A Savannah bulkhead that still stands plumb can usually be repaired where it is, by refilling lost soil, sealing the gaps, and relieving water pressure, instead of being torn out.
866-398-9323Licensed seawall specialists — FL · GA · SC
Seawall Repairs by Solid Foundations provides bulkhead repair in Savannah, GA for marsh-front homeowners, neighborhood associations, and waterfront businesses. Typical projects include sealing washouts behind bulkheads on the Skidaway River at Isle of Hope, fixing sinkholes behind creek walls on Wilmington Island, and adding relief drains to walls that stay soaked between tides. Call 866-398-9323 or use the quote form to book a free on-site inspection.
In most cases it is, provided the wall hasn't rotated outward and the sheeting or panels are still solid. The question we answer on every visit is where the trouble lives: on the face of the wall, in the fill behind it, or in the structure itself.
The best time to look is at dead low water, when the whole face is exposed. Check for:
A couple of these on a wall that still stands true is repair work. If it has kicked out at the bottom or tipped at the top, jump to bulkhead replacement in Savannah.
The tide is the big reason. At the Fort Pulaski gauge near the mouth of the Savannah River, NOAA puts the mean tidal range at about 6.9 feet, and the average daily swing between higher high and lower low water at about 7.5 feet (NOAA datums, Fort Pulaski). Twice a day, that much water rises against your wall and then drains away.
On the way up, water pushes into any open joint. On the way down, it pulls back out, carrying soil with it. Within a few years, a pinhole leak becomes a wheelbarrow-sized hollow. Add a soft marsh-edge subgrade and a wall that may be decades old, and you can see why washouts are the most common call we get here.
We drill small ports along the cap and pump NCFI marine-grade foam into the hollows. It expands to fill the gaps, binds loose soil, and seals the joints from the back side, with no trench across your lawn. See how polyurethane injection works.
Open seams get sealed. Damaged cap sections are cut out, and new concrete is formed in place. On timber walls, we replace failed boards and hardware where the rest of the wall is sound.
When water can't drain fast enough after a big tide or a summer storm, it presses on the wall from behind. Relief drains give it a way out.
| What you're seeing | What usually fits |
|---|---|
| Washouts or sinkholes, wall still upright | Repair: void fill and joint sealing |
| Cracked cap or a few failed boards | Repair: cap work or board replacement |
| Top of wall tilting a few inches | Reinforce: seawall reinforcement in Savannah |
| Wall bulging out at the mudline | Replace that run |
| Rot or failure along most of the wall | Replace the bulkhead |
We'll tell you plainly which row you're in, and we won't push a new wall when a repair will hold.
Often, yes. The Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division asks owners to call before starting any maintenance on an existing structure along the marsh or shore (CRD permit FAQ). Work below the high tide line or inside the marsh jurisdiction line also needs written sign-off from DNR and the Army Corps. We sort out which approvals your repair needs and handle the paperwork, whether you're inside Savannah city limits or in unincorporated Chatham County.
Bulkhead repair in Savannah typically costs $80–$250 per linear foot for void fill and $800–$2,500 per tieback anchor. Most residential repairs run $4,000–$20,000. A new wall typically costs several times that, so it pays to fix a leak early. For everything else we do locally, see seawall repair in Savannah.
We also repair bulkheads across the state line in Hilton Head and down the coast in Brunswick. Our guide to signs a seawall is failing is worth a read before your inspection.
Soil is leaking out through an open seam or a hole near the bottom of the wall. The larger the tide, the more water moves through the gap. Filling the void and sealing the seam stops it.
If most of the timber is sound, we can replace the failed boards and hardware and fill the washouts behind it. If rot runs the full length, replacement is the better spend.
The Coastal Resources Division asks owners to contact it before maintenance on existing marsh and shore structures. We make that call as part of the job.
Most injection and sealing jobs take one to three days once approvals are in place. We schedule around the tide so the base of the wall is exposed.
Licensed, insured, NCFI-certified. Serving Florida, Georgia & South Carolina since 1996.
866-398-9323