November 3, 2026
Holding the line in Galveston County
Conch Shell Construction LLC is a Galveston County marine contractor that has kept its schedule full for nearly 10 years, mostly through word of mouth. Founded by Coast Guard veteran Chad Post, the crew builds bulkheads, docks, boathouses, and boat lifts for waterfront homeowners across the county. We caught up with Chad and his crew on a bulkhead job in Texas City.
Key takeaways
- A Coast Guard veteran’s love of the water, now in its 10th year as a business.
- A small crew by choice, built around people and their families.
- The best moments come when a family’s waterfront finally feels like home.
- What makes a Galveston County marine contractor worth recommending: past clients talking to the people around them.
- Trust travels: a barge trucked to a ranch pond in Brenham.
- Eight to nine years with Building Products Plus.
Who is behind Conch Shell Construction?
Chad Post grew up in South Florida, joined the U.S. Coast Guard, and moved to Texas, settling in Bayou Vista. He served 11 years and loved the water the whole time. The career path was another story.
So he put a plan together. Chad ran the business for about a year and a half while on active duty, then moved to the Coast Guard Reserve and kept growing it. He leaves the reserves in January 2027.
That love of the water never clocks out. Even relaxing on a boat on his day off, Chad can look at a dock and tell you whether it needs repair and what it will take. It’s the eye you want from a Galveston County marine contractor.
How does a small crew bring that much care to every job?
Chad runs Conch Shell as a small, family-style business built on good people. The bulkhead and pile-driving crew runs three to five independent contractors, with longtime framing and concrete partners. Staying small is a choice for this Galveston County marine contractor: it means better service for every client.
His goal is to keep anyone who wants to be there, and to back anyone who decides to pursue another career or path in life. Chad sees every person on the crew as someone with a family at home and dreams of their own. That respect comes back on the job site. When people know their goals matter, they bring their own pride to the work, and the homeowner feels it.
That care shows in the details. Chad jokes that the crew’s head contractor (Dustin Aldridge) sometimes overthinks things, and that habit is exactly what gives clients great service.
In Texas City, the crew was recovering soil the tides had washed out to reuse as backfill. The head contractor dug up a car steering wheel, then pointed out the perk office workers envy: water views every day.
What do waterfront homeowners care about most?
It depends on the client and the property. About 75% of Conch Shell’s work is for homeowners, plus HOAs and marinas. A homeowner whose house sits close to a failing bulkhead wants it protected. Someone with a new boat wants a boathouse ready for the grandkids.
“So everyone's different, and you just kinda have to help, you know, make that end goal for them.”
Budgets follow the same logic. Some clients are building for the rest of their lives, others for a weekend getaway they may sell in five years. For a Galveston County marine contractor, no two waterfront lots are the same, so Chad builds around each family’s goals.
When does a waterfront project start to feel like home?
Usually in the middle of the mess. Early on, a bulkhead job is mud mounds and chaos. Then comes one good day of progress.
“That picture starts coming together, and they're able to start viewing that vision that they had, and that's kinda when they start getting excited.”
Chad’s favorite jobs include steep yards. Raise the bulkhead, level the yard, and the grandkids can kick a soccer ball without it rolling into the water. That’s the part of being a Galveston County marine contractor that stays with him: helping build a place a family is happy to call home.
What makes a Galveston County marine contractor worth recommending?
Care, and the peace of mind that comes with it. With no marketing department and no major ads, Conch Shell stays booked year-round. Most of its business comes from word of mouth.
Even social media inquiries usually trace back to someone Conch Shell has already built for. Chad is quick to say there are many great marine installers out there. A Galveston County marine contractor earns this kind of loyalty one finished job at a time, and Chad doesn’t take it for granted.
How far will a word-of-mouth crew travel?
Most of the work for this Galveston County marine contractor stays in Galveston County, with some projects in Brazoria and Harris counties. When a client is set on working with them, though, distance becomes a detail. For a private ranch pond in Brenham, the crew trailered their barge up, launched it with a track hoe, and set the poles.
The job took four days, and the crew stayed in a camper on the lake. Chad calls it a little vacation.
Another pond project in Jersey Village came in as a referral. Chad credits the comfort level clients build with a contractor they trust.
What is it like working with Building Products Plus?
Conch Shell has worked with Building Products Plus for eight or nine years. American Pole & Timber is part of the Building Products Plus group of businesses, and the relationship goes beyond marine construction materials, from company parties to new delivery methods and products like SnapJacket® piling repair and Tidewall vinyl sheet piling.
Chad also appreciates Owen and Dorian, and credits his sales contact, Amanda Kimmey, with making things happen.
“We continue to look forward to many, many more years with Building Products Plus.”
What does Chad do when he’s not working?
His first answer: “Work is the hobby.” On days off, Chad fishes and is getting his kids into fishing, and sailing.
“We're trying to explore those avenues and watch my kids grow. So that's my other hobby. Or my main hobby.”
Advice from the field
“We take pride and care in what we're doing and making sure that homeowners and clients are getting what they request or what they look forward to.”
For homeowners, that’s the standard worth hiring for. A crew that takes pride in the work catches the details before they become problems. A Galveston County marine contractor who cares about your end goal builds for the way your family actually uses the water.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Galveston County marine contractor build?
A Galveston County marine contractor builds and repairs the structures where waterfront property meets the water: bulkheads, docks, boathouses, and boat lifts, along with pile driving and riprap. Conch Shell handles all of these.
What areas does Conch Shell Construction serve?
As a Galveston County marine contractor, Conch Shell works mainly in Galveston County, with some projects in Brazoria and Harris counties. The crew has traveled as far as Brenham for the right project.
How do I choose a marine contractor for my waterfront property?
A good Galveston County marine contractor asks what you want the space to do, from protecting your home to giving the grandkids room to play. Then talk to neighbors who have hired them.
Sources and references
- Conch Shell Construction LLC (conchshellconstruction.com)
- U.S. Coast Guard Reserve (reserve.uscg.mil)
Building or repairing a bulkhead, dock, or boathouse? Contractors and homeowners, give us a call. We ask the right questions to get you the right materials for your specific application.
(800) 716-0636 | AmericanPoleAndTimber.com
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