What Happens to the Pacifica Pier After the Pile Driving Stops?

A large crane needs three to five days to move into Sharp Park. Pacifica scheduled that move to begin October 21, and the pile driving that follows was set to start Monday, October 26. By the time this post publishes on Thursday, October 29, the pile driving should be in its first week if the schedule held. The city calls this the "stabilization phase" of the Municipal Pier Emergency Investigation and Stabilization Project, and expects it to last about 120 calendar days. Counted from the start of pile driving, that runs into late February 2027.

The emergency work is meant to stop the abutment from moving and to protect Beach Boulevard and its utilities. Whether the pier is later rehabilitated, replaced or removed is a separate decision with no schedule and no price yet.

The Next Four Months at Sharp Park

Here is what the city's October 15, 2026 press release says to expect.

The contractor is Power Engineering Construction Co. of Alameda, a marine builder that has done major work on this same pier before. The city sent an emergency request for proposals to three marine construction firms on July 14, 2026. Power's was the only proposal received, on July 29. When a whole specialty field sends one bid, the city has little room to negotiate on price or timing. That helps explain why the costs below are still open.

The Order of the Work Shows What It's Protecting

The August 24, 2026 City Council staff report puts the steps in order, and the order tells you the priorities.

1. Boulders first. As a stopgap, the city placed about 300 boulders, roughly 900 tons, around the abutment.
2. Shoring under the first span. "Phase 2: Pier Shoring" adds a temporary pile-and-beam system to hold up the landside end of the first span at Bent B. That reduces the risk of more movement and gives crews safe access.
3. A wall for the road. "Phase 1A" puts a King Pile COMBI wall around the abutment approach to protect Beach Boulevard and its utilities. It also adds piles for a working platform so engineers can study the abutment further.
4. Possible abutment removal. The emergency agreement allows the abutment to be removed, but only after engineers confirm that removal won't destabilize the pier or nearby infrastructure. Shoreline protection could follow.

None of these steps puts an angler back on the deck. The press release says the measures are meant to stabilize the pier, protect public safety and safeguard "Beach Boulevard and adjacent public infrastructure while the City evaluates longer-term repair options." The staff report adds that the final scope of any repair, further stabilization or removal depends on field conditions, engineering, regulatory requirements and the timing of winter storms. The pile driving falls right in storm season, and that is part of why the scope is still open.

The Pier Was Shrinking Long Before June

The June 4 closure was the latest step in five years of the public losing access to more of the pier.

• January 2021: A handrail collapsed and the pier extension closed. According to the city's 2023 condition assessment, it stayed closed from then on.
• Winter 2023–24: After the storms, the city reopened part of the main pier behind a fence at Bent J. The offshore end and the extension stayed off-limits.
• April 2024: An engineering review found worse storm damage at Bent R and exposed, corroded reinforcing steel. It recommended keeping people off the offshore main pier and the extension until repairs were made.
• June 4, 2026: Staff saw cracking, separation and displacement in the concrete walkway and structural elements near the abutment, and the city closed the whole pier.
• June 9, 2026: The abutment kept settling, so the Chit Chat Cafe was demolished because it risked falling into the ocean. The public restrooms beside it were also removed after the closure.

For years the damage was out at the far end and could be fenced off. In June it reached the landside end, where the pier meets Beach Boulevard. That shift is why the emergency plan works almost entirely at that end, shoring the first span and then walling off the road. The city's emergency proclamation record says a preliminary assessment found extensive damage that likely calls for major reconstruction of the abutment.

The Dollar Figures So Far Are Estimates

Several numbers have been reported since June, and none of them is a contract price.

The Mercury News reported on June 15, 2026 that the 2023 assessment put pier repairs at $11 million. With design and project management added, the full project estimate came to close to $20 million. Coastside News reported an early total damage estimate of $64 million: $3 million for emergency repairs and more than $60 million for further repairs. That total includes the $20 million in storm repairs identified earlier. The same report quotes the city manager as saying the cafe and restroom amenities would not be replaced.

By August 24, the staff report still gave no final price for the emergency work. It said costs depend on investigations, field conditions, permits, sequencing and scope, and that each phase's cost would be refined and brought back to the council. The October release doesn't list a cost either.

Who pays is also unsettled. The city owns and operates the pier and the public infrastructure next to it. It is seeking insurance reimbursement plus state and federal disaster aid through Cal OES, under the California Disaster Assistance Act, and through FEMA. The property insurer approved the full scope of the agreement, but the city says reimbursement is not guaranteed. NBC Bay Area reported in June 2026 that Pacifica's shoreline and pier resilience work had been fast-tracked for a FEMA BRIC grant of about $50 million. That program was ended and later reinstated through litigation, and there is no timeline for any money to reach Pacifica.

Where the Fishing Goes for Now

The city's pier page says no fishing license was required at the Pacifica Municipal Pier and admission was free. It also notes that summer is when many anglers consider salmon and striped bass fishing best. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife applies that same free-fishing rule to any public pier in ocean or bay waters. Its definition covers piers "connected to the shoreline" that allow "free, unrestricted public access" and were built or function "for the primary purpose of fishing." All other fishing regulations still apply, and CDFW notes that owners can close piers at any time. Two piers within reach of Pacifica appear on CDFW's list without a closure note and are listed as open by the agencies that run them:

• The Pillar Point Harbor Fishing Pier. CDFW lists it by that name. The San Mateo County Harbor District's Pillar Point Harbor page shows "ALL ACTIVITIES OPEN," including the Fishing Pier and Johnson Pier.
• Torpedo Wharf at Fort Point. The Presidio's Torpedo Wharf page calls it a popular fishing spot where fishing and crabbing are allowed.

CDFW's pier list currently marks the San Francisco Municipal Wharf, known as the Muni Pier, as closed. These rules can change, so check CDFW before you go. This section is general information, not legal advice.

You can still have a good morning near the work zone without the pier. Peter Bogdanov's Giant Pacific Octopus mural covers the Sharp Park Pump Station on Montecito Avenue. On his studio's site, Bogdanov wrote that he finished it the Friday evening before Fog Fest. Montecito is also one of the streets losing parking, so walking there works better than driving. Mori Point, the National Park Service site just south of Sharp Park, has accessible parking, trails, a boardwalk and restrooms, according to an NPS page updated September 29, 2026.

For updates on detours, after-hours work and the next phase, the city posts announcements at cityofpacifica.org/pier, and the Public Works Engineering Division can be reached at (650) 738-3767. The long-term plan to rehabilitate, replace or remove the pier will begin only after the stabilization work ends.

Big public projects like this one shape everyday life in Sharp Park, and they come up when homeowners near Beach Boulevard plan their next move. If you'd like to talk through how the pier work might affect your street, or you want a free Coastside home valuation, Matt Aragoni is happy to schedule a consultation.