Mobile County bulkhead and pier permits: which office has your lot

Which agencies approve work in the water?

For anything below the high-tide line, the key permits are federal and state, whichever town you live in. A new bulkhead, riprap, sill, pier or lift needs the Corps of Engineers, ADEM and State Lands. Mobile County Shoreline Management Plan

• Corps Mobile District: (251) 690-2658. Corps Mobile District contact
• ADEM Coastal Program, Mobile: (251) 304-1176. ADEM Coastal Program
• State Lands Coastal Section, Spanish Fort: (251) 621-1216. ADCNR State Lands

The Corps wants permit requests filed online, through its Regulatory Request System. The older paper joint form, Form 166, now fits only limited cases. Corps Mobile District contact Copy ADEM's coastal office and State Lands. ADEM Form 166 The permit guide has the full steps. Unlike Baldwin County, the Mobile County Commission is not on ADEM's list of local offices that run the Gulf-beach rule. ADEM delegation notice

The county's shoreline plan puts ADEM's water-quality review at 3 to 6 months, after an early pre-filing request. Mobile County Shoreline Management Plan Start with the permit guide.

How does the City of Mobile permit a waterfront lot?

Build Mobile's permitting division takes applications through its Citizen Self Service portal. Build Mobile website Chapter 17 of the city code is the flood ordinance. It adopts the June 5, 2020 flood study. Mobile City Code Sec. 17-22

• Flood permit: required for any work in a V, A or shaded X zone, signed by owner and contractor. Mobile flood development permit
• Other permits first: proof of federal and state permits is a condition of the city permits. Mobile City Code Sec. 17-6
• Contractors: every builder carries a $10,000 license and permit bond with the city. Mobile IRC adoption ordinance
• Riparian buffer: parcels of 2 acres or more may have an 85-foot buffer along flood-zone water. Mobile UDC Table 64-3-10.1 Mobile UDC Sec. 64-3-10.C

The city's Unified Development Code took effect March 1, 2023. Build Mobile codes page Ask Build Mobile which of its permits your bulkhead or lift needs. The bay front guide and Dog River guide go deeper.

What rules apply in unincorporated Mobile County?

There is no zoning in unincorporated Mobile County, and the county will confirm that in writing for a parcel. Mobile County Engineering Permitting runs in two phases. Engineering reviews site plans and land disturbance. Inspection Services reviews code compliance and issues building permits. Mobile County development permitting

• Codes: the 2024 building codes took effect July 1, 2026. Mobile County adopted codes
• Fees: the July 1, 2026 schedule charges a printed 5 plus 0.5 percent of contract cost for repairs and alterations, with a $55 minimum for other permitted work. Mobile County fee schedule
• Flood: a flood zone lot needs an elevation certificate or a waiver. Mobile County permit checklist
• NFIP: the county participates under number 015008. FEMA Community Status Book

We found no separate fee line for bulkheads, piers or lifts. Ask Inspection Services whether your job needs a permit, and get the answer in writing. See the Theodore and Hollinger's Island guide, the Fowl River guide and the Coden and Heron Bay guide.

What do Bayou La Batre and Dauphin Island require?

Bayou La Batre has zoning under Ordinance 495. Bayou La Batre Zoning Ordinance 495 Its flood ordinance sets freeboard at 2 feet. Bayou La Batre Ordinance 2020-002 Land disturbance needs drainage and erosion plans stamped by an Alabama engineer. Bayou La Batre land disturbance packet See the Bayou La Batre guide.

The Town of Dauphin Island, not the county, permits there. A Coastal Use Permit costs $100 and is needed on any lot that touches a waterbody or has wetlands. Dauphin Island fee schedule Dauphin Island Ordinance 105, Sec. 7.9.1

New seawalls and riprap are banned on Gulf-fronting beaches in town. Dauphin Island Ordinance 105, Sec. 7.14 The town is one of the local offices ADEM lets run the Gulf-beach rule. ADEM delegation notice The Gulf-front guide and the canal and bay side guide cover the island by shore.

Which offices cover the north-county cities?

Each city has its own building office, listed above. Satsuma requires a city license for every contractor. Satsuma permit sheet Prichard may ask for an elevation certificate in a flood zone. Prichard Inspections Department

Creola requires 1 foot of freeboard and treats two 25 percent floods in ten years as substantial damage. Creola Ordinance 2020-003 Creola Ordinance 2020-003 Ask Saraland, Satsuma, Chickasaw and Prichard for their flood rules. See the upper river guide.

Which Mobile County communities give a flood insurance discount?

In Mobile County, only Dauphin Island gives one. The Community Rating System (CRS) lowers flood premiums for towns that go beyond FEMA's minimum rules.

Sources: FEMA Community Status Book; FEMA CRS eligible communities list

Mobile County's flood claims show the stakes. OpenFEMA holds 15,117 claims for the county, with Katrina in 2005 alone producing 3,628. OpenFEMA claims total OpenFEMA claims by storm year See the flood zone guide and insurance guide.

Which tide gauge fits my shore?

Pick the gauge nearest your water, then watch it before a storm. NOAA water-level stations ring the bay. NOAA CO-OPS station list

• Dog River Bridge (8735391): Dog River and Halls Mill Creek.
• Coast Guard Sector Mobile (8736897): the bay front at Arlington and Brookley.
• Mobile State Docks (8737048): downtown, along the Mobile River.
• Chickasaw Creek (8737138): Chickasaw Creek.
• East Fowl River Bridge (8735523): East Fowl River.
• West Fowl River Bridge (8738043): West Fowl River and Coden.
• Bayou La Batre Bridge (8739803): Bayou La Batre and Portersville Bay.
• Dauphin Island (8735180): the Gulf side of the island.

Sources: NOAA CO-OPS station list; NOAA Chickasaw Creek gauge

At the Fowl River and Bayou La Batre gauges, Weather Service flood steps sit 2, 3 and 6 feet over mean higher high water. NOAA gauges, Fowl River and Bayou La Batre In Zeta (2020), the Bayou La Batre gauge hit 6.9 feet above that line while Dauphin Island reached only 2.4 feet. NHC Hurricane Zeta report NOAA gauge peaks by area