Seawall Repair in Georgetown, SC

Georgetown is South Carolina's third-oldest city, and its working waterfront still lands shrimp, oysters, and fish. The Harborwalk runs about a quarter mile along the Sampit River, which empties into Winyah Bay. Hurricane Ian made its final landfall near Georgetown on September 30, 2022, and the National Hurricane Center reports that its surge flooded streets and businesses downtown. Here the tide is smaller than in Charleston. NOAA's gauge at the Sampit River entrance shows a mean range of 3.82 feet. What breaks walls here is the extra water storms bring.

How Does Georgetown Fit Into Our Charleston Service Area?

Our Charleston seawall repair team handles Georgetown permitting and scheduling, and covers the coast between the two cities. Between the two, the shrimping village of McClellanville has similar creek walls. To the north, Georgetown County's beach communities, Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet, took some of Ian's hardest surge.

What Has Storm Water Done to Georgetown Walls?

Three storms shaped the current condition of the waterfront:

• Hugo (1989). The National Weather Service reports storm surge flooding in the historic downtown.
• Matthew (2016). The Hurricane Center says flooding on the Black and Pee Dee rivers spread into parts of the city, two boats ran aground in town, and others were washed out to sea.
• Ian (2022). A USGS gauge on the Pee Dee River near Georgetown measured surge 3.4 feet above the normal high-tide line, and inundation of 4 to 6 feet above ground was reported in Georgetown and Horry counties.

When water rises over a wall and then drains back out, it pulls fill through every open joint. A wall can look fine from the river and still have hollows behind it.

Why Do Sampit River Bulkheads Wear Out?

Rain and river flooding. Ian dropped more than 10 inches of rain in parts of Horry and Georgetown counties, adding fresh water on top of the surge. Saturated soil pushes hard on the back of a wall.

Tide, every day. A 3.82-foot mean range is modest, but it never stops. Water moves in and out of each seam twice a day.

Soft marsh soils. Along Winyah Bay's marsh edges, the ground is pluff mud, fine sediment mixed with decaying cordgrass that gives the toe of a wall little support.

Which Repairs Fit Georgetown Walls?

For hollow ground behind a wall that still stands upright, we inject NCFI marine-grade polyurethane through small ports in the cap. It fills voids and seals seams from behind without tearing up sidewalks or courtyards. Cracked caps, failed boards, and open seams get bulkhead repair from our Charleston crew. If Ian's surge left your wall leaning toward the river, seawall reinforcement for Charleston-area walls can stop the movement.

Who Permits Waterfront Work in Georgetown?

• SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management. Since July 2024, the state's coastal permits come from the SC Department of Environmental Services. Tidelands and marsh below mean high water are critical areas. Normal maintenance and repair may not need a critical area permit.
• State bulkhead rules. Under Regulation 30-12, a new or replacement bulkhead must follow the critical area line and is not allowed where marsh already protects the bank, unless the upland is eroding from the tide.
• City of Georgetown. Local building approval applies for work inside city limits.

Request your free inspection and we'll confirm which approvals your wall needs.