So far, the coastal structures which have been described can be characterized as hard solutions: they interfere directly in the erosion process itself. Beach nourishment is a soft solution. Sand is brought from elsewhere to the beach (see Fig. 90 and Fig. 91), either from offshore or from a nearby accreting beach. The method has none of the negative (erosion) effects on downdrift beaches which occur near many of the hard solutions. Moreover, the method is in harmony with nature, provided the imported sand is similar to the original beach material. Yet nourishment does not stop erosion. It only reduces the consequences of erosion. Therefore, nourishment must be repeated after a few years.

Beach nourishment can be classified into three types:
Direct placement: the sand is directly placed where it is needed (see Fig. 90).
Stockpile nourishment (see Fig. 92 and Fig. 99 through Fig. 101): the sand is placed on a limited part of the beach which is to be restored (inshore or foreshore and backshore). The activities of waves and currents distribute the sand slowly in the long shore direction.
Continuous nourishment: sand is more or less continuously brought on the beach. This is a common solution in the case of interruption of the long shore transport, for example near breakwaters. It can be done with a "by-pass" system.