Storm Damage Dock, Seawall and Boat Lift Repair

Storm damage to a dock, seawall, bulkhead, boat lift, pier or boathouse does not wait for an adjuster. Gulf Coast Dock Masters repairs and rebuilds storm damaged waterfront structures across coastal Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southeast Louisiana. We are licensed and insured in all three states, we own our own barges, cranes and pile hammers, and we are on the water as soon as it is safe to be there.

What we repair and rebuild after a storm

• Docks and piers. Decking, stringers, joists, ramps, gangways and the pilings underneath them. Partial repair where the structure is sound, full replacement where it is not.
• Seawalls and bulkheads. Cracked and blown out panels, failed tiebacks and deadmen, washed out backfill, undermined caps and toe scour. Vinyl sheet piling, reinforced concrete or treated timber.
• Boat lifts. Bent cradles and beams, drowned motors, cable, pulley and gearbox replacement, realignment, and full lift replacement when the frame is beyond repair.
• Boathouses. Roof and truss damage, siding, framing, lighting and electrical, and complete rebuilds.
• Pile driving. Replacement pilings where the old ones sheared, racked or pulled, and new pilings for a rebuilt structure. Timber, concrete and steel.
• Dune crossovers, marsh crossings and decks. Walkway sections, stairs, handrails and the framing under them.
• Debris and wreckage removal from the water and the shoreline so the site is safe to work and safe to document.

What to do right now after the storm

1. Stay off anything that looks damaged. A dock that lost a piling will hold weight right up until it does not. Keep children and pets off it too.
2. Photograph everything before you move a thing. Wide shots and close ups, from the shore and from the water if you can do that safely. Date stamped photos from your phone are fine.
3. Leave the debris where it is if it is not a hazard. Decking, hardware and pieces of the structure are evidence of what failed.
4. Open the insurance claim now, before you know the full extent. Claim volume after a named storm is enormous and your place in line matters.
5. Call us for the assessment. We document what failed and why, in the detail an adjuster works from, and we give you a written scope and price for the repair.
6. Do not let anyone start work without a license in your state. Out of area crews follow every storm. Unpermitted or unlicensed marine work becomes your problem at resale, at the next claim, or when the county catches it.

We handle the insurance claim and the permits

Most storm damage on the water turns into a paperwork problem before it turns into a construction problem. We give you an itemized damage report with photographs, the cause of failure and a scope of repair your carrier can process. If the claim gets questioned, we are the ones who put it together and we will stand behind it.

Permitting is part of the job, not something we hand back to you. We prepare and submit the applications, work with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the state and local agencies that have jurisdiction, and schedule the build around approvals. One thing worth knowing: like for like repair is often treated differently from new construction, but the line is not where most people assume. Changing dimensions, changing materials or increasing the footprint usually triggers review even when the work is called a repair. We check that before anything starts, not after.

Licensed and insured in Alabama, Louisiana and Florida

Gulf Coast Dock Masters LLC is a marine construction contractor with offices in Gulf Shores, Alabama and Belle Chasse, Louisiana. We are licensed and insured in Alabama, Louisiana and Florida, and we own and operate our own fleet of barges, push boats, cranes and pile hammers. That is the difference after a storm, when every contractor on the coast is calling the same rental yards.

Storm damage response area: Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan, Dauphin Island, Perdido Key, Perdido Beach, Innerarity Point, Pensacola, Fairhope, Daphne, Mobile, New Orleans and the surrounding parishes and communities.