Bulkhead Height Requirements in Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Shores code lists no fixed bulkhead height requirement. Learn the water levels engineers use and the rules that touch wall height.
- Top of the capCounted from a fixed survey reference.
- WaterlineMoves with the tide and the weather.
- Survey reference (datum)A named zero point, such as NAVD88.
Always use the reference printed next to the elevation.
How high should your seawall be?
A city or county can set a minimum or maximum elevation for the top of a wall. What applies depends on where the lot sits and what work is planned. Runoff, flooding and the walls next door also shape the design.
Local height rules go by the top-of-cap elevation on your survey. That is the top of the wall measured against a fixed survey reference. It is not the wall’s full height from bottom to top, and it is not the water level.
Two things to look for on your survey.
Look for the elevation of the top of the seawall cap and the survey reference printed with it. The sample below shows where they usually appear.
Seawall cap elevation
- Top of seawall cap
- 6.0 ft
- Survey reference (datum)
- NAVD88
The sample reads 6.0 ft NAVD88. Use the number and reference from your own survey.
Pair the number with its reference.
- The elevation: take the figure for the top of the wall cap. Skip floor levels, water depth and total wall height.
- The reference: write down the name next to the figure, such as NAVD88 or NGVD29. Two elevations only compare when they share a reference.
- Missing one or both? Pick “No / not sure” in the checker and ask a surveyor. A measurement taken from the water would give a different answer.
What is NAVD88?
NAVD88 is a fixed zero point that surveyors measure elevations from. Other surveys may use NGVD29 or a tide-based zero. Elevations only compare when both use the same zero point, and a surveyor can convert if they differ. NOAA explains survey references.
Check your survey or the final construction plans for the cap elevation. A flood certificate often lists only the house. If the wall figure is not there, a surveyor can supply it, and nobody needs to measure at the water’s edge.
Repairs, replacements and permits
Before you raise or replace a wall, ask the permit office which rules cover the job. An engineer can judge whether the current wall, its supports and the drainage can take the change. A taller wall can also send rainwater somewhere new.
Start with the permit guide. It lists the Gulf Shores and Baldwin County offices plus ADEM, Alabama State Lands and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Tell each office where the wall is and what you plan to change, then ask which approvals apply. The joint ADEM and Corps application (Form 166) shows the drawings a shoreline job needs, such as the mean high water line.
Common questions
How do I plan to change the wall height?
Gather your survey, note the wall’s condition and decide what change you want. An engineer can review the supports, the drainage and the effect on neighbors. Describe your plans and we will help with the next step.
Must I build up to the maximum height?
No. A maximum is a ceiling, not a goal. Ask the permit office whether your lot also has a minimum.
What if I do not know the elevation?
You can begin with the address and the change you have in mind. A surveyor can read the top-of-cap elevation and its reference from your survey.
Can a wall that is already built be raised?
An engineer must review the wall, supports and drainage first. The fix could mean adding to the wall or replacing sections.
Does hitting the number mean the wall is sound?
No. Height is one factor. Supports, drainage and visible damage count too. The warning-sign check helps you get ready for an inspection.
Who can help with the height question?
Send us the city or county and the change you want. We can talk about whether you need a survey or an inspection. Confirm services and price before you commit.
What tide numbers apply near Gulf Shores?
On the open Gulf, tides swing only about 1.4 feet. Mean higher high water sits about 0.7 foot above NAVD88, the national elevation datum. NOAA Gulf State Park Pier gauge
Bays and canals differ. NOAA runs no live water-level station on Baldwin County's shore. NOAA CO-OPS station list NOAA ran a gauge in Weeks Bay from 2007 to April 2022. NOAA Weeks Bay gauge
How high does storm water get?
Far above normal tide. Hurricane Ivan's peak at Perdido Pass, east of Gulf Shores, was 8.8 feet on the older NGVD datum. Corps tide-gage table
Sally's surge and tide put 5 to 7 feet of water over the ground along the Baldwin County coast. NHC Sally report
No wall in a home budget stops that. Plan height for daily tides and smaller storms. See the storm guide.
What local rules touch bulkhead height?
Research found no fixed bulkhead height in Gulf Shores code. An engineer sets the design. A new bulkhead needs the Corps and State Lands to say yes before the city will issue a permit. Gulf Shores permit handbook
Flood rules cover buildings more than walls. South of State Highway 180, a home's lowest floor must sit a foot above the base flood elevation. Gulf Shores flood ordinance
Raising a wall can still count as development in a flood zone. Gulf Shores flood code Read the flood zone guide.
Should a new wall be built higher?
Ask the engineer. The Dauphin Island gauge shows sea level rising about 1.7 inches a decade, or near 1.4 feet in a century. NOAA sea level trends
Have the engineer explain any added height in feet and why. On the Gulf front, added height can count as a substantial improvement under ADEM rules. ADEM coastal rules
On tidal water, State Lands lets a replacement bulkhead go on the mean high tide line or as far as two feet out from it. ADCNR State Lands rule See bulkhead replacement.
Show sourcesHide sources
- NOAA CO-OPS Metadata API: Datums, station 8731269Source reviewed 2026-11-01
- CO-OPS Metadata API: water level stationsSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- CO-OPS station metadata: 8732828 Weeks Bay, Mobile Bay, ALSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Hurricane Ivan - September 16, 2004 (Table 3, observed storm surge data, courtesy USACE Mobile District)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Sally, 11-17 September 2020Source reviewed 2026-11-01
- City of Gulf Shores Building Department, Building Permitting Procedures Handbook (2025)Source reviewed 2026-11-01
- Gulf Shores Code of Ordinances Ch. 7, Art. IV Flood Damage Prevention (Municode)Source reviewed 2026-11-01
- CO-OPS Sea Level Trends (derived product API)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- ADEM Admin. Code Chapter 335-8-1, General Provisions and Review ProcessSource reviewed 2026-11-01
- ADCNR Admin. Code r. 220-4-.09 Placement and Configuration of Piers and Other Improvements on State Owned Submerged LandsSource reviewed 2026-10-31
Ask about local requirements
Name the property and the question you need answered. Keep your survey, if you have one, with your notes.