Bulkhead and Seawall Repair in Bayou La Batre, AL
Bulkhead repair in Bayou La Batre follows the city's own rules, not the county's. The bayou is a working waterfront, and City Hall is the first call.
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Bayou La Batre & Portersville Bay at a glance
- Who permits it
- City of Bayou La Batre on land; federal and state agencies in the water
- Call first
- City Hall, (251) 824-2171
- The water
- Zeta reached 6.9 feet above mean higher high water at the bridge gauge
- Local rule to know
- The 2020 flood ordinance bans boathouses and sheds below flood level in VE and coastal AE zones
Get to know your waterfront
Bayou La Batre has its own zoning, flood ordinance and land disturbance permit, so City Hall comes before any contractor. The 2020 flood ordinance sets a 2-foot freeboard and bans accessory buildings in the wave zones. Below high tide, the Corps, ADEM and State Lands still decide.
Staff and Department Directory · Zoning Ordinance 495 Adopted 03 22 2005 with Amendments through 06 13 2019 · City of Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Coastal Communities) · Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Article 4 and definitions · Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Article 4, Sections B(8) and G
City rules, storm water and public projects on the bayou
In short: the city permits land work, the agencies permit water work, and the 2020 flood ordinance surprises owners most.
Who issues bulkhead and dock permits in Bayou La Batre?
City Hall, at 13785 South Wintzell Avenue. The staff directory sends permit questions there, to the main line at (251) 824-2171. City staff directory
The city has real zoning. Ordinance 495 splits it into residential, business and industrial districts. Its use table lists boat docking as an accessory use, plus marinas and shipbuilding and repair yards. City zoning ordinance
A building permit card lists the sign-offs. They include setback, flood zone, elevation certificate, piers and pilings, and a separate "elevation final." City permit card
What does the 2020 flood ordinance require?
Ordinance 2020-002 was adopted May 28, 2020. It names the city's Building Official as floodplain administrator and requires a development permit before any work in a special flood hazard area. City flood ordinance
- Freeboard. The lowest floor of a new or substantially improved building must be at least 2 feet above base flood elevation. In V zones, the bottom of the lowest horizontal beam must be at least 1 foot above it. City flood ordinance, freeboard
- No accessory buildings. Boathouses, sheds, gazebos and pavilions are banned below base flood elevation in VE, V and coastal AE zones. City flood ordinance, accessory buildings
- Enclosures. Owners in those zones sign a recorded agreement not to finish the space below the lowest floor. Breakaway-wall enclosures are capped at 299 square feet. City flood ordinance, enclosures
- Repeat damage. Flood damage on two occasions within 10 years, averaging at least 25 percent of market value each time, counts as substantial damage. So does a single repair costing 50 percent or more. City flood ordinance, substantial damage
Coastal AE zones sit landward of the 1.5-foot breaking-wave line, and the ordinance treats them like VE. City flood ordinance, coastal AE Flood maps for the city took effect June 5, 2020. FEMA community status Ask City Hall for the current rule in writing before you design.
What does a land disturbance permit need?
The city's packet asks for more than a sketch. A bulkhead or fill job that moves soil may need all of it.
- A grading and drainage plan and an erosion control plan, both stamped by an Alabama engineer.
- A city benchmark reference.
- Proof of ADEM registration if you disturb one acre or more.
- A Corps permit if wetlands will be disturbed.
- Compliance with the city's Storm Water Management Ordinance 566. City land disturbance packet
The packet bars filling in the floodplain without an engineer's letter. The state-format floodplain permit lapses unless work begins within 180 days. City land disturbance packet
How high does storm water get on the bayou?
In Zeta in 2020, the Bayou La Batre Bridge gauge recorded 6.89 feet over mean higher high water, the highest of the Alabama stations the Weather Service listed. Nate in 2017 reached 5.85 feet. NOAA top water levels Dauphin Island, in the same Zeta storm, read only 2.42. NWS Zeta report
| Storm | What was recorded |
|---|---|
Katrina, 2005 | Surge as high as 12 to 14 feet |
Georges, 1998 | Surge of 8.80 feet MSL (7.9 above MHHW) |
Zeta, 2020 | 6.9 feet above MHHW at the bridge gauge |
Georges vs. Ivan | 8.27 vs. 4.66 feet NGVD at the Middle Gage |
Sources: NWS Mobile and NHC storm reports. NWS Katrina NWS Georges NHC Zeta Corps gauge table
Georges came ashore west of the bayou and pushed in more water than Ivan, which landed to the east. Corps gauge table
The money record is just as clear. Katrina brought 218 flood claims and $21.5 million in the city. OpenFEMA claims The city has 81 repetitive-loss records, 13 of them severe. OpenFEMA loss file No CRS flood-insurance discount is listed for the city. FEMA CRS list, October 2026
What is the City Docks project?
