Mandarin seawall and bulkhead planning
Mandarin has two kinds of waterfront: wide-open St. Johns frontage and narrow Goodbys Creek. Each needs a different conversation with a contractor.
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Get to know your waterfront
Mandarin lies on the east bank of the St. Johns River in southern Jacksonville, from Goodbys Creek south toward Julington Creek. Its river frontage faces wide, open water where the city’s shoreline model expects bulkheads; Goodbys Creek is a narrow tributary reaching the river through a dredged channel. Normal tide range is about 1 foot.
USGS GNIS Streams (Mouth) and Other Hydrographic Features, Duval County · Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) report · COJ Capital Projects layer · NOAA Tides & Currents datums, I-295 Buckman Bridge
River frontage vs. creek frontage
On the river: wind waves and storm surge drive wall damage. Irma’s storm tide reached 5.26 feet above normal high water at the Buckman Bridge and 5.35 feet up Julington Creek. Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX), Section E · Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX), Section E
On Goodbys Creek: the city lists a Florida Inland Navigation District project, completed in 2023, that dredged a channel from the Goodbys Creek boat ramp to the river. That does not set the depth at private docks off the channel, so ask contractors how they will reach your wall. COJ Capital Projects layer
Timber is common on older Mandarin walls and docks. In low-salinity water the borer Sphaeroma is still active, so ask for sounding of timber members. Wood-Boring Marine and Estuarine Animals in Florida (SGEB-15) · Continuous stream discharge, salinity, and associated data collected in the lower St. Johns River and its tributaries, Florida, 2021 (OFR 2022-1111)
What could the work cost?
Creek access and long docks add cost; get them listed separately from the wall price.
Published prices are attributed planning context from contractors’ own pages, not a measured Jacksonville average or this website’s quote. Ranges differ about five-fold between publishers; your written, itemized scope decides the real number.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division | Building permit through JaxEPICS after zoning, drainage and any flood or historic review; inspections. | Signed and sealed drawings, survey and site plan as unlocked PDFs. 214 N. Hogan St.; 904-255-8500. |
Florida DEP Northeast District (Jacksonville) | State environmental resource permit or exemption, and state-lands consent for work at or below the high-water line. DEP handles single-family docks and shore protection not tied to a larger development. | Survey with the existing wall face and high-water line, the proposed alignment and photos. DEP Northeast District: 904-256-1700. |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District | Federal authorization for work in tidal and navigable waters, often verified by DEP through the state programmatic general permit or covered by a nationwide permit. | Ask DEP whether its review includes federal verification for your scope, or which nationwide permit applies. |
A Mandarin checklist
Use these steps to prepare.
Pull your permit and parcel history
Search past permits in JaxEPICS (guest sign-in) and look up your parcel with the Duval County Property Appraiser before the assessment.
Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record Search · Duval County Property Appraiser
Ask for your flood zone and elevation certificate
The city’s floodplain coordinator (904-255-8366) provides flood zone determinations and copies of available elevation certificates.
Creek lot? Confirm water access
Ask whether the work will be done by barge through the dredged channel or from land.
Check the county line on Julington Creek
The creek’s lower reach is the Duval–St. Johns line; south-bank lots use St. Johns County permits.
Plan your Mandarin seawall project
Tell us where your Mandarin property is, what you have noticed and what you want to decide. We will help you plan the next step.
Local guidance. A clearer plan for your waterfront.
Mandarin project questions
Is Mandarin part of the City of Jacksonville?
Yes. Mandarin is in the consolidated city’s Southeast planning district, so permits go through JaxEPICS.
CPAC District 3: Southeast · Online/Electronic Permit Submission
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Julington Creek, Beauclerc, San Jose & Epping Forest, Fruit Cove & Julington Creek
Show sourcesHide sources
- USGS GNIS Streams (Mouth) and Other Hydrographic Features, Duval CountySource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) reportSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- COJ Capital Projects layerSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- NOAA Tides & Currents datums, I-295 Buckman BridgeSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX), Section ESource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Wood-Boring Marine and Estuarine Animals in Florida (SGEB-15)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Continuous stream discharge, salinity, and associated data collected in the lower St. Johns River and its tributaries, Florida, 2021 (OFR 2022-1111)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Online/Electronic Permit SubmissionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Building Inspection DivisionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Northeast DistrictSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreements ERP Permitting: DEP District Offices and the Water Management District OfficesSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Ch. 373, F.S., Between SJRWMD and DEP (eff. 07/01/07)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Federal Permits and Coordination Agreements Between DEP, WMDs, and the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- SPGP VI – 1. Shoreline Stabilization, Activity descriptionSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (91 FR 768, Jan. 8, 2026)Source reviewed 2026-10-24
- Services Provided: Violation or Permit Record SearchSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Duval County Property AppraiserSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Floodplain ManagementSource reviewed 2026-10-24
- Census TIGERweb Counties point querySource reviewed 2026-10-24
- CPAC District 3: SoutheastSource reviewed 2026-10-24