Seawall Repair in Murrells Inlet, SC

Murrells Inlet isn't a town. It is an unincorporated community in Georgetown County, wrapped around a small, salty estuary about five miles long. The estuary holds 16.5 miles of tidal creeks and more than 3,100 acres of shellfish beds, with Garden City Beach on its northern edge and Huntington Beach State Park on the south. The Army Corps finished jetties at the inlet's mouth in 1980, and the MarshWalk, a half-mile boardwalk, runs along the marsh by the restaurants. Walls here mostly hold back marsh-edge yards and docks, not the beach.

How Does Murrells Inlet Fit Into Our Grand Strand Coverage?

Murrells Inlet is part of the southern Grand Strand that our Myrtle Beach seawall repair team covers. That team handles scheduling and permits for every inlet project. Just north, Surfside Beach and Garden City were renourished together in the Army Corps' 2026 Grand Strand project. To the south, Pawleys Island faces the same Georgetown County permit office.

How Have Storms Hit Murrells Inlet Walls?

Hugo (1989). The National Weather Service reports a local marina was destroyed and a large diesel spill followed.

Matthew (2016). The NOAA gauge at Oyster Landing in North Inlet, south along the Georgetown County coast, peaked 4.69 feet above the normal high-tide line.

Ian (2022). Ian came ashore near Georgetown, and the Hurricane Center lists Garden City, at the inlet's northern edge, among the hardest-hit places. It recorded inundation of 4 to 6 feet above ground in Georgetown and Horry counties.

Water that rises over a wall and drains back pulls fill out through every gap. That is why walls that look fine after a storm can still hide hollow ground.

Why Do Marsh-Edge Bulkheads in Murrells Inlet Wear Out?

Tide in a narrow estuary. NOAA's station at Capt. Alex's Marina in Murrells Inlet records a mean range of 4.30 feet. The water moves in and out of the creeks twice a day, and seams that open even slightly start losing soil.

Pluff mud. The estuary's marsh edge is soft, oxygen-poor mud made of fine sediment and decaying cordgrass. It holds little at the base of a wall.

Boat and dock traffic. Walls that carry docks, lifts, and foot traffic near the MarshWalk take more load than a quiet backyard bulkhead.

Which Repairs Fit Murrells Inlet Bulkheads?

For a wall that stands straight but has sinkholes behind it, polyurethane injection fills voids and seals leaking seams through small holes in the cap. Rotted boards, damaged caps, and loose hardware get bulkhead repair from our Charleston-based crew. If a wall has leaned since a storm, seawall reinforcement from the same team anchors it back.

Who Permits Wall Work in Murrells Inlet?

• SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management. The estuary's marsh and creeks are critical areas under the SC Department of Environmental Services, which took over from DHEC in July 2024. Normal maintenance and repair may not need a critical area permit.
• State bulkhead rules. New or extended bulkheads must follow the critical area line under Regulation 30-12, and the state encourages living shorelines in estuaries.
• Georgetown County. Since Murrells Inlet is unincorporated, the county building department handles local permits.

Ask for a free inspection and we'll confirm the approvals for your address.

If your property is a little further along the coast, our page on North Myrtle Beach seawall repair explains how walls are inspected and permitted in Horry County.