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Find a vetted marine contractor on Long Island
What marine contractors do
Marine contractors build and repair bulkheads, docks, seawalls and boat ramps on Long Island's bays, harbors and creeks, work that usually needs state and local permits before it starts.
- A bulkhead that leans, leaks fill or shows holes behind it.
- A new dock, or a dock damaged by storms or ice.
- Shoreline erosion that threatens the yard.
Who licenses marine contractors on Long Island
- Under DEC's tidal wetlands program, almost any activity that will alter wetlands or their adjacent areas needs a permit, and those areas reach up to 300 feet inland from the wetland boundary outside New York City.
- Replacing broken boards on a functional dock does not require a DEC permit, the agency says, but changing the dock's length, width or position does.
- Besides DEC, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction, and DEC notes that a Corps permit may be required whether or not DEC requires one.
Step by step: how to check a marine contractor's license in Suffolk or Nassau.
Town by town
Each town page quotes that town's own rules for bulkhead, dock and seawall work, with the date we read them.
| Town or city | County | What the town says |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Hempstead | Nassau County | Since January 2025, Hempstead takes bulkhead and other waterway structure permits only through its online portal. |
| Town of Huntington | Suffolk County | A Huntington Marine Conservation Permit is essentially the waterfront's building permit. |
| Town of Riverhead | Suffolk County | Coastal zone and freshwater wetland projects in Riverhead need a Conservation Advisory Council permit before the building permit. |
| Town of Southampton | Suffolk County | In Southampton, dock and bulkhead construction falls under the Town Trustees. |
| Town of Southold | Suffolk County | Southold Trustees wetland and coastal erosion permit applications cost $1,250.00 each. |
| Town of Shelter Island | Suffolk County | Shelter Island's Town Board issues wetland permits for work within 100 feet of a wetland's landward edge. |
What it costs
Labor is a large part of any price. Long Island operating engineers and other construction equipment operators earn a median $92,856 a year, from about $62,510 at entry level to $122,757 with experience. Construction laborers earn a median $58,875 a year, from about $39,468 at entry level to $79,154 with experience. (New York State Department of Labor, wages updated to the first quarter of 2026.)
Marine work prices turn on the length of shoreline, the water depth, access for equipment, the material, and the permits the job needs. See the bulkheads, docks and seawalls cost guide.
What to ask before you hire
- Your county license number, so I can check it before I sign?
- A certificate of insurance sent to me by your insurer, not a photo?
- Which permits does this job need, from the state, the town or its trustees, and who files them?
- How long do the permits usually take, and what can be done before they arrive?
- What materials will you use, and how long are they expected to last in salt water?
- Who checks the property line and the water depth before work starts?
How Revival helps
Request a free call. Revival goes over the job and the permit with you, checks licenses and insurance, and introduces up to two vetted, licensed marine contractors as they join our network. You choose who to hire, and you never pay Revival.
Bulkhead and Dock Builders by town
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Hempstead (Nassau County)
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Huntington (Suffolk County)
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Riverhead (Suffolk County)
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Southampton (Suffolk County)
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Southold (Suffolk County)
- Bulkheads, docks and seawalls in Shelter Island (Suffolk County)
Guides
Questions homeowners ask
Do I need a permit to replace a bulkhead on Long Island?
Almost always some approval applies, from New York State, the town or its trustees, depending on where the water and wetlands are. The town pages below quote each official page.
Who regulates docks and bulkheads on Long Island?
Tidal wetlands are regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and towns and their trustees add rules of their own.
How does Revival help with a bulkhead or dock?
A free call to sort out the job and the permits it likely needs, then introductions to vetted marine contractors as they join our network.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the office before you file anything.
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Tidal Wetlands Permit Program: Do I Need a Permit? (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Hempstead, Structures in Waterways (read 2026-11-03; page dated as of 1/24/2025)
- Town of Huntington, Marine Conservation Permits (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Riverhead, Conservation Advisory Council (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Southampton, Town Trustees (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Southold, Trustees fees (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Shelter Island, Homeowners Handbook (read 2026-11-03)
- New York State Department of Labor, Occupational Wages (Long Island region, wages updated to the first quarter of 2026) (read 2026-11-03)
Checked 2026-11-03. Facts come only from the official pages listed, read on that date.
Talk the job through before you call anyone
Tell us about the house and the job in about four minutes. Revival calls you, free, to go over the scope, the budget, the timing and your town's permit office. Contractor matches open as our first licensed partners sign.