San Marco · Your waterfront project

San Marco seawall and bulkhead planning

San Marco faces the wide St. Johns just upriver of downtown. Its walls hold back long-fetch waves every day and record storm water when hurricanes and nor’easters stack up.

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Land: U.S. Census Bureau county geometry minus Census TIGER water. Place markers: USGS Geographic Names Information System. Snapshot: October 24, 2026. General reference only; not a survey, flood map or service-availability boundary.

Get to know your waterfront

San Marco fronts the main stem of the St. Johns River just south of downtown, where the river is wide and wind has a long run to build waves. The city’s 2026 living-shoreline model says this reach is largely bulkheaded already and needs hard structures because of that wave energy. Normal tide range downtown is only about 2 feet, so storm surge, not daily tide, sets the risk.

Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) report · NOAA Tides & Currents datums, Southbank Riverwalk, St Johns River · USGS GNIS Populated Places, Duval County (National Map geonames service)

Plan for storm water, not daily tide

San Marco’s flood record is specific. During Irma, the National Weather Service logged a San Marco resident on the river with water about 5 feet deep in his home. Nicole in 2022 flooded River Road, Alamo Street, Southampton Road, San Marco Boulevard and LaSalle Street with 1–2 feet of water before high tide, and Ian pushed tidal water into LaSalle Street businesses. Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (PSHJAX) · Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (PSHJAX, updated Dec. 1, 2022) · Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (PSHJAX, updated Oct. 7, 2022)

For a river wall, that means checking for backfill washed out through joints after multi-day high water, cap height relative to recent storm levels, and how yard drainage gets out once the river drops.

Public projects nearby

The city’s LaSalle Street outfall and pump station, built to relieve flooding from heavy rain and high tides, is listed complete in 2026. The city has said it will not prevent every flood, and it does not change river levels at your wall.
The public bulkhead at Greenscape (Celebration) Park at the end of LaSalle Street was replaced.

COJ Capital Projects layer · LaSalle Street drainage project completed in San Marco, city says · COJ Capital Projects layer

Zoning overlay

San Marco has its own zoning overlay, and a 2015 amendment revised yard setbacks for riverfront lots. Ask city zoning (904-255-8300) before adding structures near the bulkhead. Bill Summary: Ordinance 2015-834 · BID Contact Us

What could the work cost?

Riverfront walls here are often tall and exposed to waves; ask for engineered replacement pricing alongside any repair option.

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

San Marco researched starting points
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. Online/Electronic Permit Submission · Common Permit Statuses in JAXEPICS · Building Inspection Division
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. Northeast District · Operating Agreements ERP Permitting: DEP District Offices and the Water Management District Offices · Operating Agreement Concerning Regulation Under Part IV, Ch. 373, F.S., Between SJRWMD and DEP (eff. 07/01/07)
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. Federal Permits and Coordination Agreements Between DEP, WMDs, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · SPGP VI – 1. Shoreline Stabilization, Activity description · Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits (91 FR 768, Jan. 8, 2026)

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

A San Marco checklist

Gather these before asking for an assessment or quotes.

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.
Floodplain Management
Note your flood zone and base flood elevation
The city’s flood map puts San Marco’s Riverfront Park in zone AE with a base flood elevation of 4 feet NAVD88. Check your own lot.
Representative coordinates: San Marco
Record storm water at your wall
Irma set the modern record at the Main Street Bridge gauge, 4.89 feet above normal high water. Note where water reached on your property.
Main Street Bridge historic crests

Start with what you know

Plan your San Marco seawall project

Tell us where your San Marco 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.

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San Marco project questions

Does the LaSalle Street pump station protect riverfront walls?

No. It moves rain and tide water off streets near San Marco Square. River levels at your wall are unchanged.

COJ Capital Projects layer · LaSalle Street drainage project completed in San Marco, city says

Is San Marco a local historic district?

No. The city’s three local historic districts requiring a Certificate of Appropriateness are Springfield, Riverside Avondale and St Johns Quarter. San Marco has a zoning overlay instead.

Certificate of Appropriateness Process · Bill Summary: Ordinance 2015-834

Where do I apply for a permit?

Through JaxEPICS with the City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division. State and federal environmental approvals may also be needed.

Online/Electronic Permit Submission