What should an assessment answer?
A useful assessment gives you a decision: maintain, investigate further, repair a defined part, or plan replacement. It should identify what was seen and what remains unknown. A walk along the cap cannot establish the condition of buried anchors or the submerged toe.
Tell the professional whether your main concern is a crack, soil disappearing behind the wall, repeated flooding, or a home purchase. Those questions can require different inspections and different reports.
Photograph the pattern, not just the worst crack
- Take an overall view from firm ground, then a closer view with a familiar object for scale.
- Record cap cracks, panel joints, exposed reinforcement, staining and connections to docks.
- Date each photo and label its position along the wall. Keep the original files.
- Do not step onto a sunken edge, probe a void or enter the water to improve the photograph.
Ask which observations warrant a structural engineer and whether the proposed visit includes underwater work. Discuss access and price before booking.
Separate an empty pocket from a moving structure
Settled pavers may point to lost supporting soil, but they do not explain the escape path. Ask the assessor to review joints, outlets, wall ends and the retained ground together. A fill-only recommendation should explain how the recurring loss will be stopped.
| Visible change | What to ask |
|---|---|
Leaning or displaced cap | Will you measure alignment and review the support system? |
Depression behind the wall | How will the extent and loss path be investigated? |
Water in the yard | Is this tide entry, rainfall drainage, groundwater, or more than one source? |
Match the visit to the shoreline
In St. Augustine, the address is only the starting point. Give the assessor the water body, which side of the property faces it, and the nearest access point. A Salt Run wall, a San Sebastian frontage and an ocean-facing structure do not have interchangeable access or permit questions.
The City’s bulkhead checklist asks for engineered plans and a site survey. Existing records help the professional understand what was approved before assessing a proposed change. Building Permit Information: bulkhead/retaining wall
Keep a record of what changed after high water
Note the date, weather, water level and whether the change is new. Keep earlier photographs alongside the current set. Tide predictions are useful context, but they do not prove the height of a particular storm surge or the cause of damage.
Use the storm documentation checklist if the condition appeared after a coastal storm.
Ask for a written next-step plan
- The components examined and areas that were inaccessible.
- The measurements or testing needed before choosing a repair.
- Any access restrictions recommended while you wait.
- A priority order and a clear description of each proposed scope.
- The records and approvals to resolve before construction.
Then compare the findings with the repair-or-replacement guide. A report is more useful than an unexplained material recommendation.
Make the written report useful for the next decision
A clear condition plan
Ask for a sketch or annotated photos locating each finding. The report should distinguish visible observations, information taken from records and parts that could not be assessed.
A clear follow-up
Ask which issue needs prompt attention, which needs further investigation and which can be observed on an agreed schedule. Have the professional state who should carry out each next step.
Before booking, confirm whether the price includes the land side, water side, underwater work, an engineer’s review and a written report. These can be separate services. If access changes on the day, ask how that affects the conclusions and fee. Keep the report date and access limitations visible when sharing it with a bidder.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Building Permit Information: bulkhead/retaining wallSource reviewed 2026-10-26
- St. Augustine station 8720576Source reviewed 2026-10-26