Major Factors in How to Build a Dock
Planning for your new dock is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Just because you hear that someone saved a ton of money by building their own custom dock does not mean that it would be best for your unique situation. Will you be the guy or gal who needs to cut your losses and hire a pro? Is a custom dock best for you? How do you build a dock for your specific application? Here are some preliminary considerations:
- Water Depth
- Water Fluctuation or Current
- Shoreline features
- Intended use – boats, swimming, etc.
- Fresh or salt water
- Soil type under water
- What has worked with neighbors
When to Build a Traditional Wooden Dock
Wooden docks can be super affordable but also super heavy and time consuming. Here are some instances where a Home Improvement project will be a good fit:
- Water depths up to 5ft
- Locations with space on shoreline
- All soil types except extra mucky
How to Build a Traditional Wooden Dock
- Choose your lumber.
- Treated lumber will last the longest, cedar is naturally rot resistant, and you can get tinted lumber that is also treated.
- The surface can be cedar, treated, trex, composite decking, plastic, or aluminum.
- Framing should be constructed of 2×6’s or greater for the strongest result and decking boards are best as 5/4×6 boards cut to the width of the dock, which is most commonly 4ft.
- Choose your hardware.
- Standard grade Zinc plated is not going to hold up so Stainless steel or at least galvanized hardware is best. Dissimilar metals in contact can cause corrosion.
- 3/8″ nuts, carriage bolts, washers and split washers will be required at every connection.
- Build out your frame.
- The key is to build frames you can move. 4x8ft or 4x10ft frames are ideal. Lay your frame on level and flat surface as close to the water as possible. The side touching the ground will be the top.
- You will need to add a center support beam running down the middle to support the span of your decking. Some decking has a 16″ span and others have a 24″ span.
- Keep corners square with a piece of 4×4. Measure each diagonal when complete to ensure it is still square.
- Predrill and run carriage bolts through the boards. Add diagonal cross beams or eye bolts with cables to provide cross structures.
- Add decking.
- Space decking boards across the top of your frame, leaving a 5/8″ gap.
- Screw boards to the frame on the outsides, and middle strut.
- Stain and Seal.
- Use a deck sealer for all unfinished woods. Stain first if desired. There are some deck sealers that are tinted and semi-transparent.
- Roll on sealer to the top and bottom of the boards – the bottom is critical to preserve the wood from splashing water.
- Treated, composite, and other premium surfaces do not need sealing.
- Add dock feet.
- Depth will determine the style of feet you should use. For the longest life, choose galvanized or aluminum dock supports. Some kits can be added to roll them out in the water to avoid heavy lifting.
- Bolt brackets in place with carriage bolts.
- Carry or roll the dock into the water. Loosen the set bolts on the brackets, lift or drop your dock to the right height, and tighten the set bolts again. Winches can be used to avoid the lifting.
When to Build a Floating Dock
Floating docks can eliminate the need to adjust your dock at all and can often be left in place year-round, but can be very difficult to move and anchor effectively. Since floating docks self-adjust, here are instances when building a floating dock will work for you:
- Swim platforms
- River applications and tidal waters
- Very muddy lake bottoms
How to Build a Floating Dock:
- Choose your lumber.
- Treated lumber will last the longest, cedar is naturally rot resistant, and you can get tinted lumber that is also treated.
- The surface can be cedar, treated, trex, composite decking, plastic, or aluminum.
- Framing should be constructed of 2×6’s or greater for the strongest result and decking boards are best as 5/4×6 boards cut to the width of the dock, which is most commonly 4ft, but a wide stance is best for floating docks, whether you have extra frames sticking out or a wider width.
- Choose your float.
- Barrels can be easy to source but require careful sealing with silicone and can be tricky to secure to your dock.
- Float drums are ideal for floating docks – they are flat and easy to secure and foam-filled to prevent failure.
- Secure drums with cables or with the frame itself. Secure drums with bolts.
- Build out your frame.
- The key is to build frames you can move. 4x8ft or 4x10ft frames are ideal, but if you have barrels, then you could consider a deeper frame. Lay your frame on level and flat surface as close to the water as possible. The side touching the ground will be the top.
- Run perpendicular 2×4’s about 16″ apart to cradle the floats and support the decking. Use two beams for each row of floats you desire.
- You will need to add a support 2×4 parallel to the length of the dock, running down the middle to support the span of your decking. Keep in mind some decking has a 16″ span and others have a 24″ span.
- Keep corners square with a piece of 4×4. Measure each diagonal when complete to ensure it is still square.
- Predrill and run carriage bolts through the boards. Add diagonal cross beams or eye bolts with cables to provide cross structures.
- Secure your Floats.
- Secure barrels with cable and eye bolts in the perpendicular joists. The joists should cradle the top of the float perfectly.
- Secure drums with bolts running down from the perpendicular joists.
- Add decking.
- Space decking boards across the top of your frame, leaving a 5/8″ gap.
- Screw boards to the frame on the outsides, and all perpendicular joists.
- Anchor your dock in place.
- For shallow water, use galvanized pipe brackets and augers to keep the dock in place. For deeper water, use 5 gallon buckets filled with concrete for anchoring systems. Secure chains to the frame.
- See recommendations for anchor patterns.
When to Consult the Pros
Hiring it out can be very beneficial when you want to save time and favor the best outcome from an engineering perspective but can tend to cost more. Here are some great applications when you should hire the dock out:
- When you as the builder are uncertain or very busy
- Ocean applications
- When neighbors haven’t seen anything else work successfully
Who to contact to help:
- Consult a local dock builder to pay someone who knows your application
- Consult a dock builder for sending you a complete kit.
Jack Docks is for anyone who wants to build their own dock or design their own dock and hire out the assembly and installation. Start off by designing a custom dock using the Custom Dock Tool or call them to discuss your unique situation. 877-845-9487. Overall Jack Docks saves hundreds of customers hundreds and thousands of dollars every season building their own dock. You don’t need any experience knowing how to build a dock! Many customers prefer to save the money, but hire someone to do the work – time is money. This is also a great way to save. Docks are supposed to get you to the lake. Whatever you do with your dock, they are’t supposed to take up all your time and savings!