Fort Morgan seawall and bulkhead planning

Get to know your waterfront

West of about longitude -87.80, the Gulf-front land that includes Gulf Highlands, Cedar Grove, Palmetto Beach, Navy Cove and Fort Morgan lies in no incorporated place. The county's building jurisdiction covers all unincorporated land. Many peninsula lots share the Gulf Shores ZIP area, and about 62 of its 135 square kilometers of land are in no incorporated place. A Gulf Shores mailing address therefore does not mean a Gulf Shores permit.

TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Legal and Statistical Entities, Incorporated Places layer (January 1, 2026 vintage), point-in-polygon queries · Building Inspection · 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship File

What to settle before a Fort Morgan wall is designed

Settle three things first: which side of the peninsula you are on, whether federal beach mouse rules apply, and how equipment will arrive. The Gulf side and the bay side behave like two different counties.

A county permit, and a county coastal program on the Gulf side

On unincorporated peninsula land, you file a Flood Permit under the Marine Accessory sub-type for a bulkhead or seawall. County marine permit The county's Coastal Area Program, part of the Building Department, permits construction on the Fort Morgan beach and dunes. It applies where a lot is touched by or seaward of the Coastal Construction Line (CCL). Coastal Area Program The county is one of the local offices the state has delegated to run that rule. ADEM delegation

Expect time. A Coastal Construction Line permit needs a 30-day public notice, and the county says the whole process takes about six to eight weeks. County timing and fees Dune walkovers have county size limits too, including one per parcel. Walkover rules Not every unincorporated district is zoned: the county counts 23 zoned and 14 un-zoned planning districts, though un-zoned ones still need flood permits. Planning districts Ask Planning and Zoning which applies to your lot.

Gulf-front lots: the line, the dunes and the mouse

State rules bar new structures, and any removal of primary dune sand or vegetation, between mean high tide and the Coastal Construction Line. ADEM Division 8 A bulkhead or retaining wall on the Gulf beach is allowed only when it sits landward of the line. It must also shield a structure that already exists or was permitted earlier, and no non-structural option may work. ADEM armoring limit The Gulf-front armoring guide covers that process.

The endangered Alabama beach mouse adds federal review. Critical habitat covers about 1,211 acres in five units, including 446 acres at Fort Morgan and 275 at Gulf Highlands. Federal rule Projects in beach mouse areas must meet the Fish and Wildlife Service's requirements before a building permit is issued. USFWS beach mouse page Repairs inside a house's original footprint can often go ahead without a special permit. USFWS repair note Call the Daphne Field Office at (251) 441-5181 before you add a pool or change a driveway. USFWS Daphne office

Some subdivisions and condos already hold their own habitat plans, which can shorten the path. Plan-covered areas Federal notice, April 7, 2023 Sea turtle nesting runs May through October, so expect lighting and work-window conditions. USFWS turtle note

The Mobile Bay side: shell reefs and bulkheads

The bay shore is lower energy. In 2012 The Nature Conservancy built 11 oyster reef breakwaters of riprap and bagged shell about 80 feet offshore. They were built for five private owners and protect about 1,142 feet of shore. One site was already bulkheaded. TNC private shorelines project That makes it a tested local option for bay lots, though rock settles and needs topping up. Bon Secour Bay east and south of the Mullet Point and Engineers Point line is classed for shellfish, swimming and wildlife. ADEM use class

• Small boats anchor north and east of the fort in Navy Cove, where old piles and obstructions lie on the bottom. Probe before you drive new piles. Coast Pilot 5
• A Civil War wreck lies north of Mobile Point Light, and mariners are told to keep wake to a minimum. Coast Pilot 5
• The federal living-shoreline permit fits many low-energy bay lots. NWP 54

Walkovers, condos and shared dunes

The state defines a dune walkover as a raised walkway no more than six feet wide, with no roof or walls. It must be set at least one foot above the dune. ADEM definition A condominium or multi-unit project on a line parcel must also file a natural hazards study and a beach and dune enhancement plan. ADEM condo rule Under Alabama's condominium act, the association maintains the common elements unless the declaration says otherwise. Condominium act Boards should read the condo seawall repair page first.

Public land next door

Large stretches of the peninsula are public or conserved. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge covers about 7,000 acres. USFWS refuge About 99 acres at Pilot Town were added in 2021. NOAA Pilot Town The state bought a 192-acre Gulf Highlands and Beach Club West tract with 2,700 feet of beach. NFWF award Fort Morgan itself, built from 1819 to 1834, has been a state-run historic site since 1977. Alabama Historical Commission Survey your line before you fence, clear or build a walkover next to any of it.

Getting equipment to the end of the road

The peninsula is reached by State Highway 180 or by a state-owned ferry link to Dauphin Island that runs 362 days a year, weather permitting. ALDOT ferry notice The county's Fort Morgan Pier launch at 259 State Highway 180 has two ramps and no launch fee. County launch list Ask each bidder to plan deliveries around summer traffic and any turtle-season limits.

Storms that shaped the peninsula

Fort Morgan takes storms head on. Georges in 1998 produced the highest surge estimate in Alabama, 11.9 feet at Fort Morgan. NHC Georges report Dennis put a storm tide of 7.1 feet there in 2005. NWS Dennis report During Sally in 2020, the Gulf beaches saw little structural damage, while a marina storage building at Fort Morgan took major damage. NWS Mobile Baldwin report Under county flood rules, the lowest floor must clear base flood elevation by a foot. Floodplain ordinance Unincorporated Baldwin County is Class 7 in FEMA's discount program, a 15% discount. FEMA CRS list

What could the work cost?

Gulf-front jobs here can add months for state and federal review, and bay-side jobs add delivery cost at the far end of the peninsula. Ask bidders to price permit support and delivery apart from the wall. See the cost guide for ranges.

Orange Beach permit values are what applicants declared for fee purposes, not invoices. Public bids carry bonding and county terms. Prices for steel, concrete, composite and aluminum come from outside Alabama and are labeled with their geography.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

Fort Morgan pre-bid checklist

Use these four checks to prepare for peninsula bids, each tied to a public record or office.

1. Confirm the parcel is county land

   Check the Revenue Commission Parcel Viewer's layers for city limits and permit jurisdictions. Anything outside both layers belongs to the county.

   Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building Department · TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Legal and Statistical Entities, Incorporated Places layer (January 1, 2026 vintage), point-in-polygon queries

2. Locate the Coastal Construction Line

   Ask a licensed surveyor to plot the line from state plane coordinates on your lot. If it crosses the parcel, the coastal program applies.

   ADEM Admin. Code Chapter 335-8-1, rule 335-8-1-.02(p) definition of construction control line · Coastal Area Program | Baldwin County Building Department

3. Ask the Fish and Wildlife Service about habitat

   Ask whether your subdivision has a habitat plan and whether your lot lies in critical habitat. Get the answer in writing.

   Building Permits and the Alabama Beach Mouse · Designation of Critical Habitat for the Alabama Beach Mouse; Final Rule, Table 2

4. Pull the permit history

   Search the county CitizenServe portal for anything issued after November 1, 2020. Earlier permits sit on the Delta link.

   Search Permits, Reports, Certificates of Occupancy, & Elevation Certificates | Baldwin County Building Department

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Little Lagoon & West Beach, Gulf Shores, Bon Secour & the Bon Secour River, Gulf-front Orange Beach

View the local guide directory.