Seawall and bulkhead services in Orange Beach.
Start with what you see.

Which seawall guide matches what you see?

Start with the change you noticed at the waterline. Each symptom points to a different part of the bulkhead, so match yours below before you ask anyone for a price.

Who reviews bulkhead work on my parcel?

Your city or county office depends on the parcel, not the mailing address. Settle that first, because every state and federal approval ends up attached to a local building permit.

Check the parcel on the county Revenue Commission viewer with the building permit jurisdiction layer turned on. Baldwin County jurisdiction how-to The permit guide covers each office in full, and the Baldwin County page covers records and flood maps.

Do Gulf front, canal and bay shores follow different rules?

Where your wall faces decides how hard the permit is and what kind of wall makes sense. The Gulf beach, the canals and bayous, and the open bays are three different worlds here.

Gulf-front lots

Alabama bans new bulkheads and seawalls on Gulf beaches and primary dunes. The exception is a wall landward of the Coastal Construction Line (CCL) that protects an existing or previously permitted building. Even then, no workable non-structural option, including retreat, can exist. ADEM Gulf armoring rule Orange Beach and Gulf Shores run this program for ADEM, so start at city hall. ADEM local delegation The Gulf-front armoring guide has the details.

Canals, bayous and bays

Most walls here are on protected water. Bayou St. John is about 62 percent armored, and Arnica Bay about 56 percent. Sea Grant armoring table On the open Wolf Bay shore, a field survey found about 8,100 feet of steel or wood bulkhead against about 210 feet of concrete. Wolf Bay shoreline survey Timber and vinyl dominate, which is why inspection and replacement are the core services.

Rivers and mostly natural shores

On the Fish and Magnolia rivers, 16.5 to 24.3 percent of the shoreline is armored. Weeks Bay shoreline assessment A new vertical wall stands out there, and state rules lean toward riprap, plants or a living shoreline where they can work. State Lands rule

Which repairs fix the part that failed?

Most walls fail one part at a time. Cap cracks, washed-out soil and rusted tie rods have different causes and different costs, so treat them as separate jobs.

• Cap and panels: cracks, spalling and open joints. Read the cap and panel guide.
• Soil and drainage: sinking yards and missing fill. Read the soil loss guide.
• Anchors: leaning walls and failed tie rods. Read the tieback guide.
• Foam: a narrow tool for small voids. Read the foam injection guide.

Federal rules treat repair of a permitted wall as its own category. A previously authorized, serviceable structure can be repaired or replaced with minor changes under Nationwide Permit 3. Corps NWP 3

When do I replace, extend or soften the shore?

When damage runs along the whole wall, replacement usually costs less than a string of repairs. Public bids on this coast put vinyl sheet pile wall at about $256 to $611 per linear foot in 2022. Baldwin County Lillian bid tabulation

• Seawall replacement: where the new wall may sit and what the permits cost.
• Docks and boat lifts: a separate permit from the wall.
• Riprap and shoreline stabilization: soft options that Alabama rules prefer.

Budget the whole job, not only the wall. The cost guide adds design, permits, access and restoration.

What have storms done to walls and docks here?

Storms matter more than tides on this coast. Tides in Wolf Bay and Arnica Bay run less than a foot, so one surge dwarfs a normal day. NOAA Orange Beach bay stations

• Sally, 2020: the worst damage hit the back bays from east of Gulf Shores to the state line and up Perdido Bay. Many docks and piers were destroyed. NHC Sally report
• Ivan, 2004: surge ran 10 to 15 feet along the coast, and Perdido Pass reached about 8.8 feet. NHC Ivan report Corps tide gage table
• Nate, 2017: just under 200 piers in Baldwin County were damaged, 62 of them badly. NWS Nate report

The storm guide adds the Eastern Shore record and the gauges worth watching.

How do I turn a guide into a project?

1. Gather records. Find past permits, surveys and dated photos of the wall.
2. Get an assessment. Ask for a written finding that names the failing part.
3. Write one scope. Give every bidder the same drawings and list of work.
4. Check the bidder. Verify the license with the contractor check guide.
5. Plan the permits. Corps, ADEM, State Lands and the city or county all need to see the same package.

When you are ready, start a project plan or tell us what your wall needs. We will help you plan the next step and find a local marine contractor.

What changed for owners in 2026?

Three changes make older advice unreliable. If a handout, bid or web page predates them, ask for an update.

• Federal permit: on October 1, 2026 the Mobile District retired ALGP-11, its old bulkhead and shoreline permit. Bulkheads, seawalls and riprap now go under Nationwide Permit 13. Corps ALGP-11 retirement
• State fees: ADEM’s new fee schedule took effect October 15, 2026, with $1,000 for 50 feet or less of bulkhead or riprap and $1,665 for more. ADEM Fee Schedule B An older ADEM form still prints a $700 seawall fee, so quote the live schedule. ADEM Form 328 stale fees
• Nationwide permits: the 2026 set took effect March 15, 2026 and runs to March 15, 2031. 2026 nationwide permits

The latest storm was mild here. Isaias in October 2026 brought downed trees and power loss to Baldwin County, with no reported surge damage. NWS Isaias report A quiet season is a good time to inspect.