COASTAL EROSION CONTROL | SAND FENCE INSTALLATION
Sand Fences that Build Dunes
Give your coastline a powerful boost! Our sand fences and native dune plants work together to catch moving sand and build a berm, even in height and size, across your property. Think of this berm as a natural speed bump for storm surge—it slows down rushing water and takes the punch out of powerful waves before they reach you. When properly permitted and installed sand fences are a smart, natural way to help protect residential, commercial, and government properties.
Dune Doctors is a proud sand fence installer that guarantees:
DAY ONE
sand capture begins as soon as the fences are installed
95%
of installed plants are thriving within 90 days — guaranteed
25+ YRS
of sand fence experience and regulatory compliance
Prefer to talk it through? 866-386-3737
Serving the Gulf Coast — Florida and Alabama, including 30A, Destin, Walton County, and Santa Rosa.
Schedule a property evaluation
Ready to have sand fences installed on your property? Need existing fences repaired or replaced? Fill out the form below, and we’ll come to you.
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Project result — Florida 30A beachfront community
They captured $100,000 worth of sand in under two years!
To reach that total, they captured 2ft of sand across 700 ft of beach width, using sand fences and native dune plants.
Why rely on costly, limited sand from inland sources when nature can lend a hand? Smart coastal communities put the wind to work, capturing free-moving beach sand where it can help build stronger dunes and protect their beachfront property.
Your property
What could your beachfront capture?
Modeled on the 30A results above, below is the estimated amount and value of sand your property could capture once the fences are fully buried. Your site will vary with wind exposure, sand availability, existing dune profile, and storm activity.
*Estimates are for illustrative purposes only and are based on modeled results. Actual sand capture and value will vary by property conditions, weather, sand availability, fence configuration, and other factors. Results are not guaranteed.”
The problem
If you are not capturing sand, chances are you’re losing it.
Coastlines naturally cycle between sand accretion (build-up) and erosion (loss). However, storms, wind patterns, limited sand availability, foot traffic, development, and other natural and human influences can push that cycle out of balance and more heavily towards loss, leaving your dune weaker and unprepared for when the next storm hits.
Trucking in sand to build or restore a dune system is expensive and logistically challenging. Because dune vegetation alone may take decades to accumulate significant amounts of sand, tools such as sand fencing can help accelerate the process by capturing windblown sand.
However, installing sand fencing is not a DIY guessing game. Improperly placed or unpermitted fencing can harm wildlife, create public-safety hazards, and lead to costly fines or legal consequences. Finally, poorly installed fences tend to capture little to no sand.
Most properties face an imbalanced sand cycle and struggle to build or grow a strong, protective dune system.
Sand is a limited resource, and replacing it with material transported from inland sources is expensive.
A weak dune system leaves a property at the mercy of storm surge.
Sand fences installed without proper permits clutter the beach and create safety hazards.
The solution
Sand Fences
Dune Doctors installs sand fences based on the direction of coastal winds and adds native dune vegetation to anchor the sand buildup. As wind and waves move sand across the beach, the fences trap it, causing sand to pile up in place. The native plants send deep roots through the sand, developing a powerful grip that reaches 35ft+ deep. Over time, the trapped sand and native plants work together to build a new line of defense. With each new row of sand fence, you add strategic distance between yourself and storm surge.
The service also addresses permitting, access, signage, and foot traffic management so that the installation functions as an integrated coastal restoration system that can be connected with your neighbors rather than a stand-alone fence.
What the service includes
Protection that starts building immediately
Sand begins accumulating around the fences with the first strong winds, and your berm grows every season from there. Roughly 4-6 years in, enough sand has been captured to bury the structure entirely.
95% of plants will be thriving in 90 days
Fences capture sand but it can’t hold it in place. Native plants do the heavy work of anchoring sand in place, and we guarantee that the plants we install will not only establish but thrive.
Regulatory compliance, handled
More than two decades of sand fence experience, with permitting and compliance coordinated as part of the service.
What to expect
How a sand fence installation works
Dune Doctors evaluates the property, develops a compliant project, coordinates permitting, and installs the sand fences and native vegetation.
Consultation and site assessment
The team evaluates the coastal property and determines where sand fences can be positioned most strategically to capture moving sand and support the development of a protective berm, while accounting for beach access and site conditions.
Planning and recommendations
Dune Doctors develops a recommended fence and planting approach based on dominant wind patterns, the desired sand-build location, access needs, wildlife considerations, and applicable local, state, and federal requirements. Required permitting is coordinated as part of the service.
Installation
Environmentally compliant fence sections are installed across the property along the toe of the dune. Native coastal vegetation is planted between the fences to stabilize accumulated sand, with roping and compliance signage added where appropriate to manage foot traffic.
Follow-up and maintenance
Sand fences must be maintained to remain effective. As sand accumulates, native plants grow through new layers and help anchor them in place. Ongoing dune maintenance and monitoring should address vegetation health, foot-traffic impacts, and fence condition.
Planning
When can we install?
Installation timing and design requirements vary by location, and some states restrict sand fence work during sea turtle nesting season. Along the Florida Panhandle, fences can only be installed during winter months outside of Turtle Nesting Season from May 1 through October 31. Whereas in Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, sand fencing can be installed year-round under specific conditions. Nonetheless, the best time of year is to install fences outside of the time frame where most coastal wildlife including endangered seabirds and shorebirds are nesting.
LONGTERM INVESTMENT
What is a Sand Fence’s Lifecycle?
Sand fences help build berms where they can provide the most protection. Like speed bumps for storm surge, these berms that run parallel with the shoreline slow down destructive waves before they reach your property. Each installation is meant to be sacrificial—the goal is to lose the sand accumulated along the fence, not from your established dune or from under the foundation of your property. As the beach shifts and storms reshape the shore, new fence rows can be added to build the next line of defense. It’s not a one-and-done fix; it’s a smart way to work with the beach’s natural cycle while building up your sand reserves over time creating multiple rows of defense.
Questions
Frequently asked questions about sand fence installations
Learn more
Related services and resources
Coastal Restoration Services
The full range of dune, vegetation, and erosion control work we perform along the Gulf Coast.
Regulatory Agencies & Permitting
The agencies that govern coastal work and regulate the permitting processes designed to keep your property safe.
30A Storm Recovery & Sand Fences
Learn about this 30A community that invested in sand fences over time.
Next step
Start building your next line of coastal protection
Capture naturally moving sand, stabilize it with native vegetation, and build a more resilient beachfront with a sand fence system designed around your property and regulatory requirements. Contact Dune Doctors to schedule a property evaluation and discuss the right installation approach for your coastline.
Or call us directly: 866-386-3737
Schedule a property evaluation
Have our team of coastal restoration experts visit your property and evaluate the protection your dune ecosystem provides.
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