Point Clear Pier and Bulkhead Repair, Battles Wharf AL
Baldwin County, not the City of Fairhope, issues the permits for a Point Clear pier or bulkhead, even though the mail says Fairhope. This guide covers Point Clear, Battles Wharf and the shore around the Grand Hotel.
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Point Clear & Battles Wharf at a glance
- Who permits it
- Baldwin County, since Point Clear is unincorporated
- Call first
- Baldwin County Building Department, (251) 972-6837
- The water
- Open bay shoals off Great Point Clear and Point Clear Creek
- Local rule to know
- County marine permit applies in flood zones; Corps, ADEM and State Lands still review
Get to know your waterfront
Point Clear is unincorporated, so Baldwin County permits piers and bulkheads here, not Fairhope. The shore is among the most walled on the bay, and storms have wrecked long piers more than once. Old wharves and landings add hazards that a new owner may not see at low tide.
TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Incorporated Places and Census Designated Places layers · Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building Department · Eastern Shore Watershed Management Plan (final, August 16, 2023) · Iconic pier destroyed, Eastern Shore residents survive Zeta
What to know before you build or repair at Point Clear
The short answer: Baldwin County is your permit office, and your neighbors are your design partners. A Point Clear wall almost always meets another wall within a few feet.
Who permits a Point Clear pier or bulkhead?
Point Clear is a census designated place with no city government and 2,076 residents. Battles Wharf, Great Point Clear and Loyola Villa fall inside it, and none of these sits inside Fairhope. Census boundary layers 2020 Census
That is why Baldwin County, not Fairhope, issues the permits. Baldwin County Building Department Mail here says Fairhope because Point Clear shares a ZIP code area with downtown Fairhope. Census ZIP relationship file
Piers, docks, lifts and bulkheads go in as a flood permit under a marine accessory type. Attach your Corps permit and your State Lands notice of intent. If the deed is not yet recorded, add proof of ownership. Baldwin County checklist The fee in a flood zone is $75, plus small data and issuance fees. Baldwin County fee schedule
- Outside a flood zone the county asks for no marine permit, but other agencies may still want to review. Baldwin County checklist
- Starting work before the permit, or after a stop work order, may add a penalty matching the permit fees, up to $5,000. Baldwin County fee schedule
- The county portal typically turns a complete application around in 7 to 10 business days. CitizenServe portal
The county's Fairhope office is at 1100 Fairhope Avenue. Baldwin County Building Department See the Baldwin County permit page and the Alabama permit guide for the full stack.
How walled in is this shore?
Point Clear Creek's drainage had 22,430 feet of mapped shore in 2009. Only about a quarter was natural. Watershed plan
| Shore type | Point Clear Creek |
|---|---|
Bulkhead | 11,793 |
Seawall | 2,134 |
Groins | 1,363 |
Beach nourishment | 1,120 |
Jetty and revetment | 547 |
Natural | 5,474 |
Sources: Watershed plan shoreline table
Walls this close together share fates. When one panel opens, soil from the lot behind it can wash toward the next wall. Plan the returns, the tie-ins and the ends with both neighbors, and read the neighbor group build page if three or more lots could build together.
What does the Grand Hotel frontage show?
Aerial photos from 1954 already show bulkheads, pocket beaches and a small marina at the hotel. By 2016 the area had more bulkheads and jetties and a larger dug marina. Watershed plan
A privately dredged channel leads to the hotel's yacht basin, reported at 5.5 feet in 1999. Shoals run west from Great Point Clear. Coast Pilot 5 Even so, storms keep hurting the structures on the water.
- The pier was damaged by a steamboat explosion in 1871, and the hotel had hurricane damage in 1893, 1906 and 1916. Encyclopedia of Alabama
- Zeta destroyed the pier in October 2020, three years after a rebuild. WKRG
- The hotel said the wooden sea fence and the pier were the main damage, and that it took on no water. WKRG
How exposed is Point Clear to surge?
