Guide · The Shoreline
Shorelines, erosion and permits on Lake Erie
Lake Erie erodes its shore continuously, and recent high water, seiches and shrinking winter ice have made it worse. Understanding how erosion works, and what you can and cannot build on the water, is the difference between a smart lakefront buy and an expensive surprise.
Last updated September 2026.
By John C. Froelich, CAI, AARE, AMM · Realtor and Auctioneer.
Why Lake Erie erodes so fast
The lake is the shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes, and its shore is battered by storm waves and seiches, a rapid rise in water level that can shift the shoreline feet at a time. Where winter ice used to buffer the shore, a shrinking ice cover now leaves the bluff exposed to open-water waves.
What erosion means for value
Bluff and beach loss lowers property value and can threaten structures. Erosion is generally not covered by standard homeowner or flood insurance, so a shoreline inspection before closing is the single most valuable step you can take.
Permits: the law in Ohio
Ohio requires a Shore Structure Permit from ODNR before building any seawall, bulkhead, stone revetment, groin, dock, pier or jetty, under ORC 1506.40. Applications need plans from a professional engineer, and federal Army Corps approval is often required in navigable water.
Nature-based shorelines first
ODNR recommends nature-based shoreline approaches wherever feasible over hard armor. An engineered, permitted solution protects the shore and the lake better than an unpermitted wall, and it holds up when the lake runs high.
What it costs
Bluff homeowners can face hundreds of thousands of dollars in erosion and armoring work, and the exact number depends on bluff height, wave exposure and engineering. Get a coastal engineer's estimate before you negotiate, not after.
How to protect a shoreline home
Buy an inspected property with permitted, well-maintained structures. Keep records of every permit and repair. If you are buying an older shoreline home, verify the seawall is not only sound but legally permitted before you commit.
Start here
For anything you build on or near the water, contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management before you start. For the address-level flood and permit picture, check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the ODNR coastal pages linked in the resources section.
Ohio DNR CoastalRelated guide
The Lakefront Buyer's Checklist
Where the shoreline inspection fits in the buying process.
Reach the curator
Ask about a specific shoreline
Not sure how to read a bluff or a seawall? Send John the details and get an honest read.