Dock Repair on Lake Martin: What Needs Alabama Power's OK

Dock repair on Lake Martin can be as simple as a fresh coat of stain or as involved as rebuilding a boathouse after a storm. Alabama Power's rules treat those very differently. Below: the two jobs Alabama Power's permits page leaves out, when a fix becomes repair "of a substantial degree" with its $200 fee, the separate rules for older legacy docks, the fee break for rebuilding after a storm, and the checks worth making before anyone picks up a drill.

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Weathered gray decking boards on a lake dock, with a few boards lifted and a cleat at the edge — Weathered dock decking with a few boards lifted.

The short version

Alabama Power's permits page says "All work (besides painting and pressure washing) in the lakebed, in the APC flood easement, or within the APC Control Strip" could require a permit. A dock sits in the lakebed. So outside of painting and pressure washing, the safe habit is to call the Lake Martin Shoreline Management office (256-825-0053) before a repair, describe it, and let them say whether it needs a permit.

Substantial repairs and the $200 fee

The $200 General Repair Fee in Alabama Power's Lake Martin guidelines covers "any and all residential shoreline structure repair activity of a substantial degree." How it works in practice:

Alabama Power decides whether a repair is substantial, in its sole discretion.
Owners are to contact the local Shoreline Management office before any potentially substantial repair work, and a new permit may be needed before it starts.
The fee is paid before the repair work, and it's non-refundable.
"A permitted dock or similar permitted structure may be moved offsite for purposes of repair work." The repair fee still applies.
Fixing first and asking later can cost $400 more, the Unauthorized Structure Repair Fee.

If the repair makes the dock bigger or changes it, it may be new construction instead, with the $400 fee and the size limits on the new docks page.

Older docks: legacy structures

Alabama Power's guidelines have a separate category for older structures that aren't covered by a written permit. They call these Legacy Structures, "an existing structure that generally is not encompassed by a written permit previously issued by Alabama Power," and split them in two:

Unenclosed legacy structures, where at least one side isn't walled. Owners "need not apply for a Residential Shoreline Permit" just to keep one, but they "may not rebuild or repair the Unenclosed Legacy Structure(s) without first obtaining Alabama Power's written permission."
Enclosed legacy structures, walled on all sides. No expansion, rebuilding, substantial repair or replacement may take place "unless the Permittee first obtains Alabama Power's express written consent to do so."

A boathouse walled on every side wouldn't be approved new today, since roofed structures now have to stay open apart from a storage area. That makes an enclosed one something to be careful with. Get written consent before touching it beyond routine upkeep.

After a storm

If a previously permitted structure is totally destroyed by natural causes, you can apply for a replacement permit without paying the construction or repair fees, "so long as application is made within one hundred eighty (180) days of the structure's destruction." Photograph the damage, note the date, and call Alabama Power well inside that window. Partial damage is a repair question, handled as above.

Rules that shape a repair

Floats. The Corps PGP general conditions say "All floats (existing and proposed) shall be encased or closed cell." Bare foam that's breaking apart is worth raising when you plan a repair.
Materials. "No new creosote products may be used," and "Non-reflective materials must be used."
No plumbing fixtures. "No habitable fixtures (e.g., toilets, sinks, showers, bathtubs, etc.) are allowed."
Enclosure. Roofed structures stay open except for an approved storage area on one side, closest to the shoreline.
Debris. Old decking, foam and hardware can't be left in project lands or waters. The guidelines bar "garbage or foreign materials" there.

Low water is inspection season

When Lake Martin drops from about 491 to 484 feet each winter, floats, frames, pilings and the bank under the walkway come into view. That makes the drawdown a natural time to look a dock over and to plan repairs, and the permit timeline is the same as for shoreline work: apply early. See the winter drawdown page. If the bank where the dock meets land is eroding, the fix may be riprap or a seawall repair as part of the same job.

What dock repair costs

Our research turned up no Lake Martin dock repair price list. Local reference: [PRICE]. A repair can be a few boards or a full rebuild, so the quote should break the job into line items, says whether Alabama Power's $200 repair fee is included, and notes what happens if Alabama Power decides the job needs a new permit.

Dock repair questions

Does new decking count as a repair Alabama Power needs to approve?

Painting and pressure washing are the only exceptions Alabama Power's permits page names. Whether new decking is a repair "of a substantial degree" is Alabama Power's call, so describe the job to the Shoreline Management office before you start.

Can I take the dock to a shop for repair?

The guidelines allow a permitted dock to be moved offsite for repair. The repair fee still applies.

I bought a house with an old dock. Is it permitted?

Ask Alabama Power. It may be under a prior owner's permit, which binds you to its terms, or it may be a legacy structure, which can't be repaired or rebuilt without written permission.

Getting a dock looked at

Call (256) 667-6569 or send a request telling us what's wrong with the dock and roughly where it is. We'll pass it to one independent local contractor who can look at it and price the repair in writing. The referral costs you nothing.

Sources

Dock needs work?

Call or send a request to reach one independent local contractor on Lake Martin. The referral is free.