Bulkhead - Residential

A seawall or riprap revetment constructed along shorelines to control beach erosion. Construction materials commonly used include wood pilings, commercially developed vinyl products, large boulders stacked to form a wall, or a seawall built of concrete or another hard substance.

- By barge
- By land

County Projects

View a map of your property and all applicable permitting details

Required Permit Applications and Forms

Requirement More Information Link(s)
Critical Area Residential Bulkheads within the Critical Area require a Critical Area Worksheet.
The law identifies "Critical Area" as all lands within 1,000 ft. of the mean high water line of tidal waters, or the landward edge of tidal wetlands, and all waters on (and lands under) the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Note: A Critical Area worksheet is NOT required if all work is via barge.
 Critical Area Worksheet
Building Permit Residential Bulkheads require a Building permit. An MDE/USACE license must be included in the application package. Building permit
Grading Permit Residential Bulkheads within 100' mean high water or below requires a grading permit. 
Grading permits must include an engineered plan prepared by a licensed professional.
 Grading permit

Plan Submittal Requirements

The following information must be submitted with applicable permit application(s):

Fees

Licensing

If the applicant is contracting a builder, they need a Licensed Contractor. If they are building it themselves, they do not need a Licensed Contractor. Check to see if an individual or business is licensed before they do business for you.

Other Potential Requirements

Requirement More Information Link
Beach Application Approval IF the property is located in the town limits of Chesapeake Beach or North Beach, a Beach Application Approval is required to be submitted with the Building Permit Package. Chesapeake Beach 

North Beach
Environmental Health Department Review IF the property is served by well and/or septic, an Environmental Health (EH) Department review will be required. Please see item 8 on the attached Building Permit FAQ page for a general list of setback requirements. Percolation testing and/or a Sanitary Construction permit application may be necessary contingent on the property and the proposal.

Please note that by submitting a building permit application our office is granted permission to conduct site visit(s) as necessary at our discretion to facilitate the review of the project. If the proposed structure is external, please stake it out onsite to avoid delays in review time. If you need assistance locating the well and/or septic systems, you may fill out a Public Information Request Form to obtain the property's file.
 - Building Permit FAQ
- Public Information Request Form
County Road Access Bond IF the project is proposing a new entrance onto a county road, a Residential Road Access Bond may be required. The refundable bond is $600. N/A
State Road Access IF the project is proposing a new entrance onto a state road, a State Highway Administration (SHA) Entrance Permit is required. Certification of Entrance Approval is required prior to final grading approval. MD SHA Access Permit Application
Maryland Dept. of the Environment Notice of Intent IF clearing of the property is greater than one acre or involves environmental features governed by Maryland Dept. of the Environment (MDE), a Notice of Intent filed with the MDE is required. MDE website