In most cases, the best time to build a dock on a conventional lake is late spring. However, the best time to start planning is now, whenever “now” happens to be.
If you're reading this in the late fall or the winter, you're actually in the perfect time of year to plan this project in depth. When the weather is too cold to be building outside, or the lake or pond is frozen over, it's worth taking a bit of extra time to figure out what you're actually going to deploy.
Most docking guides open with things like how to space your stringers and how deep to set your posts. That information is helpful, but by the time you're placing lumber, you've already made almost every expensive decision.
In reality, the biggest part of the job is deciding what you’ll do and in what order before downloading any plans or buying materials.
Begin with permissions
Start with permissions. Many boat owners want to be proactive and just get on with building their dock, but if you don't have the right permissions, you won't be able to proceed, and you could wind up wasting money.
First, note that if your nearby lake is named after a dam, it's almost certainly a federal reservoir, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permits. If a hydroelectric power company created the lake, the utility usually controls it.
Docks on natural lakes and rivers require further exploration with your state's Department of Natural Resources or the environmental agency responsible for the land. Find out whether the water is legally navigable and whether there's a lake association or a county building department that has its own rules regarding usage of the water.
In essence, you'll need to ask two questions:
- Is the water navigable?
- Who issues the dock permit?
Usually, you can get both answers in a single phone call from the state's waterway agency or a county assessor's office. Once you know who has authority over the piece of water where you want to build your dock, you can consult relevant documents regarding things like:
- How far your dock can extend from the water's edge
- How close you can build to property lines
- What materials you're allowed to use
You should be able to find detailed information regarding this from authorities, or even as PDFs online. Don't assume your dock will be ready in a few weeks. Often, the permitting process takes months, and most marine contractors budget about 120 days for residential permits. Meaning that if you apply in January, you should be able to start building in May.
How to decide which plan you need
Once you know your permitting limits, consider the design phase. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before doing anything else:
How deep is the water and what is the bottom made of?
Knowing how deep the water is and what the bottom of the lake is made of tells you which type of dock solution will work best for you. Firm sand and gravel hold posts well, which is great if you’re looking at conventional solutions. But if the bottom is soft silt and muck, then you'll need another solution: for example, one of our roll-in docks or roller ramps.
What happens during winter?
When considering your plan, ask yourself what will happen during winter. Ice doesn't push on docks gently. The forces it exerts can be extremely strong, so you need something that can withstand its expansion or something that you remove from the water before temperatures drop in late fall or early winter.
What are you building it for?
You should also ask what you're building your dock for. Many people skip this question, but it's worth considering in detail.
If you just want a dock to walk out, tie up, and swim from, DIY solutions are relatively simple. But if you want to be able to put a boat out of the water, then a regular dock probably isn’t the right solution, and you'll need something more sophisticated.
How much does the water level move?
Finally, think about how much the water level is likely to move during the year.. Lakes with 2-foot seasonal swings are very different from reservoirs where water levels can plummet by 10 to 20 feet, depending on usage and rainfall throughout the year.
Fixed structures generally assume stability, so if you expect water levels to fluctuate a lot, you may require something that offers floating capability.
Floating vs. stationary: which dock option is best for you?
Now we come to the crux of the matter when it comes to dock plans: the choice between a stationary and a floating dock.
Stationary Docs
Stationary docks are rigid and stable underfoot, but require the most DIY to install. You'll need to build the crib piling or posts, which drive into the water and support the dock structure above. Importantly, you'll need to check that the bottom of the lake is firm enough to support the dock.
You'll also need to make sure water levels remain stable throughout the year and that you have moderate, shallow to moderate depth. Deeper depths usually aren't suitable because you'll need to build the structure into the water.
Floating Docks
Floating docks are the other option. They ride on drums or foam floats and rise and fall with water levels throughout the year.
The downside is that you'll need to provide the floating dock with a proper anchoring system. Something must hold it in place to prevent your boat or dock from floating off. Many systems have an anchoring system and a hinged gangway to the shore, but these can be underspecified. Because of this, you'll need a solution that's more robust than you might think.
Furthermore, you need somewhere to store a floating dock before ice arrives, like a hut or a shed. Try not to leave it on the water over winter.
As a cautionary note, take care when downloading dock plans online. Plans are generic and have been shown to work in a controlled environment, but shorelines are not and often change with seasons. This means that plans cannot tell you whether a specific dock design or model will stay in place permanently. Treat any dock design you download with a grain of salt
Build a bill of materials
If you're planning to build a dock, you need a bill of materials. This document lists the items required to complete the DIY construction.
Here's a rundown of the common components you'll require:
Framed lumber
You'll need pressure-treated lumber for anything that you build. The wood you use should be rated as suitable for being partially buried near the waterline or sitting on the shore. It should have a full ground-contact rating and come with copper-based treatments like MCA and CA, which perform well in shoreline environments. Let the boards acclimate and dry before final assembly. This waiting period prevents them from shrinking away from fasteners after deployment.
Our guide to choosing wood for a DIY build covers this in more detail.
Hardware and fasteners
The best hardware and fasteners for DIY dock building are hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel options. These cost more than generic untreated hardware, but they last longer and save you time and money later.
Structural components
Lastly, you'll need some structural components. These include brackets, floats, anchors, cables, and chains, depending on the specific model you're building.
When should you buy a ramp kit?
You'll need a ramp kit in several situations. If your goal is to get your boat out of the water so it doesn't experience hull staining or algae residue, a roller ramp can do that directly. This is where going the DIY route can be a great idea.
ShoreDocker's Classic ramp systems are built for exactly the person reading a dock plan in February: the kit includes the engineered hardware—rollers, side braces, winch and strap, and assembly instructions—and you supply your own pressure-treated lumber. The Classic PWC / Jet Ski system is $399.99 with a 1,200 lb capacity; the Classic Medium Boat 2000 Series is $599.99; and the Classic Pontoon system is $999.99, both rated to 2,000 lbs. The PWC kit's suggested lumber is genuinely modest: pressure-treated 2" x 6" x 12', 2" x 4" x 20–36", and 4" x 4" x 8'.
If you don't want to use lumber entirely, then you can use our all-aluminum Roll-N-Go Premium range. This arrives complete, from $999 for the PwC system up to $2,349.99 for the 1500 series.
If you have any questions about which ramp suits your shoreline, call ShoreDocker at 866-876-5548.