.
We have built and restored structures for homeowners, marinas, municipalities, and port authorities across South Florida and the Caribbean.
Seawall, dock, piling, retaining wall, environmental seawall, concrete restoration, and underwater construction - all under one contract.
We know the permitting environment, the material performance data, and the site conditions that define marine construction in this region.
Every project is fully documented. We define the scope based on what the site requires, not what maximizes the contract value.
We build structures that hold up in the environment they are built in - not just in ideal conditions.
Serving South Florida and the Caribbean
Sea Me Dive provides marine construction services throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. Our primary service area includes Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, Martin County, St. Lucie County, and Monroe County. We serve waterfront properties along the Atlantic coast, the Intracoastal Waterway, canal communities, rivers, and inland waterways throughout the region.
OUR CLIENTS
Question & Answer
Yes. Marine construction in Florida requires permits from FDEP, the Army Corps of Engineers, and local municipalities, depending on project scope. Sea Me Dive manages the permitting process, coordinates with the relevant agencies, and ensures the project is fully compliant before construction begins.
Seawall construction refers to building a new wall from scratch – either as new waterfront protection or as a replacement for a failed structure. Seawall restoration addresses an existing wall that still has structural integrity but requires repair or reinforcement to extend its service life. The right approach depends on the current condition of the wall, which a professional seawall inspection establishes before any scope is defined.
Marine construction projects in South Florida timelines vary significantly depending on scope, permitting requirements, and site conditions. A residential dock restoration may take one to two weeks. A new seawall installation or complex commercial project may take several months from permit approval to completion. Sea Me Dive provides a realistic project timeline as part of every proposal.
Yes. Sea Me Dive’s service area includes the Florida Keys and Monroe County, and we have completed marine construction projects throughout the Caribbean. Our dive team capability makes remote and island projects logistically manageable in ways that surface-only contractors cannot match.
An environmental seawall combines structural protection with a design that supports the marine ecosystem rather than simply replacing natural shoreline. These systems use organic profiles and materials that allow marine life to colonize and stabilize the embankment. They are well-suited to properties where the owner wants both protection and a living shoreline aesthetic. Contact Sea Me Dive to discuss whether an environmental system fits your site.
Yes. Seawall repair and restoration is one of our core services. If the existing wall has sufficient structural integrity to warrant repair rather than replacement, our team defines a scope based on what the wall actually needs. We do not default to replacement when repair is the right answer.
Marine construction damage and deterioration does not stop at the waterline. Footer condition, piling integrity, joint condition, and underwater concrete damage are invisible without a dive inspection. Our commercial diving team assesses and works below the waterline as part of every project, which eliminates the scope gaps that occur when above and below-waterline work are handled by separate contractors.
