Erosion Protection is a Waterfront Property Value Driver

Erosion Protection is a waterfront value driver. When you own waterfront property, I think it's safe to say you don't want it to disappear. That's why we have seawalls, rip rap, mangrove roots, sand dunes, and sea oats. These silent sentinels of the waterfront are sometimes overlooked, but they can be value drivers in many cases.

Most every waterfront property has some form of erosion protection, so buyers expect it to be there. Buyers rarely pay a premium for a new seawall, but they will certainly ask for a discount or credit from the seller in the event a seawall needs repair or replacement. Why? Because seawall replacements or repairs can easily exceed $20,000.

Natural erosion protection such as mangrove roots, sand dunes, and sea oats or protected by federal and state laws, so I will limit this discussion to seawalls and Rip Rap.

In case you didn't know, rip rap is any type of rock or stone material piled up along the water's edge to prevent wave action from eroding the shoreline. The size of the material varies from the size of a baseball to boulders. In addition to erosion protection, rip rap creates a habitat for small creatures enabling them to avoid predators. You will see rip rap at properties with or without seawalls.

Seawalls are basically a wall between your waterfront property and the water. They enable you to have a level back yard, they give you deep water close to the edge of your property, and most importantly, they keep your back yard from falling into the waterway.

A seawall consists of several components including:
• Slabs
• Cap
• Tiebacks
• Deadmen

The slabs stand upright and can be concrete, pvc, or metal. Without something to hold them in place, the pressure from the land side would simply push the slabs into the water. The slabs are inserted approximately 3 feet into the sand under the water. This 3 feet of sand on the water side of the seawall holds the slabs in place so they don't kick out at the bottom.

The cap is the skinny concrete sidewalk at the top of the seawall. The cap is affixed to the slabs with metal rebar imbedded inside the concrete cap.

To hold the top of the seawall in place, a length of metal rebar is imbedded into the cap and the other end of the rebar is extended 10 to 15 feet up into the yard. This metal rebar is known as a tieback.

At the end of the tieback, a hole is dug and filled with concrete creating a large hunk of concrete like a boulder. This hunk of concrete acts as an anchor and holds the top of the seawall in place. These anchors are known as deadmen.

Like most anything, seawalls don't last forever. They need to be maintained and eventually need to be replaced. Sometimes the slabs fail. Sometimes the sand on the water side erodes from the bottom of the seawall. Sometimes the cap cracks and deteriorates. Sometimes the rebar tiebacks rust through.

The tell tale signs that a seawall needs some attention is when you see the bottom of the cap missing on the water side, or rusted rebar hanging from the cap, or when you notice that the top of the seawall has moved slightly toward the water at a seam in the cap. Some erosion on the land side of a seawall is normal and can be addressed at a minimal cost.

A seawall is a significant value driver for waterfront property, so it is important that you inspect them closely and understand their value.

Trae Zipperer, your Waterfront Authority, WaterfrontAuthority.com

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