Lakefront in Northeast Michigan takes a beating. Ice push in the winter, wake and waves all summer, and high-water years that chew a few more feet off the bank every season. A properly driven seawall stops that erosion where it stands and gives you a clean, usable shoreline.
JW Excavating & Trucking builds seawalls on the inland lakes around Hale, including Long Lake, Loon Lake, Londo Lake, Sage Lake, and Van Etten Lake, and along the Lake Huron shore near Tawas and Oscoda. Jordan runs the machine on every wall, and every job starts with a walk of your shoreline and a straight answer about what it needs.
What's included
- Steel or vinyl sheet piling driven to grade, with capped top rail
- Rip rap and stone shoreline protection where a wall is not the right fix
- EGLE and county permit legwork handled for you
- Tie-backs, dead-men anchors, and gravel or stone backfill
- Dock post sleeves and shoreline finish grading
- Removal of failed timber or concrete walls
How it goes
Shoreline walk and estimate
We look at the bank, the water depth, the ice and wake exposure, and what neighbors have done, then give you a written free estimate.
Permits
Shoreline work in Michigan needs an EGLE permit and sometimes county sign-off. We handle the paperwork before a machine touches your frontage.
Wall installation
Sheet piling is driven panel by panel to a string line, tied back, and capped. Most residential walls take days, not weeks.
Backfill and cleanup
Stone or gravel backfill behind the wall, finish grading, and the lawn put back so it looks like we were never there.
From our jobs
Seawall Construction questions
Steel, vinyl, or rip rap: which is right for my shoreline?
Steel takes the worst ice and lasts decades, vinyl resists rust and looks clean on quieter water, and rip rap stone suits gradual banks and tight budgets. It depends on your lake, your bank, and your frontage. We walk it with you and recommend the one we would put on our own place.
Do I need a permit for a seawall in Michigan?
Almost always yes. Work at or below the ordinary high-water mark needs an EGLE permit, and some counties add their own. We handle the permit legwork as part of the job.
When is the best time to build a seawall?
Any season the ground lets us work. Getting a wall in before winter matters most, because ice push does more damage to an unprotected bank than the whole rest of the year.
Will the work tear up my beach and dock area?
We work from the bank with compact equipment, protect what can be protected, and finish-grade when we are done. Docks and lifts can usually stay in place or get moved carefully for the install.
How long does a seawall install take?
A typical residential wall runs a few days on site once permits are in hand. Weather and water levels can stretch that, and we tell you up front when they will.
Where we do this work
Plus everywhere between across Iosco, Ogemaw, Arenac, and Alcona counties.
Ready to talk about seawall construction?
Free estimates. Jordan answers the phone, runs the machine, and calls you back within 24 hours.