WallDockDeck
Cost drivers · no invented ranges

What a seawall actually costs

Every site that publishes a price per foot is guessing, and you cannot use a guess. We are not going to publish one either. What we can do is tell you the three ways the same wall can be addressed, the eight things that actually move the number, and what is missing from almost every quote you will be handed — which is where two bids that look alike stop being alike.

The same wall, three ways

Most of the spread between two quotes on one shoreline is not margin. It is that they are quoting different structural approaches. These are the three, from lightest to heaviest.

Lightest — Repair the panels, restore the capCrack routing, partial-depth concrete repair and protective coating. Only available while the panels are still structurally sound, which is what a survey establishes.
Middle — Repair the panels, replace the capThe same panel repair, but the cap is demolished and rebuilt in full. Chosen when the cap has spalled, the steel is exposed, or the elevation has to change.
Heaviest — Build a new wall in front of the old oneNew panels and new batter piles throughout. How far in front of the old wall the new face sits decides the permit route: Florida's environmental permit exemption covers restoring a seawall within 18 inches waterward of its previous location (s. 403.813(1)(e), F.S.), and some cities set their own line, so it carries a permitting risk on top of the construction cost.

This is where catching a problem early pays for itself. Found in time, you are choosing between the first two. Left long enough, the third is the only one left — and it is the one whose permit route depends on how far waterward the new wall goes.

What moves the number

You can establish most of these before anyone quotes. Doing so is how you tell a careful bid from an optimistic one.

Condition of the existing wallThe single biggest fork in the price. Repairable or not repairable is the difference between the lightest and the heaviest approach, and only a survey answers it.
Length of shorelinePriced as a whole job, not a rate. Mobilising for 40 feet and for 400 feet is not proportional, which is why a price per foot tells you very little.
AccessWhether a barge can reach the shoreline, or the work has to come through the property. This lands on the number before a single panel is set.
Elevation targetBuilding to 4 ft NAVD88 now versus straight to 5 ft changes steel and concrete today, and decides whether the wall has to come up again before 2050.
Water depth and soilPile length follows from what is under the wall. A geotechnical recommendation can move the structural design substantially.
What the agencies requireBenthic or bathymetric surveys, coral avoidance or relocation, sea grass mitigation. Triggered by your location, not by anyone's choice.
DemolitionRemoving an old dock and its timber piles is its own scope. Piles pulled rather than cut cost more, and are usually the right answer.
SelectionsDecking product, railing, lift capacity. Get the product name and the per-unit rate written into the bid, not just a category.

What no quote includes

These exclusions turn up again and again in marine construction. A bid that is silent on them is not cheaper, it is less complete.

Permit fees and bondsGenerally paid by the owner directly to the agencies, and generally non-refundable. Some cities also require a refundable bond on top of the contract. Ask the city, because it will not appear in the contractor's number.
SurveysAs-built, bathymetric, geotechnical and tree surveys, pile-length recommendations, and coral avoidance or relocation plans. Commonly supplied and paid for by the owner.
MitigationMoving or replacing sea grass, coral or riprap is commonly the owner's cost, not the contractor's.
Electrical and plumbingDock power, water and lighting are frequently excluded from the marine scope entirely.
Landscaping and restorationTrees, pavers and turf are often listed as 'by others'. Ask in writing who puts the yard back, and to what standard.
Interruption costsOvertime, idle time and travel, if the site is not available full time. Worth asking how these are charged before they are charged.

Terms worth asking about

None of these are standard across the trade, so they are worth reading in whatever you are handed — and worth asking about before you sign.

WarrantyHow long, and against what - workmanship, materials, or both?
Late paymentWhat rate applies, and after how many days?
How long the price holdsMarine bids often expire quickly. Ask for the date in writing.
Default and liquidated damagesWhat percentage, and what exactly triggers it?
SalvageWho keeps the removed material? It has value.
Payment scheduleWhat is due at signing, at mobilisation, and at completion?

Are your quotes comparable?

Two seawall quotes rarely cover the same work. Tell us where to reach you and we will send you somewhere to upload them, then tell you what each one leaves out.

We do not sell the work. We have no reason to steer you to the expensive quote.

Done — it is on the way to your inbox. Not there in a minute? Check your Promotions or Spam folder, and move it to your inbox so the next ones arrive.

Why we do not publish a figure

No price per foot existsLength, condition, access, depth and soil all move it independently. Anyone who hands you a rate without seeing your wall is guessing, and the guess is usually low.
We do not publish other people's bidsFigures from real proposals belong to the owner who commissioned them and the contractor who priced them. We will not republish either.
Only a site visit settles itCondition, water depth, barge access, soil, length and what the agencies ask for all move the number. No honest price exists before a survey and an engineer have looked at it.
What we will doScore your shoreline, tell you which of the three approaches your answers point to, and book you an inspection with a licensed marine contractor covering your area. It is a resource that does not cost anything, and the contractor can price the work properly.