Bulkhead and Pier Marine Construction serves as an intermediary acting on behalf of the property owner to ensure that the necessary application work is submitted to and approved by the various municipal, state and federal governmental agencies. In most cases, building permits are required by certain agencies before waterfront construction can begin. It is the responsibility of a registered contractor to obtain the permit. The following information identifies the regulatory agencies and their primary requirements.

• The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) must receive a Joint Permit Application (JPA) for all waterfront construction requests. This commission then distributes the application to other regulatory waterfront agencies: the Army Corps of Engineers; the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and if construction is taking place in Virginia Beach, their Planning Department’s Waterfront Operations Bureau receives an application. In Norfolk, their Environmental Office receives an application.
• The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers requires a permit for all construction, excavation and deposition of materials in navigable waterways in the United States.
• The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) works in coordination with the VMRC in issuing a Joint Permit Application for all waterfront construction.
• The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) also works in coordination with the VMRC and VIMS in issuing a Joint Application for all waterfront construction. All three of these agencies have specific regulations regarding the preservation of wetlands.
• Virginia Beach and Norfolk’s City Planning Waterfront Departments require permits for waterfront construction and some projects require approval by the city council’s appointed Wetlands Board and Chesapeake Bay Board.