Crocker Marine Services designs, builds, and repairs docks, seawalls, and boat lifts on Sanibel Island, Florida, in Lee County. Sanibel faces San Carlos Bay and Pine Island Sound, with a much smaller dock and seawall inventory than the mainland canal cities — the island's own Land Development Code is one of the strictest environmental codes in Florida, and much of the interior is protected by the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Hurricane Ian's 2022 landfall hit Sanibel directly, and rebuilding is still a major part of the island's marine work.
Marine construction services on Sanibel
Crocker Marine is a full-service marine contractor familiar with Sanibel's environmental review process. See the full range of services or browse completed projects across Southwest Florida.
Docks
Bay-facing docks on Sanibel are reviewed against the city's vegetation, setback, and conservation rules, and many current projects are storm rebuilds. We build new docks and handle repair, replacement, accessories, and canopies and shade covers.
Seawalls
Fewer Sanibel properties are seawalled compared to the mainland, and the City of Sanibel favors softer, more natural shoreline treatments where they'll hold — but where a seawall is appropriate, we install and replace concrete and vinyl walls and provide repair, maintenance, replacement, and new installation.
Boat lifts
We install and service boat lifts from Coastal Boat Lifts in Fort Myers, sized to the vessel and San Carlos Bay's water depth. Repair covers cables, motors, bunks, and controls.
Dredging
Bayside slips and channels near the causeway can shoal. Our residential dredging restores permitted depth, worked through Sanibel's environmental review, with permitting handled.
Marine inspections
Given the extent of storm damage across the island since 2022, our marine inspections give buyers, sellers, and insurers a written, documented condition report on the dock, seawall, and lift.
Permits and local conditions on Sanibel
Marine construction on Sanibel is permitted through the City of Sanibel, whose Land Development Code carries some of the strictest environmental standards in Florida, along with Lee County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for work below the mean high-water line.
- Strict environmental review. Sanibel's code prioritizes native vegetation and natural shoreline, and reviews dock and seawall work closely against it.
- Hurricane Ian. The September 2022 storm made landfall on Sanibel and severed the causeway; much of the island's current marine-construction demand is direct storm rebuild.
- Conservation land. A large share of the island is the Ding Darling refuge and other protected land, which limits where new construction of any kind can happen.
- Modest dock inventory. Compared to Cape Coral or Punta Gorda, Sanibel has relatively few docks and seawalls — most waterfront work here is bayside, on San Carlos Bay or Pine Island Sound.
Why Sanibel homeowners choose Crocker Marine
- True Price Guarantee. The quoted price is the price you pay — no change orders, excluding rock excavation, client-requested changes, or specialty permitting.
- Licensed and insured. Florida certified building contractor CBC1266139, with $2 million in insurance coverage.
- Storm-rebuild experience. More than 60 years of combined experience and a showroom at 2101 McGregor Blvd in Fort Myers, with substantial post-Ian rebuild work on the island.
- Warranties. A 15-year seawall warranty and a 1-year dock warranty.
Sanibel marine construction FAQ
Is it harder to get a dock or seawall permit on Sanibel than elsewhere?
The review is more detailed — Sanibel's Land Development Code is one of the strictest environmental codes in Florida — but it's a normal part of a project here, and we manage it as part of the permitting process.
Can you rebuild a dock or seawall damaged by Hurricane Ian?
Yes — that's a large share of our current Sanibel work. A marine inspection establishes the damage and what the rebuild needs to meet current code.
Does Sanibel require a specific type of seawall or shoreline treatment?
The city favors natural shoreline stabilization where it will hold, and reviews traditional seawalls more closely than a typical mainland canal community. We design to what the site and the code allow.
Who permits dock and seawall work on Sanibel?
The City of Sanibel, Lee County, FDEP, and the Army Corps of Engineers for anything below the high-water line.
Do you also work on Captiva?
Yes — we serve Captiva as well as Sanibel. Request a free estimate or call (239) 841-9674.
Nearby service areas
Captiva · Fort Myers Beach · Fort Myers · Pine Island · Cape Coral