Between Point Clear and the mouth of Weeks Bay, the watershed plan calls low-lying infrastructure the most exposed to flooding on this shore. Its surge model predicts damage to upwards of 800 structures in a 100-year storm surge with 1.0 meter of sea-level rise. Watershed plan
Recent storms ran differently. Nate in 2017 pushed the highest surge onto the eastern shore, 3 to 6 feet. NWS Mobile, Nate Sally in 2020 crawled across the shore at 2 to 3 miles an hour, and Zeta followed six weeks later. Watershed plan
Insurance matters too. A standard flood policy does not cover bulkheads, seawalls, piers or docks. NFIP policy form Read the seawall insurance guide before you count on a claim.
Are the old wharves a hazard?
Coast Pilot describes Point Clear and Battles Wharf as summer resort shores. It warns that many of the boat landings are in ruins and are a danger to small boats close inshore. Coast Pilot 5 The watershed plan wants a map of dilapidated piers along the bay. Watershed plan
For a buyer or owner this means leftover pilings may sit under the water at your frontage. State rules treat any rebuild of more than half an existing structure as new. ADCNR State Lands rule Any change to existing pilings also counts as a rebuild, so ask State Lands before cutting stubs or pulling pilings.
A new pier must also sit 10 feet inside your side riparian lines (the extended property lines over the water). A neighbor's written concurrence or a dock shared by two parcels can change that. Bulkheads are exempt. ADCNR State Lands rule Public bay access points at Battles Road and Zundel Road mean people may walk the water's edge nearby. Watershed plan Table 3.18
What lives under the water here?
Seagrass and oyster reef once lined this shore. Oyster reef covered about 366 acres off Point Clear in 1968. Surveys since 2002 mapped no seagrass in the bay south of Point Clear. Watershed plan
If your pier crosses any remaining bed, Corps rules require a narrow, open-grate walkway. 2026 Alabama General Permits Nearby, the bay from Ragged Point south to Mullet Point carries its own bacteria listing. Watershed plan Neighbors to the north are in the Fly Creek guide, and those to the south are in the Mullet Point guide.
What could the work cost?
Long piers and shared walls drive cost on this shore. Price pier repair as a recurring item, add the cost of pulling old pilings, and ask whether a wall repair needs new returns where it meets a neighbor. Get written bids with those lines separate.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Baldwin County Building Department, (251) 972-6837 | Marine accessory flood permit for piers, docks, lifts and bulkheads | Flood zone fee of $75, ownership proof and the federal and state water approvals. |
Baldwin County Planning and Zoning, (251) 580-1655 | Planning district zoning and land disturbance | Parcel number and a plain description of fill, grading or digging. |
Corps of Engineers Mobile District, (251) 690-2658 | Federal review of piers, walls and lifts | Online request with plan and cross-section drawings and adjoining owner names. |
ADEM Coastal Program, (251) 304-1176 | State coastal review and consistency | Copy of the Corps request. Fees from $800 for a pier or $1,000 for a short wall. |
ADCNR State Lands Division, Coastal Section, (251) 621-1216 | Piers and walls on state submerged lands | State Lands form for work on state bottoms, with a $100 fee. |
Steps for a Point Clear owner
Start with the parcel, then the structure.
Confirm Baldwin County
Check the county parcel viewer and the permit jurisdiction layer. Do not file with Fairhope by mistake.
Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building Department · 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship File
Find the old permits
Search the county permit history for your address before you design anything new.
Walk both neighbor lines
A wall here usually joins a neighbor's wall. Talk through returns and tie-ins first.
Eastern Shore Watershed Management Plan (final, August 16, 2023) · ADCNR Admin. Code r. 220-4-.09 Placement and Configuration of Piers and Other Improvements on State Owned Submerged Lands
Inspect old pilings
List every leftover piling or ruined landing near your frontage so the bid covers removal.
