Docks, bulkheads, and the marsh line

On a McIntosh County marsh lot, what sits below the high ground matters. Georgia's Coastal Resources Division issues a revocable license for a private dock built from the owner's parcel, and modifying an existing dock also needs authorization. A bulkhead or riprap on any tidally influenced bank needs a permit, and before marsh-front land is cleared, the marsh line has to be marked.

A 25-foot erosion and sediment buffer applies along the marsh as well. None of this stops a sale. It does mean a buyer will ask whether the dock and any shoreline work were authorized, so gather whatever license or permit paperwork you have.

Three storms with federal assistance

McIntosh County was designated for FEMA individual assistance after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Helene in 2024. Houses on low ground near the marsh and rivers can carry damage from more than one of them. When repairs to a building in a mapped flood zone reach half of its pre-storm value, the substantial damage rule applies, and the rebuilt structure has to comply with today's floodplain rules, sometimes by raising it.

That is often why a storm-damaged house here is still sitting unrepaired years later. We buy it in that condition and handle the permitting questions ourselves.

Permits for wells, mobile homes, and additions

McIntosh County Building and Zoning in Darien issues permits for wells, mobile home placement, additions, remodels, and demolition, and handles code enforcement. Active permits now run through its GovWell portal. On older rural property, a manufactured home placed without a permit or an addition built without one is common, and it is something to disclose to us rather than fix first.

McIntosh County property we buy

  • Marsh-front houses, with or without a licensed dock
  • Homes with Matthew, Irma, or Helene damage, repaired or not
  • Houses in Darien's older neighborhoods needing major work
  • Inherited houses and land where the estate was never opened
  • Manufactured homes on land around Townsend, Eulonia, and Crescent
  • Fishing cottages and second homes owned from out of town
  • Vacant lots and wooded acreage

Records, courts, and closing in McIntosh County

Darien is the county seat. Deeds and liens on McIntosh property are recorded by the Clerk of Superior Court, and the McIntosh County Probate Court handles wills and estates. The Board of Assessors at 601 North Way in Darien values property, and tax bills come from the tax commissioner. A Georgia attorney closes the sale.

To request an offer, send the address and tell us about the water side of the property: dock, bulkhead, flood zone, and any storm claim. For inherited land, tell us who is on the deed and whether anyone has started probate. Those two subjects account for most of the price and timing differences between one McIntosh property and the next.

Frequently asked questions

Will you buy a marsh-front house with a dock?

Yes. Send any Coastal Resources Division license you have for the dock. If you cannot find one, tell us and we will factor it in.

My house flooded in Irma and was never elevated. Can I still sell it?

Yes. We buy flood-damaged houses as they are, including ones where the elevation requirement is the reason repairs stopped.

My grandparents' land in McIntosh County was never probated. Can you buy it?

Often yes, once the heirs are identified and title is cleared. That is the step to start first, and we can buy while it is underway.

Do you buy in Shellman Bluff, Crescent, and Townsend?

Yes. We buy throughout the county, not only in Darien.

There is a mobile home on my land that was never permitted. Is that a problem?

Not for us. Tell us what is there and we will account for it in the offer.

McIntosh County property and court resources

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