A seawall maintenance checklist keeps small problems small. Log rain, watch the calendar and know when a fix needs a permit.
A routine look can reveal changes along the cap, at the joints, in the drainage and in the soil next to the wall. Photos with dates, plus past reports, let a pro see how things shifted and decide what to fix.
Stay on solid ground and jot down any new holes, shifting or damage. Hold on to older reports. Leave drain clearing, digging, drilling and structural fixes to someone qualified. A pro can tell you what is safe to do yourself.
Go by what you already know. Stay on firm ground, and do not walk to the edge or wade in to look. “Not sure” is an acceptable answer to any question.
Skip this and go to the request form
An inspection can help answer the questions you were unsure about.
An on-site inspection is needed to assess the wall’s condition. These answers help you explain what you have noticed.
Prepare for a professional assessment · Discuss the next step
Tell us about the concern and we’ll help you work out the next step.
Continue to the request form. You can choose whether to include this check with your request.
The questions follow the warning signs owners most often notice along salt and brackish water: soil loss behind the wall, movement, open joints and damaged concrete. They help you describe what you see; they are not an inspection.
Each option below is a starting point for a conversation. This guide shows what they involve and where to go from there.
Request plan details
Find out what the plan covers, the price and the soonest dates.
A wall that is shifting or ground that is splitting open is urgent. Keep people back and call a professional soon. That kind of change should not wait for a routine visit.
Routine wear usually shows up first as open joints, rust stains, clogged weep holes or soft ground behind the cap. For your lot, local rules and the approved design decide what work is allowed.
Describe your wall and the kind of care you want. We can go over choices, timing and cost before you pick anything.
It varies with the wall’s age, shape and how exposed it is. Ask whoever inspects it when to come back.
Ask which upkeep tasks and fixes are part of the plan and which cost more.
Ask if a check after a storm is part of it. Repairs and insurance claims are handled separately, so read your agreement and your policy.
Say if you want one. Ask for dated photos, a list of what was checked, what could not be reached and suggested next steps.
Yes. List the properties and their owners, then talk through the visits and access each one needs.
Keep a simple log of heavy rain and high water. Photograph the wall from the same spot each time.
For scale, Sally dropped 29.3 inches near Fort Morgan in 2020. NHC Sally report The Weeks Bay gauge once read 4.3 feet above mean higher high water in Hurricane Nate. NOAA Weeks Bay top ten
New sinkhole? See soil loss and drainage.
On the Gulf front and first-row lots, work can disturb turtle nests in the main nesting season, May to October. USFWS Alabama office
Where grass beds may grow, the Corps says a survey may be needed, with suggested dates of June 1 through September 30. Alabama General Permits
Inspect before and after hurricane season, so repairs miss nesting and survey windows.
Often yes, but not always a new federal one.
Call the office first. See the permit guide and the cap and panel repair page.
Describe your wall and tell us how to reach you. We will help you decide what care it needs.
Tell us where your property is and what your seawall or dock needs.
Built on Gulf Shores and Baldwin County permit rules, Alabama coastal law, public bids and storm records.