United States Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 7 (Mobile Bay; pages dated 25 Oct 2026) · ADCNR Admin. Code r. 220-4-.09 Placement and Configuration of Piers and Other Improvements on State Owned Submerged Lands
Plan your Point Clear job
Share the street, the length of the pier or wall and what the last storm did. A local marine contractor can reply, or call and we can go over the county steps with you.
Each page draws on Mobile Bay permit offices, local ordinances, public bids, tide gauges and storm reports.
Point Clear & Battles Wharf project questions
Does Fairhope or Baldwin County permit a pier at Point Clear?
Baldwin County does. Point Clear is unincorporated and sits outside the City of Fairhope, though it shares a ZIP code with downtown Fairhope. In a flood zone, the county handles pier and wall work through its flood permit.
TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Incorporated Places and Census Designated Places layers · 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship File · Permit Application Checklists | Baldwin County Building Department
Is a county permit needed for a pier outside a flood zone?
Outside a Special Flood Hazard Area, the county itself requires no marine permit. The Corps, ADEM and State Lands may still require approval. Check all three before work starts.
Permit Application Checklists | Baldwin County Building Department · 2026 Alabama General Permit Program, ADEM and ADCNR notes
What happened to the Grand Hotel pier in Zeta?
Zeta destroyed it in October 2020, three years after it had been rebuilt. Pilings and pier parts washed up along County Road 1. A resident said the earlier storm, Sally, pulled water out of the bay, so most piers survived it.
Are the old wharves along Point Clear still dangerous?
Coast Pilot warns that many east shore boat landings are in ruins and can hurt small boats near shore. The watershed plan also asks for an inventory of dilapidated piers on the bay.
United States Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 7 (Mobile Bay; pages dated 25 Oct 2026) · Eastern Shore Watershed Management Plan (final, August 16, 2023)
What is a jubilee, and does it affect work?
Jubilees, when fish, shrimp and crabs crowd the shallows, come in summer, most often in August before dawn. They are most common from Point Clear to Daphne. Ask the permitting agencies whether any timing limits apply to your in-water work.
Eastern Shore Watershed Management Plan (final, August 16, 2023)
Keep planning
Nearby waterfront guides
Fly Creek & the south Fairhope shore, Mullet Point, Barnwell & Pelican Point, Fairhope bayfront, Montrose & Ecor Rouge
Show sourcesHide sources
- TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Incorporated Places and Census Designated Places layersSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Eastern Shore Watershed Management Plan (final, August 16, 2023)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Iconic pier destroyed, Eastern Shore residents survive ZetaSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- TIGERweb Census 2020 layers (Incorporated Places / Census Designated Places), POP100 and HU100 fieldsSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) to 2020 Place Relationship FileSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Permit Application Checklists | Baldwin County Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Baldwin County Building Inspection Department Fee Schedule (effective 10/01/2023, updated 10/01/2024)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Contact Us | Baldwin County Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- United States Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 7 (Mobile Bay; pages dated 25 Oct 2026)Source reviewed 2026-11-04
- Grand Hotel Golf Resort and SpaSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- NWS Mobile: Hurricane NateSource reviewed 2026-11-04
- 44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1), Standard Flood Insurance Policy, Dwelling FormSource 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
- ALGP-05 Piers and Pile-Supported Structures, special conditions SP-3 to SP-5Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Contact Us | Baldwin County Planning & ZoningSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- The Role of County Zoning in Environmental Protection (Baldwin County Planning & Zoning presentation, Sept. 25, 2024)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Planning & Zoning Fees Schedule | Baldwin CountySource reviewed 2026-10-31
- South Atlantic Division > Missions > Regulatory > AlabamaSource reviewed 2026-10-31
- Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ADEM Coastal Program page)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- ADEM Admin. Code Chapter 335-1-6 Application Fees, adopted rule effective October 15, 2026Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Contact Us (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)Source reviewed 2026-10-31
- Search Permits, Reports, Certificates of Occupancy, & Elevation Certificates | Baldwin County Building DepartmentSource reviewed 2026-10-31