Nothing is more important for the enjoyment of your lakefront home than the dock – whether you use it simply to tie up your boat or as a sort of extra patio for sunning, lounging and entertaining. The ideal dock should be comfortable, stable and as close as possible to maintenance-free.
Looking to create your dream dock in these days when every purchase needs to be budget conscious? Pilot talked with Casey Nicholls of The Master’s Construction Co. in Ft. Mill and Charlie McEwen of Lakeside Marine Construction in Belmont to gather some money-saving tips for your project.
Unless you’re starting from scratch on a new dock, says Nicholls, think carefully about the one you have. How well does it work for the way you want to use your waterfront? “For example, if you live on a busy cove and you have kids, for safety reasons you may need to re-think a floating dock.” But if what you have is basically what you need – just not large enough or in need of a facelift – you can save significantly by simply freshening up or adding on to your existing dock. “Look at 
the skeleton, especially the poles,” says Nicholls. “If they’ve been there more than 20 years they probably need replacing, but it’s possible you can replace just a few and keep the existing frame.”
If decking boards have weathered but are still sound, and if they’re screwed on instead of nailed, a contractor can remove the screws and flip the boards, saving on both materials and labor. “We did this recently at Tega Cay Marina, and it looks like new,” says Nicholls. Or you can update your dock and lower your maintenance time by switching to synthetic decking. Keep in mind, though, that this will also require adding joists, since synthetic requires them at every 12 inches instead of every 24 as with wood. If you need more space and your dock is basically sound, add another section or two and wrap everything with new skirt board to blend old and new sections.
Starting from the beginning with a new dock? Nicholls suggests you work with your contractor to design your dream dock, then build it in stages. “It’s best to have the whole design on paper, and then you can spread the cost over several years,” he says. When you finish with all stages, you’ll have a unified design rather than a series of add-ons.
“Take your time and think ahead,” says McEwen. “What’s the biggest boat you can imagine yourself owning? Build your slip this size from the beginning. Will you need a place to put future Jet Ski lifts so you don’t have to use the ‘company’ side of the dock for that? If you entertain a lot, how many boats do you need to be able to park at your dock? Would it be smart to have at least one section of floating dock so it will be reachable during a drought? Put these things in your ultimate plan so you don’t have to tear out and re-do something later.”
Materials are a major factor, of course, and here both builders agree. Even though pressure-treated wood is cheaper, you’ll probably be happier with synthetic decking. Both favor the Azek brand, made entirely of PVC, which costs about 30 percent more than wood. “They don’t make pressure-treated wood the way they used to, and it will dry out and splinter a lot sooner,” says McEwen. “Also, you’re 
going to have to stain it immediately – and again about every year. That’s a lot of maintenance that most people don’t want to do.” To save significantly, however, McEwen says you can use pressure-treated wood for handrail structures and balusters, using PVC for just the top rail. Or, in a pinch, simply use rope for handrails. “Don’t cheap out on materials,” he advises. “Keep your ultimate goal in mind and build what you want, even if it takes two or three years.”
Another way to save? Start now. With the slow economy, contractors are offering great prices, and your dollars may go farther than they would next year.