Stock photo (Unsplash), not a job photo.
Bulkhead cost calculator
Ranges from the cited 2026 sources below. This is a planning range, not a quote.
Itemized price ranges
| Job | Typical Long Island range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Timber bulkhead replacement (in kind) | $350 – $550 / ft | Usually the lowest first cost. Check your town first: Southampton bans chemically treated wood in bulkheads, docks and pilings. |
| Vinyl sheet-pile replacement | $450 – $700 / ft | One LI contractor's preferred material for most replacements, with a quoted lifespan of about 40 years. |
| Steel sheet-pile replacement | $600 – $900 / ft | Exposed bayfronts, deep water and heavy loads. The strongest option, and the most expensive per foot. |
| Full replacement, all-in (contractor-published LI range) | $500 – $1,500 / ft | One LI contractor's turnkey range. The top end covers difficult access, steel, deep embedment and dredging. |
| Typical lot, 75–150 ft of mid-range vinyl | $50,000 – $100,000 | Published North Shore estimate. The per-foot math (about $575 × 75–150 ft) gives roughly $43,000–$86,000 before permits and extras. |
| Minor repair (cap boards, tie-back reinforcement) | $3,000 – $8,000 | Often no DEC permit for minor in-kind work. Confirm with your town. |
| Significant repair (section replacement, backfill) | $10,000 – $30,000 | Sinkholes, a failed section or blown-out backfill usually land here. |
| Repair or partial replacement, per foot | $150 – $300 / ft | Depends on how much of the wall, its anchors and its fabric are reused. |
| Permit preparation (environmental consultant) | $2,500 – $8,000+ | DEC, Army Corps and town filings. DEC's bulkhead general permit itself has no application fee. |
| Marine structure inspection | $300 – $600 | Worth it before buying a waterfront house or signing a big quote. |
Worked examples: wall cost by length
| Length | Timber | Vinyl | Steel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 ft | $17,500 – $27,500 | $22,500 – $35,000 | $30,000 – $45,000 |
| 75 ft | $26,500 – $41,500 | $34,000 – $52,500 | $45,000 – $67,500 |
| 100 ft | $35,000 – $55,000 | $45,000 – $70,000 | $60,000 – $90,000 |
| 150 ft | $52,500 – $82,500 | $67,500 – $105,000 | $90,000 – $135,000 |
Why published prices disagree
- Repair vs replacement. Partial work runs $150–$300 a foot. A full new wall is $350–$900+.
- Wall only vs all-in. One Long Island contractor publishes $500–$1,500 a foot for full replacement, which reads like an all-in range that covers hard sites.
- Material. Steel runs about $600–$900 a foot against $450–$700 for vinyl, and the gap widens on exposed sites that need heavier sections.
- Too-low numbers. Generic sites sometimes show "$20–$45 a foot" for vinyl. No Long Island source we found comes close to that for an installed wall.
What moves your price
- Bog depth: soft bottom means longer sheets and anchors. Hempstead requires at least three probings to find it.
- Access: narrow canals and low bridges limit barges and equipment.
- Exposure: open bays and the Sound need heavier sections than sheltered canals.
- Height: raising the wall (up to 18 inches under DEC's general permit) adds material and backfill.
- Permits: the general permit is fee-free, but individual permits near wetlands take more consultant time.
- Neighbors: joint replacement shares mobilization and simplifies returns.
Before you sign, use the quote comparison checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Long Island bulkhead prices range from $150 to $1,500 a foot?
Because sources price different things. $150–$300 a foot is repair or partial replacement. $350–$900 is a full replacement wall by material (timber to steel). $500–$1,500 is one contractor's all-in range that can include steel, deep piles, difficult access and dredging. Compare quotes line by line, not by the headline per-foot number.
Is $20–$45 a foot for a vinyl bulkhead realistic?
Not for an installed Long Island wall. Some generic cost sites show numbers like that, but every Long Island source we found puts installed vinyl replacement in the hundreds of dollars per foot ($450–$700 in an early-2026 North Shore estimate), because the job includes piles, wales, tie-backs, cap, backfill, demolition and labor, not just the vinyl sheet.
Does the DEC permit cost anything?
DEC's bulkhead general permit for Nassau and Suffolk has no application fee. Preparing the filings (survey, plans, photos, DEC/town/Army Corps applications) with a consultant typically runs $2,500–$8,000 or more, and town fees are separate.
Is it cheaper if my neighbors replace at the same time?
Usually. Shared mobilization, one barge setup and continuous returns lower the per-foot cost, and walls built to one height protect everyone better. It does mean coordinating permits.
What's the cheapest material over the long run?
Divide price by expected life. Timber at $350–$550 a foot for 25–30 years often costs more per year than vinyl at $450–$700 a foot for roughly 40 years. Steel costs the most up front and makes sense where loads or exposure demand it.
Sources
- Access Marine Construction — Bulkhead Repair & Replacement on Long Island (published cost ranges)
- Maison Pawli — Holding Back the Sound: North Shore bulkhead costs (early-2026 ranges)
- Walden Environmental Engineering — New bulkhead permit for Long Island residents (no application fee)
- Pearce Marine — Understanding Bulkhead Construction and Cost (Jan 2026; $150–$600/ft on Long Island)
- ShoreProtect — bulkhead cost calculator ($150–$650/ft; freshwater baseline from mostly Texas/Midwest projects, for comparison only)
- NYSDEC — General Permit: Bulkhead Removal and Replacement