Seawall Inspection in Key West.

Start with the material. On this island it varies by block.

A coral cay with a long working waterfront has walls built in many eras, and each type has its own way of failing.

Key West is a small island between the Atlantic and the Gulf, and its shoreline has been modified for a very long time. Within a short walk you can find laid masonry, coral rock, poured concrete, and sheet pile, sometimes in the same wall after several rounds of repair. The inspection begins by working out what is there. Masonry fails at the mortar and the bed joints. Rock walls lose their fill. Concrete corrodes from the steel outward. Sheet pile loses section at the waterline.

Because the island averages only about eight feet in elevation, the engineer also looks at how storm water would reach the ground behind the wall, and whether the cap height and the drainage would let it out again.

Readers of the report are varied. A buyer in Old Town wants it before closing. An insurer asks about shoreline condition. A marina or condominium board needs a basis for a plan. And where work will follow, the City and, depending on the address, its Historic Architectural Review Commission will want to see an engineering rationale. The report is written so that it can be attached to that file.

Access on the island is often tight, by narrow lane or from the water, and we plan the visit with that in mind. Details of the method are on our seawall inspection page, and the role of the seal is covered under engineer-sealed reports.

What the island survey documents.

One fixed fee, quoted before we mobilize, for the whole length of the wall.

• Material and method of construction, including later patches and backing
• Mortar loss, open bed joints, and displaced stones or blocks
• Cap height and condition relative to the ground it protects
• Concrete spalling and rust staining where steel is present
• Lean, bowing, and settlement of the wall face
• Paths for storm water into and out of the backfill
• Subsidence in lanes, patios, and slabs behind the wall
• Water-side or lane-side access constraints noted for a future contractor
• Photograph log, ratings, ranked actions, and engineer seal

A report prepared for the review that follows.

On a historic island, an inspection often feeds an application.

When repairs are needed, the report separates what must be done for safety from what can be scheduled and what is only cosmetic. That distinction matters in a district where exterior work can draw review, because the application can show why the work is needed and how little of the original fabric has to change. Whether review applies to your wall depends on the address, and we point out where it may.

The report belongs to you and may go to any contractor. When you want one firm to carry the project, Souffront can scope the repair with the same engineer, including permitting. The repair side of the island is on seawall repair in Key West.

Inspection coverage across Key West and the Lower Keys.

Old Town, Stock Island, marinas, and waterfront associations. Elsewhere in the Keys see seawall inspection in Marathon and seawall inspection in Islamorada, or browse all cities we cover.