Frequently asked questions
Is a bulkhead the same thing as a seawall?
In everyday use on the First Coast, yes — the words are used interchangeably and we answer to both. Where people draw a technical distinction, a bulkhead primarily retains soil on sheltered water and a seawall is primarily built to take wave energy on exposed water. The full explanation is here.
Do I need a permit to work on my bulkhead?
Usually yes, and often from several agencies — potentially FDEP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the St. Johns River Water Management District, and your county or city building department. What applies depends on your site and scope, and requirements are revised periodically, so confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency. We handle permitting on the projects we build.
How long does the whole process take?
Permitting is normally the longest and least predictable part, and it is outside any contractor's control. Construction time depends on wall length, access and material. We give you a schedule with the estimate and tell you plainly which parts depend on agency review.
My neighbour and I share a wall. How does that work?
It depends on where the property line falls, what any recorded documents say, and what the two of you agree. Practically, continuous walls perform better than two independent walls meeting at a joint, and a joint between two walls of different ages and materials is a common place for soil loss. Where neighbours coordinate, both usually get a better wall for less money. We are happy to look at both properties at once.
Can I build a bulkhead myself?
The permitting alone is a significant undertaking, and the structural elements that determine whether the wall survives — embedment, tieback design, anchor placement, drainage detailing — are exactly the parts that are invisible once built and expensive to correct. Florida also has licensing requirements for contracted work. We would not recommend it.
What is a deadman anchor?
A buried element in your yard — a block, plate or beam — that the tieback rods run back to. It has to sit in undisturbed soil far enough behind the wall to be outside the wedge of soil that is actively pushing on it. Anchors placed too close to the wall are a quiet, common and serious defect, because the wall looks finished and the anchors are doing far less than they should.
There is standing water behind my bulkhead after it rains. Is that a problem?
Yes. Water that cannot drain builds hydrostatic pressure, which loads the wall outward in a way it was not designed for. It is a leading cause of rotation and tieback failure. Clear weeps, check that irrigation and downspouts are not discharging at the wall, and get the drainage path looked at.
How soon do I need to do something about a small sinkhole near my wall?
Sooner than you would like. A depression in the lawn is the visible top of a larger void, and the mechanism creating it — soil leaving through the wall — runs on every tide. The repair gets bigger the longer it goes on, and at some point you cross from a repair into a replacement.
Will you tell me if I do not need the work?
Yes, and we do it regularly. Our estimates are free, which means telling you your wall has years left in it costs us nothing except a job we should not have sold you.
Do you work on commercial, municipal and military projects?
Yes. Residential, commercial, municipal and military clients across Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties. Our commercial and municipal work is described here.
What areas do you cover?
Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties in Northeast Florida. See the service area pages for detail on each.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Barefoot Marine Construction. Permit requirements and agency rules change — confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you plan work.