Know the parcel.
Know the shoreline rights.

Does owning a lake lot include the land to the water?

Read the actual title and survey. Alabama Power’s guidelines list fee ownership to 510 feet MSL and a flood easement to 522 feet MSL. Those guideline contours are not a substitute for a parcel-specific title review, and the visible waterline moves.

Ask a qualified surveyor or attorney to resolve unclear boundaries or recorded rights. A neighbor’s landscaping or a real-estate map cannot establish your permitted work area.

Smith Lake residential shoreline guidelines · July 2025 · NOAA · Survey datum questions

Which county records should you request?

Use the county parcel number to confirm the record owner, county and tax-map location. Revenue maps are useful for finding records; they are not boundary surveys. Ask the relevant office where to obtain recorded deeds and plats.

Cullman County lists its Revenue Commissioner at 256-775-4776. Winston County lists 205-489-5166. For Walker parcels, start with county records and distinguish unincorporated property from Jasper city jurisdiction.

Cullman County · Cullman Contacts · Winston County Circuit Clerk · Winston Contacts · Walker County · Walker Engineering

What should buyers ask about an existing dock or wall?

• The current permit tag and named permittee.
• The approved sketch and any later changes.
• Outstanding compliance or close-out questions.
• The process for updating permission after a sale.
• Recorded access, utility, scenic or flood easements.
• Subdivision or association approvals that remain separate.

Do not assume permission transfers automatically or that an old structure is compliant because it appears in listing photos. Ask Alabama Power to explain the current process for the property.

Smith Lake residential shoreline guidelines · July 2025