Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national figures put a wood piling dock at $20 to $40 per square foot installed, or $4,000 to $20,000 for 200 to 500 square feet, and a dock with a boat lift at $5,000 to $38,000. Decking material, length out to deep enough water, a lift, a roof and electrical all move the number. Your written estimate is the price.

Yes. Inside the City of Sarasota, a dock goes through the building permit process, and a new or expanded dock needs an FDEP letter of exemption or permit with the application. Open-bay docks also need a sealed bathymetric survey. Larger projects can involve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Other towns and the county have their own departments, so we check yours first.

Florida's statutory exemption covers one private dock of up to 1,000 square feet of over-water area, or 500 square feet in Outstanding Florida Waters, and FDEP counts roofs and boat canopies in that total. Bigger docks need a state permit. Local codes can add height, length or setback limits on top of that.

Small. NOAA's Sarasota station lists a mean range of 1.25 feet and about 1.95 feet between mean higher high and mean lower low water. Because the swing is so small, depth at low water decides where a boat can sit and how far a dock has to reach.

Often, with design limits. In aquatic preserves, FDEP's criteria for seagrass areas call for the walkway to be 5 feet above mean high water, deck boards no wider than 8 inches spaced at least half an inch apart, and at least one foot of clearance between the boat and the grass at low water. Some sites call for a longer walkway to reach bare bottom.

If the pilings are sound, new boards, framing and hardware may be enough. Florida law exempts replacing or repairing a dock within 5 feet of the same location and no larger than before from an environmental permit, though a local building permit can still apply. Widespread piling rot or a failing seawall usually points to a rebuild.

HomeGuide gives 10 to 30 years for a wood piling dock. Pilings treated for marine use, protective wraps at the waterline, stainless or galvanized fasteners and keeping the boat on a lift all push toward the longer end.

HomeGuide's national range for a wood piling dock is $20 to $40 per square foot installed, about $4,000 to $20,000 for 200 to 500 square feet. A lift, a roof, composite decking or a long walkway to deeper water all add to it.

FDEP's aquatic preserve rules cap it at 20 percent of the waterway's width or 500 feet, whichever is less, and the dock should not go past -4 feet mean low water. Local codes can be stricter, so we check both.

For a new dock or extension in the open waters of Sarasota Bay inside the City, yes: a signed and sealed bathymetric survey. The City may also ask for a riparian rights survey. Canal docks often need less, depending on the jurisdiction.

Composite and PVC boards resist rot and insects; tropical hardwoods are dense and durable; treated pine costs least and is easiest to patch. The frame and pilings matter more than the boards for overall life.

HomeAdvisor lists $1,000 to $15,000 for a lift and HomeGuide $1,000 to $8,000. Large-capacity lifts, new pilings and electrical work push a Sarasota job toward or past the top of those ranges.

An elevator lift mounts on the seawall and suits canal lots with little room beside the boat. A four-post lift stands on its own pilings and works on open water and for heavier boats.

Usually. In the City of Sarasota, lifts and their electrical are shown on the dock permit drawings. State rules count lift roofs and canopies in over-water area. We check the rules for your address.

Cables, switches and bunks are routine fixes, and HomeAdvisor puts typical lift repairs at $175 to $500. Badly corroded beams or a failing motor and gearbox together usually make replacement the better choice.

HomeGuide puts non-structural repairs such as cap cracks, tiebacks and joint grouting at $100 to $250 per linear foot, and replacing damaged sections at $150 to $600 per linear foot.

Soil washing out through open joints, torn filter fabric or a gap under the wall. Tides and storm surge move water in and out and carry fine sand with it, leaving a void under the lawn.

Often. Florida law exempts restoring a seawall at its old location or within 18 inches waterward of it from an environmental permit. A local building permit is still typically needed.

It may look fine from the water and still have lost soil behind it. If you see new dips in the yard, cracks in the cap or panels out of line, have it inspected.

HomeAdvisor reports most dock repairs at $889 to $5,899. Small board and hardware fixes can be a few hundred dollars, while frame or piling work costs more.

Florida exempts repair or replacement within 5 feet of the same location and no larger than before from an environmental permit, but your city or county may still require a building permit. We check before work starts.

It costs more up front but resists rot and splinters and needs no staining. It also gets hot in sun and needs the frame to be in good shape with proper joist spacing.

Soft or borer-damaged pilings at several locations, a frame that is rotted throughout, or a failing seawall under the dock usually mean a rebuild is the better value.

HomeAdvisor lists $300 to $1,600 per piling replaced and HomeGuide $200 to $800 installed. Longer pilings, deeper water and tight access raise the cost.

HomeGuide gives 10 to 30 years for a wood piling dock. Borer activity, treatment, wraps and wear from boats all affect where yours falls.

Usually. A new piling is set beside the failed one and bolted to the frame, so the deck stays in place.

Plastic sleeves sealed around the piling at the waterline zone. They block borers from reaching the wood and are best put on sound pilings.

HomeGuide lists $15 to $35 per square foot installed, or $3,000 to $17,500 for 200 to 500 square feet. Modular systems run $30 to $45 per square foot.

For boats, a fixed dock is usually simpler. For kayaks, paddleboards, swimming and jet skis, a low floating platform is far easier to use than a deck several feet above the water.

It rises with the surge up to the top of its guide pilings or hinge reach. Above that it can break free, so piling height and removal plans matter.

State law exempts some floating platforms and lifts within set size limits, but local permits may still apply, and a floating section added to a new dock counts toward its total area.