THE WATERFRONT BUYER’S GUIDE
FIXED BRIDGE
CLEARANCE CALCULATOR
Know what your boat can clear before you fall in love with a dock.
START HERE
WATERFRONT DOESN’T ALWAYS
MEAN OCEAN ACCESS
Two homes on the same canal can look identical in the listing photos and still support very different boats. The difference is rarely the water in front of the house. It is the lowest fixed bridge between the dock and the ocean.
Your boat can only be as tall as the lowest bridge on its route out.
Every fixed span on the way to the inlet sets a height limit, and the lowest one decides for the whole route. A new seawall, a wider canal or a higher price does not change that number. Knowing it before you write an offer is one of the most important checks in a South Florida waterfront purchase.
THE CALCULATOR
WILL YOUR BOAT
CLEAR THE ROUTE?
Enter your boat’s air draft and the clearance of the lowest fixed bridge on the route. You’ll see your cushion and the clearance tier it falls into.
For planning only. Confirm bridge clearances with official sources and a licensed marine professional before you buy.
A fixed bridge can’t be renovated away.
It shapes who can buy the home next, too.
That is why clearance matters twice: once for the boat you own today, and again when you sell. Every future buyer with a taller boat is ruled out by the same span, so the bridge belongs in your thinking about resale as much as your weekend plans.
THE FRAMEWORK
FOUR CLEARANCE TIERS, IN BOAT TERMS
Waterfront homes fall into broad tiers based on the lowest fixed bridge between the dock and the ocean. Use them to match a home to your boat before you start touring.
TIER 1
OPEN WATER
No fixed bridge
A clear route to the inlet. Sportfish, flybridge, towers and sailboats all fit. The most flexible profile for owners and future buyers.
TIER 2
MODERATE
About 15 ft and up
Room for many cruisers and express boats with a hardtop. Taller towers and flybridges may not fit.
TIER 3
LIMITED
About 10 to 15 ft
Works for many center consoles and smaller cruisers. Check towers, radar arches and T-tops closely.
TIER 4
TIGHT
Under 10 ft
Best suited to low-profile boats. Some owners fold or remove equipment just to get under.
Tiers are general guidance, not a property guarantee. The governing bridge for each home must be identified and verified individually rather than assumed from the neighborhood name.
AN ILLUSTRATION
SAME CITY, TWO VERY DIFFERENT BOATS
Why every address needs its own bridge check.
BEHIND A FIXED BRIDGE · TIER 4
UNDER 10 FT
Home A sits on a canal behind a low fixed span. Center consoles fit. Flybridges and towers do not, and that won’t change with a renovation.
EAST OF THE INTRACOASTAL · TIER 1
NO FIXED BRIDGE
Home B, a few streets away, has an open route to the inlet. Any boat can leave the dock.
Both are listed as waterfront. Both may be similarly priced. Only a bridge check shows the difference, and it rarely appears in photos or listing remarks.
PLAN FOR HIGH WATER
THE CLEARANCE AT YOUR SHOWING
ISN’T ALWAYS THE CLEARANCE YOU GET
Published bridge clearances are generally measured at mean high water, a conservative figure meant for planning. Actual clearance changes through the day as the tide rises and falls.
During king tides and seasonal high water, the same bridge can offer noticeably less room than it did on a calm afternoon visit. A route that felt comfortable at low tide can become tight, or impassable, when the water is up.
Plan around the highest water your boat will face,
not the day you toured.
WHY IT’S EASY TO GET WRONG
NOT EVERY BRIDGE NUMBER
ONLINE IS RELIABLE
Bridge records can include more than one clearance, such as the roadway clearance for vehicles passing over and the navigational clearance for boats passing under. Pulling the wrong field can produce a misleading number.
Federal bridge records, U.S. Coast Guard notices and NOAA nautical charts can also differ on the same bridge, and figures may be based on different tide references.
HOW OUR TEAM HELPS
When clearance matters to your purchase, we help you identify the governing bridge for the property and review its clearance against primary sources such as NOAA charts and U.S. Coast Guard information. Where sources disagree, we flag it so you can verify before you commit.
The right number isn’t the one that sounds good.
It’s the one your boat can count on.
BEFORE YOU WRITE AN OFFER
FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK
ABOUT ANY WATERFRONT HOME
Which fixed bridge is the lowest between this dock and the inlet?
What is its clearance at mean high water, according to a primary source?
What is my boat’s air draft, and how much cushion remains at high tide and during king tides?
Is the route to the ocean actually free of fixed bridges, or does it only look open from the property?
Is the canal wide and deep enough at the dock to turn, float and tie up my boat at low tide?
This guide is for general planning only. Bridge clearances, tides and waterway conditions change. Always confirm clearance with official sources and a licensed marine professional before purchasing.
EXPLORE WATERFRONT PROPERTIES
Find homes with the right boating access for your lifestyle.
BUYING WATERFRONT
WITH A BOAT?
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOAT AND WE’LL HELP YOU FOCUS ON HOMES WITH THE CLEARANCE IT NEEDS.
RYAN CRITCH
ADDRESS
6245 N FEDERAL HWY #421
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33308
All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently reviewed and verified.
