Bulkhead permit for Mobile Bay: which office, in what order

Build Mobile handles permitting, inspections and engineering permits. It is at Government Plaza, 205 Government Street, 3rd Floor, South Tower. The counter is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. City of Mobile Build Mobile

Call (251) 208-5895. Applications go through the online self-service portal. Build Mobile website The permitting division keeps a database of flood-zone permits and offers predevelopment meetings. Build Mobile permitting page

• Any work in a V zone, A zone or shaded X zone needs a flood development permit signed by the owner and the contractor. Flood development permit form
• The city skips a building permit for retaining walls up to 4 feet tall, measured from the footing bottom. Flood, state and federal permits are separate. Mobile fee ordinance
• Riprap or hard armor in the buffer zone nearest the water needs a Special Exception on parcels the buffer rule covers. Mobile development code
• Fill in a flood zone rules out the simpler homeowner land disturbance form. Mobile land disturbance form

The riparian buffer rule covers parcels of two acres or more that touch water. It exempts docks, boat launches, boardwalks and one house on an existing R-1 or R-2 lot. Mobile development code See the Mobile bay front guide and the Dog River guide.

Mobile County Inspection Services, 1110 Schillinger Road N., Mobile, regulates construction, repair and alteration in unincorporated areas. Call (251) 574-3507 or email inspections@mobilecountyal.gov. Mobile County Inspection Services

In unincorporated Mobile County, almost any work needs a permit. Cosmetic interior work and fences 7 feet or lower are the notable exceptions. Mobile County permits page

• There is no zoning in unincorporated Mobile County, but building codes, flood rules and state and federal permits still apply. Engineering can confirm this in writing at (251) 574-8595. Mobile County Engineering
• In a flood zone, bring a current elevation certificate or a waiver from the county floodplain administrator when you apply. Mobile County permit checklist
• Some cities handle permits outside their limits. Confirm the parcel first. Mobile County Engineering

Owners on Fowl River, Hollinger's Island and Mon Louis Island should read the Mobile County guide and the Hollinger's Island guide.

Permitting runs through City Hall at 13785 South Wintzell Avenue, phone (251) 824-2171. Bayou La Batre staff directory The city permit card lists setback, flood zone and elevation sign-offs. Bayou La Batre permit card

• A development permit is required before any work in a special flood hazard area. Flood ordinance 2020-002
• Boathouses and other accessory buildings are banned under base flood elevation in VE, V or coastal AE flood zones. Flood ordinance 2020-002
• The land disturbance packet asks for a Corps permit if wetlands are touched, and a P.E. letter before any fill in the floodplain. Land disturbance packet

The city has zoning, and its use table lists boat docking as an accessory use. Zoning Ordinance 495 See the Bayou La Batre guide.

The Town of Dauphin Island, 1011 Bienville Boulevard, lists (251) 861-5525. Town building department A Town Coastal Use Permit is required if the lot is in a floodplain or touches any water body, in addition to state and federal rules. Zoning Ordinance 105 The fee is $100. Town fee schedule

• No seawalls, retaining walls or riprap are allowed on Gulf-fronting beaches in town. Zoning Ordinance 105
• One pier, bulkhead, seawall, dock or lift may go on an undeveloped residential lot once the house permit issues. Zoning Ordinance 105
• Wetlands on salt or brackish water need an undisturbed 30-foot buffer, with dock and ramp access allowed through it. Zoning Ordinance 105
• The Town is delegated by ADEM for the Construction Control Line area, so state approval runs alongside. Town documents

Read the west end guide and the bay side guide.

Each small city runs its own building office, and none lists a bulkhead form. Call first.

• Saraland: 727 Saraland Blvd. S., (251) 679-5502, with land disturbance and right-of-way applications online. Saraland building department
• Satsuma: City Hall, 5464 Old Highway 43, (251) 675-1440, ext. 5307, with permits filed in person or online. Satsuma building inspection
• Chickasaw: 224 N. Craft Hwy., (251) 452-6450. Any contractor must hold a city business license. Chickasaw building department
• Prichard: an elevation certificate may be required in a flood zone, and the only phone listed is the 3-1-1 line, (251) 452-7841. Prichard inspections
• Creola: building inspector at (251) 454-0281. Its flood ordinance wants the lowest floor a full foot higher than base flood elevation. Creola building inspection Creola flood ordinance

The upper river guide covers Chickasaw Creek and Bayou Sara.

Daphne sends pier, bulkhead and wetland questions to Environmental Programs, 1705 Main Street, phone (251) 620-1700. Daphne building inspection page

• Article 20 applies to ground under 10 feet of elevation and calls for a development permit plus an erosion plan. Daphne land use ordinance
• Erosion control must be non-structural where practicable. Groins, jetties and breakwaters need no other feasible fix. Daphne ordinance
• A 40-foot setback from coastal bluffs applies to new subdivisions and commercial sites. Daphne ordinance
• Daphne's flood protection elevation is the regulatory flood plus one foot. Daphne ordinance

A general building permit needs the contract, the contractor's city business license and a plot plan. Daphne permit checklist Read the Daphne guide.

Call the Building Department at (251) 626-4993. It sits at 7361 Spanish Fort Boulevard. Spanish Fort building department Its forms page has no pier, dock or bulkhead application. Spanish Fort permit forms

The rule sits in Article IX of the zoning ordinance. The Building Official issues a coastal development permit for low ground, meaning anything under 10 feet of elevation, along with an erosion control plan. Spanish Fort zoning ordinance

Erosion work must use non-structural methods where practicable. Spanish Fort zoning ordinance Disturbing 1,000 square feet or more? Get the land disturbance permit first, because the city will not issue the building permit without it. Spanish Fort building department See the Spanish Fort guide.

