Case Study: Delay from Regulatory Changes on Florida Coastal Seawall Project (Florida, 2018)

Project Overview
• Name: Florida Coastal Seawall Construction
• Location: Florida
• Year: 2018
• Project Size: $300 million
• Scope: Construction of protective seawalls to mitigate coastal erosion
• Lead Agencies/Contractors: Florida Department of Environmental Protection /

Category of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
• Regulatory
• Project Delay

Summary of the Issue, Problem, or Challenge
Mid-construction regulatory changes to environmental protection laws required redesign and re-permitting, causing significant delays.

Root Cause Analysis

  • Evolving Environmental Policies: New state-level coastal protection rules enacted.
  • Inadequate Initial Regulatory Forecasting: Project schedule did not anticipate regulatory shifts.
  • Permit Modification Process: Lengthy review and approval of revised permits.
  • Stakeholder Objections: Environmental groups raised concerns requiring additional studies.

Impacts Due to the Issue, Problem, or Challenge

  • Delay of 7 months.
  • Increased costs for redesign and extended administration.
  • Risk to project funding due to schedule slippage.

Corrective Actions Taken

  1. Enhanced regulatory monitoring for ongoing compliance.
  2. Developed flexible design strategies to adapt to regulatory changes.
  3. Improved stakeholder engagement early in project lifecycle.
  4. Established fast-track permit revision procedures with regulators.

Lessons Learned

  • Regulatory environments can change rapidly and impact projects.
  • Early and continuous regulatory engagement minimizes surprises.
  • Flexibility in design and permits supports timely adaptation.

Audit & Prevention: Project Control Questions to Ask on Future Projects to Help Control the Situation

  • Is there ongoing regulatory monitoring throughout construction?
  • Are designs adaptable to policy changes?
  • Are regulatory stakeholders engaged regularly?
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