Restoring the beach better than it was.
Erosion doesn't wait. Maine Coastal Protection designs and carries out beach restoration projects that replenish sand, stabilize shorelines, and return coastal beaches to the condition they deserve naturally, and built to last through what comes next.
Request a Free EstimateFragile by nature. Resilient by design.
Maine's coastal beaches are among the most dynamic and vulnerable environments on the eastern seaboard. Tidal energy, storm surge, seasonal ice, and the slow persistence of longshore drift work continuously to move sand, undercut dunes, and narrow the beach year by year. Left unaddressed, what starts as gradual loss accelerates and what was once a generous beach becomes a thin strip of exposed cobble, or disappears entirely.
Beach restoration is the work of returning a shoreline to ecological and structural health — replenishing what's been lost, stabilizing what remains, and putting in place the conditions for natural recovery to continue. Maine Coastal Protection has been doing this work on Maine's coast for decades, with a deep understanding of how these systems behave, what they need to stabilize, and how to intervene in a way that works with the shoreline rather than against it.
From the waterline to the dune line.
Every beach restoration project begins with understanding how the shoreline is moving, what's driving the loss, and what combination of methods will deliver lasting results for that specific site.
Sand Replenishment
Where beach sand has been lost to erosion or storm events, we source and place compatible sand material to restore beach profile and width. Sand selection is matched to the existing beach composition and the hydrodynamic conditions of the site — so what goes in stays in, rather than migrating with the next significant wave event.
Shoreline Stabilization
Replenishment alone isn't always enough. Where erosion is driven by specific vulnerabilities in the shoreline's structure, we install stabilization measures such as breakwaters or strategic rock placement that interrupt the processes causing loss and give the restored beach the conditions it needs to hold.
Native Shoreline Plantings
Vegetation is one of the most effective tools in beach and dune stabilization. We select and install native coastal plant species that bind the substrate, reduce wind and wave erosion, and restore the ecological character of the shoreline. See the Plantings page for the full scope of what we install and why.
Why property owners trust Maine Coastal Protection with their shoreline.
We Understand How Maine Beaches Move
Beach restoration requires fluency in coastal geomorphology — how sand moves, how dunes build and breach, how storm events reshape a shoreline and what it looks like when recovery is and isn't happening. We've spent forty years developing that understanding on this specific coastline, and it informs every project we design.
Ecology First, Structure Second
The most durable beach restorations work with the natural system, not against it. We design restoration plans that prioritize ecological function — native vegetation, compatible sand, habitat-sensitive installation methods — because a beach that's ecologically healthy is also a beach that holds.
Permitting Handled In-House
Coastal restoration projects involve a layered regulatory process that can stall a project for months if it isn't managed properly. Because our permitting team is in-house and experienced with Maine's coastal regulatory framework, we handle that process as a standard part of every project scope.
Long-Term Thinking
A beach restoration isn't finished the day the sand is placed. We design for how the site will continue to evolve — accounting for seasonal variation, storm exposure, and the long-term trajectory of the shoreline. The goal isn't a beach that looks restored. It's a beach that performs restored, season after season.
Getting started is simple.
Getting started with Maine Coastal Protection is simple. Here's what to expect.
Shoreline Assessment
We begin with a detailed assessment of the beach — current profile, erosion patterns, sediment composition, wave exposure, and the ecological condition of the dune system if present. This gives us the baseline we need to design a restoration that addresses what's actually happening on the site.
Restoration Plan & Permitting
We develop a restoration plan tailored to the site conditions and manage all required permitting in parallel — local, state, and federal as applicable. The plan is designed to satisfy both the ecological requirements of the site and the regulatory requirements of the applicable agencies.
Restoration & Installation
Our crew carries out all phases of the restoration — sand placement, structural installation, dune reconstruction, and planting — with our own equipment and operators. We work carefully to minimize disturbance to the surrounding habitat and leave the site in better condition than we found it.
Monitoring & Follow-Up
Beach restoration is an ongoing process. We follow up after the initial work to assess how the site is responding, address any areas that need additional attention, and advise on long-term stewardship so the investment made in restoration holds for the years ahead.
Watching your beach disappear year after year?
The sooner a restoration is planned and permitted, the more options there are for addressing it effectively. Reach out to Maine Coastal Protection and we'll assess your shoreline, walk through what restoration looks like for your property, and put together a clear picture of the path forward.