Virginia Beach waterfront
Dock, bulkhead and boat lift contractors in Virginia Beach
More waterfront permit applications come from Virginia Beach than from any other city or county in Virginia, about 250 a year in state records. Most involve piers and boat lifts, followed by bulkheads, riprap and a few living shorelines, on everything from the Lynnhaven River and Long Creek to the canals and the oceanfront at Sandbridge. The contractors below serve Virginia Beach. Contact them directly; there are no lead forms and no middleman.
Virginia Beach marine contractors
- (757) 437-8690
- 757-422-6821
- 757-319-3001
- (443) 624-8213
- (757) 778-1767
- 757-298-0627
- (757) 468-2277
- 757-512-8822
- 757-636-1663
- 757-618-1681
- (757) 463-7700
- (757) 982-8082
- 757-672-0107
- 757-777-7953
757 Waterfront is a free directory, not a contractor. A listing isn’t an endorsement. Each listing shows the contractor’s Virginia license as the state lists it (what the badges mean); always check insurance and references before you hire. Permit figures are from Virginia Marine Resources Commission application records, 2023 to 2025.
Plan your project
Permits and planning in Virginia Beach
Most waterfront projects in the city start with a Joint Permit Application, filed online through the Army Corps and shared with the state agencies and the city. Many are heard by the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board, which meets on the third Monday of each month, with public hearings at 10 a.m. in City Council Chambers at the Municipal Center, 2401 Courthouse Drive. Applications are due by the first of the month before the hearing. City fees are $230 for waterfront construction and $450 for projects that affect wetlands. For questions, call Planning and Community Development at (757) 385-4621 or email Waterfront@vbgov.com.
If you are planning shoreline protection, expect the review to ask whether a living shoreline would work before a bulkhead is approved; state law makes it the first choice when the site allows. Work in the 100 foot Chesapeake Bay Act buffer also goes through the city’s Bay Act review.
Help before you hire: the state’s Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service will visit your property for free and recommend a fix, and the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program can reimburse part of an approved living shoreline through your local soil and water conservation district. Closer to home, Lynnhaven River NOW helps Virginia Beach owners plan and install living shorelines; request a site visit on its living shorelines page, or call (757) 962-5398. Most contractors handle the permit paperwork, so ask when you get an estimate.
The Bay Act buffer: what you can build →
Do I need a permit for a dock? →
Bulkhead costs →
Dock and pier costs →
After a storm: what to check →
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