A $24.4 million waterfront rebuild, awarded July 16, 2025 and paid with RESTORE Act money. It includes a seafood marketplace, an elevated marina building with a floating fuel dock, and a four-lane boat launch with rock revetment. County award record
Do not divide $24.4 million by 290 feet. The contract also covers pavilions, a pier and a building. The bid notice puts the marine scope as the bulkhead with cap, fascia and anchors. County bid notice
What did Lightning Point do for the bayou mouth?
Lightning Point sits where the bayou meets Portersville Bay. The 2025 county plan calls the project complete in 2024, along 1.5 miles of shore. Shoreline plan
- Seven of 11 breakwaters and two jetties (57,000 tons of rock) were done before the 2020 hurricane season. Nature Conservancy
- The shoreline moved out more than 600 feet, with more than 40 acres of new habitat. Nature Conservancy
- The Conservancy says it bought the last waterfront parcels in 2024 to build four remaining breakwaters. Nature Conservancy
- Rock jetties also protect Little Bay and the west side of the mouth. Shoreline plan
Owners at the county's Sound meeting were satisfied with Little Bay and Lightning Point. Shoreline plan, Sound meeting In 2010, Little Bay got 5,200 feet of segmented breakwater to close a Katrina breach and restore 30 acres of marsh. Living shorelines manual
What is different about a working-waterfront wall?
Mapping in 2012 found 58.4 percent of the bayou's shore was hard armor. Living shorelines manual, Table 3
The channel is maintained at 12 to 18 feet deep. Shoreline plan, channel depths Ask an engineer how deep the wall toe must go beside a channel that deep, and whether tiebacks are needed. A public launch sits at the end of Shellbelt Road, with one ramp. Outdoor Alabama launch list
Federal flood maps read VE 19 at the bayou mouth and AE 15 at the bridge. FEMA flood layer, sampled sites For wall types, see the bulkhead materials guide and seawall replacement. County rules for the shore outside the city are in the Mobile County permit guide. Just east, Coden and Heron Bay are county land.
What could the work cost?
No public bid gives a per-foot price for a home bulkhead here. The City Docks contract was $24.4 million in all, with 290 feet of steel sheet pile inside it. Installed sheet pile ran $500 to $1,000 per foot in a 2014 MBNEP guide, so get written local bids.
Prices below are published figures, not a quote for your wall. Local figures come from Baldwin County bid tables and a 2014 Mobile Bay guide. National guides and contractor pages fill the gaps, and each row says which one it is.
Compare quotes and plan a budget →Find the relevant permits and records
| Starting point | What to resolve | Prepare and look up |
|---|---|---|
City of Bayou La Batre, City Hall | Building, flood and land disturbance permits | Flood zone, elevation certificate and engineer-stamped drainage plans. Call (251) 824-2171. |
City Building Official | Floodplain development permit | Ask which flood zone applies and whether accessory buildings are allowed there. |
Corps of Engineers, Mobile District | Federal permit for work in or over the water | Online request with plan drawings; phone (251) 690-2658. |
ADEM Coastal Program, Mobile | State coastal consistency review | Corps filing copy and a design plan. Phone (251) 304-1176. |
ADCNR State Lands, Coastal Section | Use of state-owned bottom below high tide | The $100 request form and proof you control the upland; phone (251) 621-1216. |
What to bring to City Hall
Collect these first. The city will ask for most of them.
Learn your flood zone
Find out whether your lot is VE, coastal AE or plain AE. The accessory-building ban depends on it.
Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Article 4, Sections B(8) and G · FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Flood Hazard Zones (layer 28) point queries
Ask for the current freeboard rule in writing
The 2020 ordinance says 2 feet above base flood elevation. Get that confirmed for your project.
Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Article 4 and definitions
Have an engineer stamp the drainage plan
The land disturbance packet needs stamped grading, drainage and erosion plans.
