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Not usually. Despite common belief, bulkheads are often not needed to protect properties from wave action. If your home and infrastructure are set back from the water, your bulkhead may not be needed – and may be contributing to erosion issues and poor habitat on your beach as well as your neighbors’ beaches. Shore Friendly brings technical assistance to homeowners seeking a greater understanding about if their bulkhead is needed and if it is, could a less damaging alternative be used instead. Sign up for a free site visit today to explore your options!

Shoreline projects can be expensive, but working with professionals who understand the problem can minimize cost and complexity. Shore Friendly can help pay for design work and help you find funding sources that might offset the cost of construction.

Your Shore Friendly consultation will include consideration of your neighbor’s property and coastal processes along your shoreline. We can explore designs that maintain your neighbor’s existing conditions, or explore working with neighbors to consider removing multiple bulkheads. 

Most existing bulkheads were not designed for rising sea levels or stronger storm surges – and raising them rarely solves the problem. The licensed engineers and geologists that partner with Shore Friendly use sea level rise modeling as part of their assessment for bulkhead removal designs to ensure that bulkhead alternatives are ready for today and tomorrow’s shoreline conditions.

Soft-shore design, also called living shoreline design, seeks to use natural elements such as berms, wood and native beach plantings to protect homes in place of hard armor such as rock bulkheads or cement walls. These designs are strategically engineered to provide protection while improving habitat. You can learn more here.

Local, state, and federal permits can be complicated for any project. Homeowners are often attracted to Shore Friendly for the guidance we can provide in navigating the permit requirements for their project. In addition, Washington’s regulations require homeowners to consider the least impactful options for any shoreline project. Shore Friendly can help you identify those options!

Most homeowners (and buyers) prefer the easier access to the shoreline and natural beaches that soft shore designs provide compared to hard armor. If removing a bulkhead is technically feasible, this is a great way for both your family and future homeowners to enjoy the shoreline.