Neighbors Share a Seawall Project in Gulf Shores
Neighbors can share a seawall project, but each lot keeps its own permit. Learn what you can plan together and what each owner files alone.
Plan as a group. Decide for your own lot.
Jobs on the same stretch of shore can sometimes share a work crew’s setup, material drop-offs and scheduling. It is fair to ask whether lining up the work would trim the cost for everyone.
First learn who nearby is interested. After each wall is looked at, every owner picks their own scope, price and agreement.
Plan side by side
Talk through equipment setup, access and timing as a group.
Look at every wall
Each lot gets its own inspection and permit check.
Make your own call
No owner is tied to what the others pick.
How it works, in four steps
One call gets things moving. Every owner still decides alone.
Name your stretch of shore
Give your canal, lagoon or neighborhood and a number to call back. A full group is not needed yet.
Bring in the neighbors
Once your request goes through, send your invite link or print a flyer. Neighbors add their own details.
Sort out what overlaps
Talk over what the group needs. Walls, equipment access and wanted dates all need a look.
Choose for your lot
Read the scope and price written for your property, then decide if you want to proceed.
Who can join a group?
Begin with homes close together on one canal, street or lagoon shore. A target of 3 interested homes is a good aim, but you may sign up interest sooner. Walls or permits that differ can mean separate jobs.
Speaking for an association? The HOA project guide covers who owns what, board votes and phasing.
Common questions
Do we have to sign one contract?
No. Each owner should get their own written scope, price and agreement. If equipment has to cross a neighbor’s lot, settle access first.
What if a neighbor backs out?
Everyone decides on their own. Before you agree to anything, ask how your price moves if fewer homes join.
Can our walls differ in length or material?
Yes. A pro can tell you whether the jobs could still share setup or deliveries.
How do we set up a site visit?
Describe the group and what worries you. We can talk about whether a visit is needed and how to book one.
Can an association start a group?
Yes. A board member or another authorized person can begin. Say which walls the association owns and which belong to single owners.
Do neighbors share permits?
Possibly not. Each lot may need its own permit, so ask the project pro and the permit office which filings apply and who files them.
Invite your neighbors.
Gulf Shores Seawall · Neighbor seawall interest group
Is your lot close to the water near here?
Neighbors are checking whether wall jobs could share planning and a crew’s setup.
Every owner still reads and approves the scope and price for their own lot.
Call (251) 850-8500
Join through the private invite link.
Why do neighboring walls affect each other?
A hard wall slows erosion on its own lot. It can also bounce wave energy onto bare shore next door. Hard walls cut habitat at the water's edge too. Alabama living shoreline manual
So one lot repaired alone can leave a gap. A neighbor group can ask one engineer to study the whole run of shore.
Who approves work on each lot?
Find the permit office for each address first. Baldwin County's parcel viewer shows city limits and permit areas. Baldwin County parcel viewer Neighbors on one canal can answer to different offices.
- Inside Gulf Shores: the city building department. A new bulkhead needs Corps and State Lands approval first. Gulf Shores permit handbook
- Unincorporated Fort Morgan or Bon Secour: Baldwin County. Baldwin County jurisdiction
- Inside Foley: a city riparian structure permit. Foley city code
See the permit guide and the old-town canals.
What about shared property lines in the water?
State Lands says its approval does not set a binding riparian boundary. Only an agreement between owners or a final court judgment does. A structure found to encroach can be ordered moved. ADCNR State Lands rule
Agree on boundaries with neighbors before anyone draws a joint design.
A wall run over 500 feet needs advance notice to the Corps under the 2026 bank stabilization permit. Corps NWP 13 See the HOA guide for shared walls with a board.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Coastal Alabama Living Shorelines Policies, Rules, and Model Ordinance Manual (Boyd and Pace; supported by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- City of Gulf Shores Building Department, Building Permitting Procedures Handbook (2025)Source reviewed 2026-11-01
- City of Foley Code Ch. 4, Art. VIII Shoreline Construction Activities (Secs. 4-221 to 4-232), Ord. No. 1024-08Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- ADCNR Admin. Code r. 220-4-.09 Placement and Configuration of Piers and Other Improvements on State Owned Submerged LandsSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- 2026 Nationwide Permit 13, Bank Stabilization, 91 FR 768Source reviewed 2026-10-31
Start a neighbor group
Give us your canal or community and a way to reach you. We will help you sort out what your group should do next.