City of Bayou La Batre Land Disturbance Permit application and checklist
Count your repair costs over ten years
The city adds up improvements on a rolling 10-year basis. Keep invoices for earlier repairs.
Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, definitions; Floodplain Development Permit form
File the Corps request for water work
Send it online through the Corps' Regulatory Request System, then copy ADEM and State Lands.
Mobile County Shoreline Management Plan (December 2025), Section 9 · South Atlantic Division > Missions > Regulatory > Alabama
Plan a Bayou La Batre bulkhead
Give us your address, the wall type and what looks wrong. A local marine contractor can call back, or you can call to talk it through.
Each page draws on Mobile Bay permit offices, local ordinances, public bids, tide gauges and storm reports.
Bayou La Batre & Portersville Bay project questions
Who permits a bulkhead in Bayou La Batre, the city or the county?
Inside city limits, City Hall permits land work and floodplain development. Call (251) 824-2171. The Corps, ADEM and State Lands still review anything below high tide.
Staff and Department Directory · City of Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Coastal Communities)
Can I build a boathouse in a Bayou La Batre flood zone?
Not below base flood elevation in VE, V or coastal AE zones. The 2020 ordinance bans boathouses, sheds, gazebos and pavilions there. In other zones they need a permit and must be worth under $1,000, unfinished, anchored and vented.
Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Article 4, Sections B(8) and G
What counts as substantial damage in Bayou La Batre?
A single repair priced at 50 percent of market value or higher counts. So does flood damage twice in 10 years that averages at least 25 percent each time. The city's permit form adds up improvements over a rolling 10 years.
Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, definitions; Floodplain Development Permit form
How much of the City Docks job is bulkhead?
The contract includes 290 linear feet of steel sheet-pile bulkhead with a concrete cap. It sits inside a $24.4 million award that also covers pavilions, a marina building and a launch. It is not a per-foot price.
BLB City Docks Bid Awarded; Advertisement for Bids, Redevelop Bayou La Batre City Docks
How high did Zeta push water in Bayou La Batre?
The bridge gauge peaked at 6.9 feet above mean higher high water. That was the highest of the Alabama stations NWS listed, and nearly three times the Dauphin Island reading.
National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Zeta (AL282020) · Hurricane Zeta Event Summary
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Coden, Heron Bay & Cedar Point, Fowl River & Mon Louis Island, Dauphin Island west end & Gulf front
Show sourcesHide sources
- Staff and Department DirectorySource reviewed 2026-11-04
- Zoning Ordinance 495 Adopted 03 22 2005 with Amendments through 06 13 2019Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- City of Bayou La Batre Ordinance No. 2020-002, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Coastal Communities)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- City of Bayou La Batre Building Permit (2022 form)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Community Status Book Report: AlabamaSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- City of Bayou La Batre Land Disturbance Permit application and checklistSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- CO-OPS top ten water levels, Bayou La Batre Bridge 8739803Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Hurricane Zeta Event SummarySource reviewed 2026-11-04
- Hurricane Katrina - August 29, 2005Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Hurricane Georges - September 28, 1998Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Zeta (AL282020)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Hurricane Ivan - September 16, 2004 (Table 3, observed storm surge, courtesy USACE Mobile District)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- OpenFEMA NFIP Claims v3, Mobile County by community and yearSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- OpenFEMA NFIP Multiple Loss Properties v1, Mobile CountySource reviewed 2026-11-04
- CRS Eligible Communities, October 1, 2026 Effective DateSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- BLB City Docks Bid Awarded; Advertisement for Bids, Redevelop Bayou La Batre City DocksSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- Advertisement for Bids, Redevelop Bayou La Batre City DocksSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- Mobile County Shoreline Management Plan (December 2025), Sections 5.3.1.1-5.3.1.2Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Lightning Point Shoreline RestorationSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- Coastal Alabama Living Shorelines Policies Manual (Little Bay and Mon Louis Island projects)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Bayou La Batre Boat Launch (Saltwater Boating Access)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Flood Hazard Zones (layer 28) point queriesSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- South Atlantic Division > Missions > Regulatory > AlabamaSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- 2026 Nationwide Permit 13, Bank Stabilization, 91 FR 768Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ADEM Coastal Program page)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- ADEM Admin. Code r. 335-8-2-.06 Shoreline Stabilization and Erosion MitigationSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Contact Us (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)Source 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
- Living Shorelines: A Guide for Alabama Property Owners (Cost Guide, section 4)Source reviewed 2026-11-04