Dock builders in Bluffton, SC

Private docks, piers and floating docks

A Lowcountry dock is three things joined together: a walkway over the marsh, a pierhead at the creek, and usually a floating dock that rides the tide. We design and build all three as one structure.

A dock is the biggest thing most owners ever build over water, and the rules decide a lot of the design. So we start with what your lot is allowed, then draw the dock you want inside those lines.

• Walkways across the marsh to the first navigable creek
• Fixed pierheads, open or roofed where the permit allows
• Floating docks with a gangway
• Handrails, benches, ladders and cleats
• Power and water run to the pierhead
• A boat lift built in from the start, if you want one

Fixed or floating

A fixed dock gives you a solid deck that does not move. The catch is the tide. The step down to your boat changes all day, and at low water it can be a long way.

A floating dock rises and falls with the water, so the step to the boat stays the same. It needs enough depth to float at low tide, a gangway that is not too steep when the water is out, and pile guides that stand up to wake and current.

Most docks here use both: a fixed pierhead for sitting and fishing, and a float beside it for boarding. We measure the depth at low water before recommending either.

Call (854) 877-4915 for a free estimate.

Decking and pilings

Treated wood is the traditional deck. It is easy to fasten and you can replace one board at a time, but it checks and splinters as it ages. Capped composite stays smoother underfoot and needs its joists spaced to suit the product. Aluminum panels are light and suit gangways and some frames.

Treated timber pilings suit most private docks. Concrete and steel come in when the loads are higher or the bottom calls for it. We choose the pile for the mud at your site and what the dock has to carry, including a boat lift if one is planned.

How big your dock can be

South Carolina sets the size of a private dock by the width of the creek, measured between the marsh edges. These limits cover the pierhead and floats together. Walkways are generally limited to 4 feet wide.

• Creek under 10 feet wide: no dock
• Creek 10 to 20 feet wide: only in narrow cases, up to 50 square feet, no boat lift
• Creek 20 to 50 feet wide: up to 120 square feet
• Creek 51 to 150 feet wide: up to 160 square feet
• Creek wider than 150 feet: up to 600 square feet
• One dock per waterfront lot, as a rule
• A 20 foot setback from your extended property lines, as a rule

Call (854) 877-4915 for a free estimate.

What drives the cost of a new dock

No two docks cost the same, because no two lots reach the water the same way. We give you a free, itemized estimate once we have walked the route. The length of the walkway is usually the largest single item.

• Walkway length across the marsh
• Pierhead size, and whether it has a roof
• A floating dock and gangway
• Decking and piling materials
• Barge access and how the tide limits working hours
• Survey, drawings and permit fees

Dock permits and what to expect

A new dock needs a state critical area permit, a review by the Army Corps, and a local building permit from your town or the county. The state application needs stamped drawings and proof that you own or control the land.

Some neighborhoods also have a dock master plan that fixes where each lot's dock may go. We ask for it early, along with any old permits for the property.

We help you assemble the application and build only what the approved drawings show. Permit review, not construction, sets most of the schedule, so the sooner the paperwork starts, the sooner the piles go in.

Call (854) 877-4915 for a free estimate.

Looking after your dock

Rinse the deck and hardware with fresh water now and then, and keep the float's pile guides and gangway hinges moving freely. Once a year, look over the pilings at the waterline and check for loose fasteners. Small fixes done early keep the frame sound.