Building Inspection and Permitting is at 555 South Section Street, phone (251) 990-0153, and enforces floodplain rules. Fairhope building department Planning is at (251) 990-0214. Fairhope planning page

• A text search of Fairhope's zoning ordinance found no standards for piers, docks, bulkheads or bluff setbacks. Fairhope zoning ordinance
• Flood rules come from Ordinance 1643 and the April 2019 flood maps. Fairhope floodplain page
• Anyone working in the Fairhope police jurisdiction needs a city business license, checked by the Revenue Department at (251) 928-2136. Fairhope contractor licensing

See the Fairhope guide and the Fly Creek guide.

The county handles unincorporated land and three towns: Elberta, Magnolia Springs and Perdido Beach. Baldwin County permit information Call (251) 972-6837. The Fairhope satellite office is at 1100 Fairhope Avenue. Baldwin County contact page

• Walls, piers, docks and lifts all go in as a Flood Permit, sub-type marine accessory. Baldwin County checklist
• The county does not require a permit for a marine accessory outside a special flood hazard area, though other agencies may. Baldwin County checklist
• The flood permit costs $75. A data processing charge of $15 and an issuance charge of $10 are added. Baldwin County fee schedule
• No work may start until the portal status reads "Issued." Baldwin County permit portal

The county checklist lists (251) 690-2658 for the Corps. Baldwin County checklist See the Baldwin County guide, the Point Clear guide and the Mullet Point guide.

ADEM regulates the coastal area, which Alabama defines as the waters, submerged lands and shorelands on the water side of the continuous 10-foot contour. ADEM coastal rules The coastal office is at 1615 South Broad Street, Mobile, phone (251) 304-1176. ADEM coastal program

The Corps Mobile District asks for permit requests through its online Regulatory Request System (RRS). The older paper form, Form 166, was the joint Corps and ADEM application. It now fits only limited cases during the transition. Corps Alabama page A general permit notice goes through RRS too. 2026 Alabama General Permits

Either way, the drawings must show a vicinity map, dimensioned plan and cross-section, mean high and low water, and adjoining owner names. ADEM Form 166 drawing rules

• ADEM will not permit a bulkhead or riprap unless it sits at or above mean high tide and there is no feasible non-structural option. ADEM coastal rules
• Piers must sit on pilings that allow tidal flow, and boathouses may not be habitable. ADEM coastal rules
• ADEM posts public notice at least 15 days before it decides. ADEM coastal rules
• Emergency approvals last 120 days at most. ADEM coastal rules

Fees took effect October 15, 2026. Off the Gulf front, the fee is $800 with no wall or riprap and $1,000 for a wall or riprap of 50 feet or less. Above 50 feet it is $1,665. A single-family pier is $800. ADEM fee schedule ADEM fee schedule

The Corps of Engineers reissued its Nationwide Permits in 2026. They took effect March 15, 2026 and run to March 15, 2031. 2026 Nationwide Permits Reach the Mobile District Regulatory Division at (251) 690-2658. Corps Alabama page

Sources: NWP 13; NWP 54; NWP 3; ALGP-05.

The NWP 13 and 54 limits can be waived in writing. NWP 13 needs a pre-construction notice over 500 feet or one cubic yard per foot. NWP 13 conditions Every new living shoreline needs a notice. NWP 54

• The 2026 Alabama General Permits began October 1, 2026. They cover piers, boat ramps, slips and dredging. The old shoreline permit ALGP-11 now routes to NWP 13 and 54. 2026 Alabama General Permits 2026 Alabama General Permits
• A notice should go in about 60 days before work, with drawings, coordinates and a coastal consistency certification. 2026 Alabama General Permits
• Once the notice is complete, work can begin on written approval, or once 45 days pass without an answer. Listed species or historic sites change that. 2026 Nationwide Permits
• Nationwide and general permits carry no Corps fee. Corps fee rule

2026 Alabama General Permit Program, ADEM and ADCNR notes

Alabama owns the tidal land below mean high tide. State Lands rule A pier or wall that reaches that land needs State Lands approval. Call the Coastal Section at (251) 621-1216. It is at 31115 Five Rivers Boulevard in Spanish Fort. ADCNR contact page

• The state's impact request form, called an RTI, has a $100 fee. State Lands rule
• A Consent of Use is available for a pier or dock serving one home, if it takes up under 5,000 square feet. It also fits marginal docks and riprap within 10 feet of mean high tide. State Lands rule
• New walls go at or landward of mean high tide, and replacements may sit within two feet waterward of it. State Lands rule
• Docks and similar structures must sit 10 feet inside your riparian lines (the extended side property lines over the water). State Lands rule
• A structure can take up at most a quarter of the water width and must keep 100 feet clear of a federal navigation channel. State Lands rule

Bring proof of upland control, such as a deed, lease or association papers. State Lands rule A State Lands approval does not set your riparian boundary against a neighbor. State Lands rule

An extension guide lists the common reasons. MSU Extension permit guide

• The project is not described in full, in writing.
• The drawings leave out the mean high tide line.
• Sheets are not plain letter size (8.5 by 11 inches) in black and white.
• Coordinates, or section, township and range, are missing.
• Drawings are off scale or lack accurate measurements.

The same guide suggests filing 90 days or more ahead of a living shoreline build. MSU Extension permit guide Read the cost guide for fee totals, and the height requirements page for local elevation rules.