A bulkhead maintenance checklist for Mobile Bay owners is mostly a log. Write down rain, storms and changes, then act before a small gap becomes a collapse.
A regular check can catch changes at the cap, the joints, the drainage and the soil beside the wall. Dated photos and earlier reports show a professional how conditions have moved and what may need repair.
Stay on firm ground and write down new voids, movement or damage. Keep every older report. Clearing drains, digging, drilling and structural repairs should go to a qualified person, who can also tell you what is safe to handle yourself.
Answer from what you have already seen. Keep your feet on solid ground and do not lean over the edge or step into the water. “Not sure” works for every question.
Skip this and go to the request form
A site visit can settle the points you marked “Not sure”.
Only an in-person inspection can judge the wall. Your answers simply help you describe what you have seen.
Prepare for a professional assessment · Discuss the next step
Describe the problem and we can help you sort out what to do next.
Continue to the request form. You decide whether this quiz goes along with your request.
The questions cover problems owners commonly report on salt and brackish shorelines: lost soil behind the wall, shifting, open seams and damaged caps. Use them to describe your wall. They do not replace an inspection.
Every option below is a place to start a discussion. This page explains what each one involves and what to do after reading it.
Request plan details
Ask what is covered, what it costs and when visits are open.
A leaning wall or ground that is cracking open needs fast attention. Keep people back and contact a professional soon. Changes like these should not wait for a scheduled check.
Ordinary wear often appears first as gaps at joints, rust streaks, blocked weep holes or soft soil behind the cap. For your property, local rules and the approved design determine which work is allowed.
Describe your wall and the care you are considering. We can discuss options, timing and cost before you commit to anything.
That depends on the wall’s age, design and exposure. Ask the inspector how soon to schedule the next visit.
Find out which upkeep tasks and repairs the plan includes, and which ones cost extra.
Ask whether a post-storm check is part of the plan. Repairs and insurance claims are separate matters, so read both your agreement and your policy.
Tell them if you want one. Request dated photos, a list of what was examined, any areas that were out of reach and suggested next steps.
Yes. List each property and its owner, then discuss the visits and access every one requires.
Record the date, the water level you saw and any change at the wall. Rain behind a wall matters as much as surge in front of it.
In Isaac in 2012, storm tides of 4 to 6 feet hit the Mobile Bay area, and Mobile took 9.71 inches of rain. NWS Mobile Isaac report
In April 2014 more than 20 inches of rain fell on Baldwin County in two days. MBNEP Eastern Shore plan
Also log low water. In Sally, north winds pulled Dog River down 5.6 feet below normal high tide, which exposes toes. NOAA Dog River gauge
Sometimes. Where grass beds may grow, the Corps can ask for a survey. The recommended survey dates run from June 1 through September 30. Corps Alabama General Permits
Ask the permit office early, so a survey does not stall a fix.
Point Clear once had abundant wild celery along its shore. It was almost gone by the 1970s. MBNEP Eastern Shore plan
Repairing a previously permitted wall can fall under a federal maintenance permit. Corps Nationwide Permit 3
In the coastal area, ADEM adds conditions: no work in or near wetlands, grass beds or oyster reefs, plus State Lands approval. ADEM coastal concurrence
A replacement wall may stand at the mean high tide line, the usual high-water mark. It may also be built up to two feet out into the water. A new wall, not a replacement, must sit at or behind that line. ADCNR State Lands rule
The repair or replace guide and the permit guide go further.
Keep the log in one place. A dated record helps with repairs, bids and a future sale.
An inspection can say whether the fix is a repair or a replacement.
Describe your wall and leave your contact details. We will help you figure out what upkeep it needs.
Give us the property location and describe what the seawall, bulkhead or dock needs.
Each page draws on Mobile Bay permit offices, local ordinances, public bids, tide gauges and storm reports.
