Leaning bulkhead and anchor repair on Mobile Bay: measure before you pay

How do I check a leaning bulkhead on Mobile Bay?

Set a fixed reference and measure the same spot each time. Use a string line from a stake in the yard, or a level held against the wall face.

1. Pick three spots along the wall and mark them with paint.
2. Measure from the reference to the cap at each spot.
3. Record the date, the tide and any recent storm.
4. Measure again every few weeks, and after any storm.

Tides here are small. At the Coast Guard Sector Mobile gauge, the mean tide range is only about 1.5 feet. NOAA tide datums Wind can move the bay far more, so note the weather as well.

NOAA station IDs help you check water level on the day: Dog River Bridge 8735391, Coast Guard Sector Mobile 8736897 and Mobile State Docks 8737048. NOAA CO-OPS stations

• Corrosion of rods or plates in salt or brackish water.
• Soil loss around the anchor from leaks behind the wall.
• Surge scour at the base, which removes support in front.
• Overload from fill, pools or heavy equipment near the cap.

Reverse surge matters too. When Sally drained the bay, one gauge fell 10.6 feet in under a day. NHC Sally report After a drop like that, look at the toe of your wall.

Options run from adding anchors to replacing the wall. The right one depends on how far the wall has moved and what the soil can hold.

• Secondary anchors installed behind or through the existing wall.
• New tiebacks tied to a new cap.
• Rebuilding the toe so the base can carry load again.
• Full replacement if the wall has moved too far.

An engineer should size anchors and check spacing. See the replacement page if the wall is near the end of its life.

Look for a marine contractor with pile and retaining-wall experience. The state general contractors board recognizes marine construction, piling and retaining walls as separate specialty classes. General Contractors Board rule 230-X-1-.27

Paid repair of a residence or structure above $10,000 may also need a Home Builders Licensure Board license. Home Builders Licensure Board Verify both before you sign. The contractor check guide shows how.

Any time the wall has moved. An engineer works out how much force the anchors must resist and how far apart they should sit. HomeGuide lists engineering design for a permit at $2,000 to $3,000. ^[3]

A wall also needs the right footing. HomeAdvisor says a wall needs a footing four to 10 feet deep or more. ^[2]

• How far back will the anchors sit, and how do you know the soil will hold?
• What material resists corrosion in brackish water?
• How will the cap and the new anchors be tied together?
• What will you do if the wall keeps moving after repair?

Get the answers in the written scope of work. An anchor plan on one sketch is not enough for a permit or for you.

Use one page for each wall. Record the date, the spot, the measurement, the tide and the weather. Add a photo of each measuring point from the same angle.

A year of readings can show whether the lean is slow and steady or jumps after storms. Share the log with the inspector. The assessment page explains how to start.

Angi lists $225 to $300 a foot for secondary anchors and $125 to $230 for new caps with tiebacks. Repair of a leaning wall runs $200 to $600. ^[7]

Shore Protect lists major repairs for leaning walls at $150 to $400 per foot, in Texas. ^[12] The cost guide has more. Engineering design adds $2,000 to $3,000. ^[3]

The City of Mobile's 2023 bid for a new riverfront wall listed 399 feet of steel sheet pile with 42 tiebacks. City of Mobile bid PR-029-22 That is a public project, but it shows tiebacks are part of the design on a wall that size.

Usually yes. Adding anchors to an existing, authorized wall can fit Nationwide Permit 3, the Corps of Engineers' repair permit (the Corps). It allows small updates for new materials or codes. Corps Nationwide Permit 3 State Lands reviews a rebuild of more than 50 percent. State Lands rule 220-4-.09

Locally, call the office for your parcel. Mobile County Inspection Services is at (251) 574-3507, and Build Mobile is at (251) 208-5895. Mobile County Inspection Services Build Mobile website Dauphin Island Town Hall is at (251) 861-5525. Dauphin Island Town Hall

Not under a standard flood policy, which excludes seawalls and bulkheads. NFIP policy form Read the seawall insurance guide for what other coverage might say.

Hard walls reflect wave energy onto neighboring shores. Living shorelines manual On Fowl River, wakes are likely the most damaging waves, and vertical bulkheads there scour their own toes. Fowl River plan

See the Fowl River guide and the Dog River guide.