New Dock Construction in Sarasota, FL

New dock construction in Sarasota begins with a tape, a sounding pole and the permit rules, long before lumber is ordered. The questions are simple: how deep is the water where the boat will sit at a winter low, how far out does the dock need to go to reach it, and is there seagrass, oyster bottom or mangrove in the way? The answers decide the length, the height and whether the permit is a short form or a longer review.

Parts of a fixed dock

• Pilings: round timber pilings treated for marine use, set into the bottom and cut to height
• Frame: stringers and cross beams bolted through the pilings, sized for the span
• Decking: pressure-treated pine, tropical hardwood or composite boards
• Walkway and platform: a narrow access walk out to a wider terminal platform where you board and tie up
• Extras: ladders, cleats, bumpers, lights, water, a fish cleaning table, a bench or a roof over the slip

Layout rules that shape the dock

FDEP's guidance for single-family docks in aquatic preserves sets a walkway no wider than 4 feet and a terminal platform of 160 square feet, a dock that ends no deeper than -4 feet mean low water, and a length capped at 20 percent of the waterway's width or 500 feet, whichever is less. If the water is already 4 feet deep at the seawall, the dock length is limited to 25 feet. Activities must stay at least 25 feet inside the riparian lines with neighbors, with a 10-foot minimum for docks that run parallel to the wall. Outside aquatic preserves the state exemption allows up to 1,000 square feet of over-water area, roofs and boat canopies included. Inside the City of Sarasota, deck height is limited to 5.0 feet above mean high water and railings to 42 inches.

Get a Free Estimate

Canal lots and open bay lots

On a canal, the dock is usually short and runs parallel to the seawall or out a little way, and the limit is often the width of the canal and the neighbor's side. Open bay frontage on Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay or Little Sarasota Bay is the opposite: shallow water can run a long way out, and seagrass beds are common. In the City, a new dock or extension in open bay water needs a signed and sealed bathymetric survey with the dock drawn on top of it, and the City can ask for a riparian rights survey as well.

Choosing decking

Pressure-treated pine is the lowest first cost and is easy to replace a board at a time. Tropical hardwoods are dense and handle sun well but cost more to buy. Composite and PVC boards resist rot and splinters, though they get hot in direct sun and need closer joist spacing. Over seagrass in aquatic preserves, FDEP's criteria limit boards to 8 inches wide with at least half an inch between them so light reaches the bottom, and that rule applies whatever the material.

Building it

Pilings go in first, set to the depth the plans call for, then the frame is bolted on and checked for level before decking starts. Electrical for lights and a lift is run by an electrician to the dock's panel or disconnect. The building department inspects according to the permit, and you get a copy of the final approval for your records and for any future sale of the house.