A rock revetment around Savannah should be inspected at least once a year and after every big storm tide, so stones that have rolled and fabric that has torn get fixed before the bank behind them starts to wash out.
866-398-9323Licensed seawall specialists — FL · GA · SC
Seawall Repairs by Solid Foundations provides revetment maintenance in Savannah, GA for homeowners, HOAs, marinas, and commercial waterfronts. Typical projects include resetting armor stone knocked loose by storm tides, rebuilding scoured toes on tidal-creek revetments, and repairing slumped slopes where the soil underneath has washed out. Call 866-398-9323 or use the quote form to book a free on-site inspection.
A revetment is a sloped rock bank: large armor stone laid over smaller rock and filter fabric, built to absorb waves instead of throwing them back like a vertical wall. It's durable, but it isn't set-and-forget. Storm tides, boat wake, and strong ebb currents nudge stones out of their interlock a little at a time.
In Georgia, rock revetments on beaches and shore areas fall under the Shore Protection Act, while bank stabilization in the marshes falls under the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (GA DNR Coastal Resources Division). Either way, the Division asks owners to call before maintenance work begins.
Ends and edges usually go first because moving water curls around them.
| When | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Spring, before hurricane season | Full walk-down; reset loose stones; check fabric |
| After any named storm or storm tide | Displaced armor, toe scour, end washouts |
| After the year's highest tides | Soil loss at the upper edge of the rock |
| Once a year at a very low tide | Toe condition, slope profile, transitions |
Timing a visit for a very low tide matters here more than in most places. With a mean range near seven feet at Fort Pulaski, the toe is underwater much of the day, and a low tide is the only time we can see it.
Two things set the area apart. First, the storm record. Hurricane Matthew sent the Fort Pulaski gauge to 12.56 feet, its highest on record, and Irma pushed it to 12.24 feet the following September (NWS on Irma). At those levels, water tops the rock and pulls at the upper slope, where the stones are often smallest.
Second, the water keeps getting higher. NOAA's Fort Pulaski gauge shows relative sea level rising about 1.4 inches per decade since 1935. Every inch puts more of your revetment in the wave zone more often. A slope that was sized decades ago may now take waves higher up than it was built for, so we look at the upper edge as carefully as the toe.
Routine revetment maintenance in Savannah typically runs $1,500–$5,000 per year for a standard 100-foot residential revetment. Major rehabilitation runs $150–$400 per linear foot. Steady upkeep usually costs far less than a rebuild after years of neglect. For wall problems behind the rock, see Savannah seawall repair.
Adding rock in front of a vertical wall instead? See riprap installation in Savannah. For a full-property checkup, see shoreline maintenance in Savannah. Our hurricane season prep guide covers pre-storm steps. We also maintain revetments in Hilton Head and St. Simons Island.
At least once a year, ideally in spring, plus after any storm that brings unusually high water.
With tides this large, the toe is underwater except near low tide. We schedule inspections for very low water so we can check it properly.
The Coastal Resources Division asks owners to contact it before maintenance on marsh and shore structures. Keeping the existing footprint is usually simpler than expanding it.
Water curls around the end of the rock and digs behind it. The fix is a proper tie-in at the transition, not just more stone.
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