Residential Rip Rap:
155 Feet of Protected Shoreline
A Lake Lanier homeowner was losing bank on both sides of their dock — wave action from below and dying trees adding weight the soil couldn't hold.
Full Shoreline Cleanup, Grading & Granite Placement
This project covered both banks flanking the dock — 75 feet of rip rap on the left side and 80 feet on the right — taking each from overgrown, eroding shoreline to graded, armored, and finished stone.
- Cut down marked trees along the bank
- Cut up and hauled off trees, logs, and debris
- Removed sticks, brush, and debris along the shoreline
- Full shoreline bank cleanup and prep
- Graded both banks to a 2:1 slope
- Installed rip rap along all 155 feet of shoreline
- Hand-stacked the top layer for a clean, finished look
- Professional barge installation — no equipment through the yard
- Hauled off all debris with final cleanup
- White-glove service with no work required from the homeowner
The Challenge
On Lake Lanier, a bank takes hits from two directions — and this one was losing ground on both sides of the dock.
- Wave action from the water — boat wakes and wind-driven waves cut at the bank, and today's wake boats hit far harder than the runabouts these shorelines were built for
- Rising water from within — high lake levels soak and soften the soil, so ground disappears even in seasons when the water never tops the bank
- Weight the soil couldn't hold — marked trees at the water's edge were leaning on ground already giving way
The homeowners wanted it stopped — without hauling brush, coordinating contractors, or repairing a lawn torn up by equipment.
Erosion by the Numbers
An unprotected bank isn't a cosmetic issue, it's land, and land value, leaving the property every season.
Sources: University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory wake wave study; Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Understanding, Living With, and Controlling Shoreline Erosion; Bemidji State University 35-year lakeshore property study.
Our Solution
The work started with everything that isn't rock:
- Cleared and prepped both banks — cut the marked trees, hauled off timber and debris, and cleaned the waterline down to bare, workable soil
- Graded to a 2:1 slope — two feet of run per foot of rise, the ratio that locks stone together under wave action instead of letting it migrate into the lake
- Placed granite by barge along all 155 feet — no trucks or loaders ever crossed the property
- Hand-stacked the top layer for a uniform, finished edge, then closed out with a final haul-off and cleanup
Learn more about our rip rap shoreline installation service.
The Result
- Granite armor from the waterline up on both banks — done giving up ground when the lake rises
- A clean, hand-finished shoreline that reads as landscaping, not construction
- Zero homeowner effort — no tools lifted, no bins rented, no tire tracks repaired
Every foot of bank that stays put is waterfront value that stays on the deed.
Before & After
From Cleared Bank to Finished Stone
Click any photo to enlarge
Very happy with our rip rap job. Trice, the sales manager, answered inquiries promptly and took care of the permitting process for us. The crew was on-site 4 consecutive days. Abraham and Matthew and one other, expertly prepared the shoreline, removed the debris, placed the rock and cleaned up the lake bed. When I visited the site, they took initiative to check if I had questions or concerns. I’d recommend this professional team every time.
Why Who You Hire Matters at the Waterline
Shoreline work happens below full pool — on ground governed by Army Corps of Engineers rules, reached by barge, on the most visible edge of your property. Who you hire determines who carries the risk.
Shoreline rules aren't optional
Work along Lanier's shoreline falls under Corps of Engineers guidelines — non-compliant work can mean removal orders at the homeowner's expense. We handle the permitting process, and we've worked under these rules for decades.
An injured worker is your problem — unless they're insured
Uninsured injury claims on your property can land on you. On our jobs, that liability is ours — never yours.
Barge work is not general landscaping
Placing tons of granite from the water takes marine equipment and crews who run it daily. Marine construction is all we've done since 1988.
A cheap install fails at the slope, not the stone
Rock dumped on an ungraded bank slides into the lake within a few seasons. Grading to 2:1 before placement is our standard, not an upgrade.
Is Your Bank Losing Ground?
From full shoreline cleanups to graded, hand-finished granite, our crews protect banks across Lake Lanier — starting with a walk of your property and a free estimate.
Request an EstimateOr call (770) 531-7735 · See all Lake Lanier services