Find a vetted marine contractor in Riverhead, NY

Who licenses marine contractors in Riverhead

• 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.

State rules and the lookup steps: how to check a marine contractor's license.

What the Town of Riverhead requires

• Riverhead makes a Conservation Advisory Council permit a required step toward a building permit for any project in the coastal zone or next to freshwater wetlands.
• Riverhead's Conservation Advisory Council, with the Planning Department, reviews permit applications and inspects properties for regulated activities within 150 feet of any freshwater wetland and 300 feet of any tidal wetland.
• Riverhead's 2026 fee schedule charges $300 for a Conservation Advisory Council application and $300 for a Chapter 219 coastal erosion application, with appeals heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals as the Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Board of Review.
• Riverhead's bulkheading, dock and coastal application lists approvals that may apply, among them Conservation Advisory Council approval for work along bays, lakes, ponds or creeks, a Chapter 219-27 coastal erosion permit on the north shore and a state DEC permit.
• Riverhead charges a non-refundable $200 for its bulkheading, dock and coastal application, which includes a two-page building permit application, signed and notarized.

The Town of Riverhead Building Department handles permits (631-727-3200 ext. 213). Our Town of Riverhead permit guide covers how to apply, inspections and certificates.

Homes in Riverhead: what the Census shows

Across the Town of Riverhead, the median home was built in 1984, and 26% of homes were built before 1960, 11% before 1940. 80% of homes here are owner-occupied, and 69% are single-family detached houses.

What bulkhead, dock and seawall work costs here

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.) Prices come from written estimates; more in the bulkheads, docks and seawalls cost guide.

Before you hire in Riverhead

• Ask for the license number the work needs here (see who licenses marine contractors above), and check it before you sign.
• Ask who files with the Town of Riverhead Building Department, and who books the inspections.
• 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?