Ono Island bulkhead and seawall planning

Get to know your waterfront

Ono Island is a private gated community at the mouth of Perdido Bay. Bayou St. John borders it on the north and Old River on the south. Goat Bayou and Goat Point mark the west end. Bellville Bay and Point Ono mark the east end. Census boundary layers place the island in no incorporated place, and the Orange Beach city limit stops west of it.

Ono Island (Property Owners Association portal home page) · GNIS Domestic Names - Alabama (DomesticNames_AL.txt, file dated 2026-09-30) · TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Legal and Statistical Entities, Incorporated Places layer (January 1, 2026 vintage), point-in-polygon queries · 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship File

The mailing address, the three layers and the one bridge

Ono Island has more layers of control than almost any shoreline in Baldwin County. Work through them in order: jurisdiction, then county permits, then the association, then access.

Why an Orange Beach address does not make it a city lot

ZIP area 36561 covers part of Orange Beach, part of Gulf Shores and about 9.05 square kilometers that lie in no incorporated place. The Ono Island, Point Ono and Bear Point place-name points all fall in that ZIP area. Census ZIP area file The island's own utility board shows the same split. Baldwin County appoints its members, and their addresses say Orange Beach, Alabama 36561. County appointed boards record

The island's legal status is plain. Census layers put it outside every city and every census place. Census city limits The county's building page says its jurisdiction covers all unincorporated land. County building page The county's online parcel viewer will show your lot's status if you turn on its two jurisdiction layers. County parcel viewer guide

Layer one and two: county building and county planning

Baldwin County takes piers, docks, boathouses, boat lifts, bulkheads and seawalls as a flood permit with a marine accessory subtype. The required papers include the Corps of Engineers permit and the State Lands notice. County marine permit checklist The county charges $75 for construction in a mapped flood zone, plus a $15 data fee and a $10 issuance fee. County fee schedule

One local quirk is worth knowing. The county requires a marine accessory application only inside a Special Flood Hazard Area. Outside one, it does not require a permit, though other agencies may still require approval. County marine checklist Do not read that as permission to skip the Corps or State Lands.

• Work started without a permit can bring a penalty equal to the permit fees, up to $5,000. County fee penalties
• Applications go through the county's online portal, and no work may start until the status reads Issued. County permit portal
• The county's land disturbance fee is $25 per activity, such as filling, grading or dredging. Planning and Zoning fees

Planning and zoning is a separate county office. A 2018 county hearing notice names Ono Island as Planning District 24 under the zoning ordinance. It lists the planning office at (251) 580-1655. County hearing notice Ask that office whether a rebuilt wall or fill behind it needs a land disturbance review.

Layer three: the owners association

The Property Owners Association of Ono Island describes the island as private, gated and governed by an elected board. It counts about 1,000 single-family homes. Owners association description Association rules are private and can differ from county rules, so ask the association for its current standards on walls, docks and lifts. Get the answer in writing before drawings are final.

A county permit does not clear an association objection. A contractor who skips the association step can lose weeks after the permit is in hand.

One bridge, one gate and a shallow back door

Every truck uses the same private bridge. The association owns it, and it connects to State Route 182 about one mile west of the state line. Owners association description Ask the association about contractor passes, gate hours and any load limit on the bridge.

Water access is not simple either. Coast Pilot shows a fixed bridge with 24 feet of clearance over Old River about a mile east of the pass. Coast Pilot 5 It also reports shoaling to 3 feet on the marked Bayou St. John route. Coast Pilot 5 If your contractor plans a barge, ask which way it will come and what the depth is at your lot.

A crowded island means shared decisions

With about 1,000 homes, a failing wall usually has neighbors on both sides. A state armoring table lists Ono Island at 20% armored. Bayou St. John next to it is at 62%. Lighter armoring table Alabama armoring table Many lots on the island still have natural or lightly protected edges.

Across all of Perdido Bay, about 27% of the shoreline is hardened. A regional estuary program runs a living shoreline program with design guidance, permitting help and financial assistance. Escambia County news release See living shorelines if your edge is still partly natural.

Coordinate return walls and timing with the owners next door. Our neighbor group build page shows how shared work is organized, and HOA seawall repair covers association-led projects.

Repair or replace: what the state and federal rules count

The label on the job changes the paperwork. State Lands applies its submerged-lands rule to any structure rebuilt by more than 50 percent, and to any change to the existing pilings. State Lands rule The federal repair permit covers a serviceable, previously authorized structure. It also covers one damaged by a storm if work starts or is under contract within two years. 2026 Nationwide Permit 3

For a new or replacement wall, ADEM wants proof that no fill goes into wetlands or grassbeds. The wall must sit at or above mean high tide, and no workable non-structural option may exist. ADEM bulkhead rule Keep dated photos and any old permit. They show whether your wall counts as a repair. Our repair or replace guide explains the choice, and the permits page lists each agency.

Flood insurance follows the county, not the city

FEMA lists unincorporated Baldwin County as Class 7 in its Community Rating System, a 15% policy discount. That list names Ono Island as one of the areas it covers. FEMA CRS list The City of Orange Beach is Class 6, a 20% discount. FEMA CRS list The mailing address does not change which class you get. The effective flood maps date from 19 April 2019. FEMA community status book Read our seawall insurance guide for what insurers ask about walls.

Back-bay storm risk

After Sally in 2020, the heaviest damage sat in the sheltered back waters, from the state line north into Perdido Bay. Docks and piers were destroyed and boats ended up on land. NHC Sally report Ono Island is exactly that kind of shore. Inspect a wall and every dock tie-in after a named storm. The storm guide lists what to check.

What could the work cost?

Ask every Ono Island bidder to list the gate and bridge logistics as a line item. Delivery trips, crane or barge time and association fees can change the total as much as the wall design. The cost guide has per-foot ranges for Baldwin County. County fees are small next to the work, so compare bids on scope and access.

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.

Ono Island pre-bid checklist

Five records and calls to finish before bids come in.

1. Confirm the lot is county, not city

   Open the county parcel viewer. A mail address that says Orange Beach settles nothing.

   Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building Department · 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship File

2. Pull the county permit history

   Permits issued since November 1, 2020 are in the county portal search. Older ones are on the Building Permits Link page. Email the address if nothing turns up.

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

3. Get the association's current wall and dock rules

   Ask for them in writing, with any contractor entry rules for the gate and the private bridge.

   Ono Island (Property Owners Association portal home page)

4. Check the flood zone

   Marine accessory permits in the county depend on the Special Flood Hazard Area. Call the county flood contact at (251) 972-6837 for help reading the map.

   Permit Application Checklists | Baldwin County Building Department · Floodplain Management / Flood Zone Info | Baldwin County Building Department

5. Plan the barge or truck route

   Ask each bidder how equipment gets onto the island and what clearance and depth they assumed.

   U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 6 (edition dated 25 Oct 2026), paragraph 358 · U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 6 (edition dated 25 Oct 2026), paragraphs 353 and 358

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Bayou St. John, Old River & Robinson Island, Cotton Bayou, Terry Cove & Perdido Pass, Wolf Bay, Bear Point & Arnica Bay

View the local guide directory.