Plash Island dock permit: which office permits a dock or wall?

Get to know your waterfront

Plash Island and the lower Bon Secour River shore sit north and west of the Intracoastal Waterway. The city lists the Plash Island Area as police jurisdiction. The city zoning code still has a Plash Island and Bon Secour River Overlay with a 50-foot waterfront setback. No record we found names the office that issues a pier or bulkhead permit here.

Annexation · Zoning Ordinance for the City of Gulf Shores (September 14, 2026, as amended by Ordinance No. 2228) · Gulf Shores Code Ch. 7 Arts. I, V, VI, VII and Zoning Ordinance Art. 4

Jurisdiction, the overlay and what the water allows

Is Plash Island inside Gulf Shores?

No. It is in the city's police jurisdiction, which is not the same as the city limits. The city annexation page lists the "Plash Island Area" under properties in police jurisdiction. City annexation page

• The Census Bureau's 2026 boundary layer agrees. Flash Point, Bon Secour, Skunk Bayou and the County Road 6 boat launch all test outside the city limits. Census place layer, 2026
• The island sits at the mouth of the Bon Secour River, where it meets Bon Secour Bay and Oyster Bay. The river mouth is near 30.2885 north, 87.7530 west. USGS place-name records

Which office permits a dock or seawall here?

Public records do not say. The city may issue the permit, the county may issue it, or the answer may differ by parcel. The records do show this:

• The city code defines a pier as one on any water body inside the city limits or the police jurisdiction. City code Sec. 7-109
• The city erosion-control article, the sand-removal rule and the 160 mph wind design rule also reach the police jurisdiction by name. City code, police jurisdiction reach
• Baldwin County permits unincorporated land and three named towns. Owners inside another city's limits go to that city. The county notes that Silverhill and Summerdale permit in their own police jurisdictions, and Gulf Shores is not on that list. County building page
• Nothing says whether the city or the county issues a pier or bulkhead permit in the Plash Island Area.

What does the Plash Island overlay require?

The city zoning ordinance carries a Plash Island and Bon Secour River Overlay. Whether the city enforces it on every parcel in the police jurisdiction is part of the same open question.

Sources: Zoning Ordinance, Waterfront Setback Zoning Ordinance Sec. 10-9

• The setback runs from mean high tide, the usual high-water mark, to any building, structure, parking lot or other impervious improvement. No pool, balcony, parking lot or sign may sit inside it. Zoning Ordinance, Waterfront Setback
• A seawall or dock sits at that line by design, so the setback bites buildings and paving behind it. Ask the city in writing whether a bulkhead counts as a "structure."
• The overlay allows marina boat docking and fuel sales as accessory uses. It bans outdoor storage and industrial uses. Zoning Ordinance Sec. 10-9

What are the water and the shoreline like?

Plash Island meets three waters, and the rules and wave energy change from one to the next.

• Bon Secour River: rated S/F&W (swimming, fish and wildlife) up to 10 feet above mean sea level. At the mouth it spans roughly 2,000 feet. ADEM water-use rule Bon Secour watershed plan
• Bon Secour Bay: rated for shellfish harvesting, swimming and wildlife (SH/S/F&W), with very extensive oyster beds along the northeast shore. Coast Pilot 5
• Federal channel: dredged to 10 feet with an 80-foot width up to Day Marker 30. The South Fork channel runs to the County Road 4 bridge. State Lands wants structures 100 feet from it. Corps channel framework ADCNR rule 220-4-.09(4)(d)
• Oyster Bay: a low fixed bridge on the South Fork keeps it to skiffs, so heavy equipment often comes from the waterway side. Coast Pilot 5

Most of the Oyster Bay shore is still natural. A 2011 survey found more than 85 percent of its 35-plus miles was unprotected marsh. The rest is mostly steel and wood bulkhead or rubble. Bon Secour watershed plan

The county opened The Launch at CR 6 on April 24, 2025, calling it the first public boat launch on the Bon Secour River. It sits at 5587 County Road 6, outside the city limits. FOX10 report County park listing

Will a bulkhead be approved on a natural bank?

Replacing an existing wall is routine. Hardening a natural marsh bank is where reviewers push back. ADEM will not approve armor unless the applicant shows three things. ADEM rule 335-8-2-.06(1)

• No fill goes into wetlands or submersed grassbeds, unless separately authorized.
• The wall stands on or above the high-tide line and landward of any wetlands.
• Normal wetland hydrology is kept, and no feasible non-structural alternative exists.

Non-structural options include restoring dunes, wetlands and grassbeds, shoreline nourishment, or retreat. ADEM rule 335-8-2-.06(1)(d) The local watershed plan favors living shorelines along the river and Oyster Bay. It maps starter sites in the Oyster Bay watershed. Bon Secour watershed plan

Compare approaches in the living shorelines guide and riprap and shoreline stabilization. For open-bay storm damage, see the storm history.

Does the permit office change the cost?

Yes. The county charges 1.5 percent of job value plus a $75 flood permit and $25 in handling fees. The city charges $50 for a bulkhead plus a $25 application fee. County fee schedule City fee code Sec. 7-4

On a $40,000 wall, the county total is about $700 and the city total is $75, before state and federal fees. The county figure assumes a mapped flood area.

Neighbors: Bon Secour and the river lies just upstream, the Intracoastal and Waterway Village to the east, and the lagoon's north shore to the south.

What could the work cost?

Angi's 2026 ranges are $150 to $500 per foot for wood and $200 to $600 for vinyl. Sixty feet of vinyl comes to about $12,000 to $36,000 before permits. On a $40,000 wall the county charges about $700 and the city $75. ADEM adds $800 to $1,665. Ask for a living shoreline design too, since it can price differently from a wall.

These are published prices, not a quote. Local numbers come from Baldwin County public bids and Orange Beach permits. National guides fill the gaps and are labeled as national. Your wall depends on height, access, soil and permits.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

How to confirm the permit office with both offices

Five steps. Do them in order, and keep the answers.

1. Gather the parcel facts

   Write down the parcel number, street address and a survey. The city permits page links both the city and county GIS maps.

   Building Permits

2. Ask the city three questions

   Call (251) 968-1150. Is the parcel in the Plash Island Area? Do you issue pier and bulkhead permits there? Does the overlay setback apply to a wall?

   Building Permits | Gulf Shores, AL · Annexation

3. Ask the county the same questions

   Call (251) 972-6837. Ask whether the county issues a Marine Accessory flood permit for the parcel.

   Contact Us | Baldwin County Building Department · Permit Application Checklists | Baldwin County Building Department

4. Get both answers in writing

   Email both offices a short summary of what each said. The county address is Permitting@BaldwinCountyAL.gov.

   Contact Us | Baldwin County Building Department

5. Look at neighbors' permits

   Search county records for nearby docks and walls. County files dated November 2020 or later sit in CitizenServe, while older files use a separate page.

   Building Department - Search Permits & Reports

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Bon Secour & the Bon Secour River, Waterway Village & the Intracoastal, Little Lagoon north shore & Mo's Landing

View the local guide directory.