Frequently Asked Questions

HomeAdvisor's national guide puts the average dock at about $15,000, with most projects between roughly $4,000 and $26,000, and piling docks at $20 to $40 per square foot. Canal docks here often add a lift, electrical work, engineering and county and city permit fees. Your written estimate is the price.

Yes. Broward County requires a license before any work in, on, over or under its waters, and that includes repairs. Most cities, Pompano Beach included, also require a building permit, and state or federal reviews may apply depending on size and location.

Under section 151.05 of the city code, new seawalls and walls being substantially repaired must reach at least 5 feet NAVD88 and no more than 5 feet 10 inches NAVD88. An existing lower wall can stay until it is substantially repaired, it leaks tide water onto neighbors, or attached work crosses the 50 percent cost threshold in the code.

On most Pompano Beach canals with a seawall, a fixed dock on pilings is the usual choice. It holds a lift, stays put in storms and is easy to step onto from the wall. Floating docks suit spots with deep water and big water level swings, and they cost about $15 to $35 per square foot in HomeAdvisor's guide.

It depends mostly on the pilings and fasteners. Marine-rated treated pilings, stainless or hot-dip galvanized hardware and good drainage under the boards stretch the life of a dock. Composite decking on sound framing removes the boards from the rot equation.

Sometimes. If the panels and tiebacks are sound, a new, taller cap can lift the top of the wall. The city limits a cap to 36 inches seaward of the existing face and needs engineered plans, so the engineer decides whether the wall can carry it.

Broward County says its general license usually takes 7 to 10 days. Bigger projects need a regular license, and state, federal and city reviews follow. We give you a realistic timeline after we know the scope.

It depends on the canal width, your frontage and the agency rules. Broward County's streamlined license covers new private docks up to 500 square feet of over-water area; bigger docks need a regular license. The city reviews setbacks and reach into the waterway. We check all of it for your lot.

Approvals usually take longer than construction. Once permits are in hand, a typical residential dock is built in a matter of weeks, with weather and piling work setting the pace.

Sometimes, if they are solid below the waterline and in the right places for the new layout. We probe and inspect them at the visit and price reuse and replacement separately.

It can. Pompano Beach's code says attached work costing more than half the value of your shoreline's seawall triggers raising a wall below 5 feet NAVD88. We check the elevation before quoting.

Choose capacity from the boat's loaded weight, including engines, fuel, batteries and gear, plus a safety margin. Beam and hull shape matter too, so the cradle supports the boat evenly.

Only if the wall and cap are sound. An elevator lift loads the wall directly. If the wall is cracked, leaning or low, a four-post lift on its own pilings is often the better choice.

Expect a Broward County license for the work in the water, a city building permit and an electrical permit for the motor. Some cities also ask for sealed shop drawings.

The frame often outlasts the moving parts. Cables, motors and gearboxes wear first in salt air, and replacing them on schedule keeps the lift working much longer.

Many owners do, with the boat raised, plugs out, canvas removed and the hull tied to the lift. Check with your insurer, since some policies set conditions for named storms.

New walls and walls being substantially repaired must reach at least 5 feet NAVD88 and may not exceed 5 feet 10 inches NAVD88, under section 151.05 of the city code.

Not automatically. A lower wall must be raised when it is substantially repaired, when attached work passes the code's 50 percent cost threshold, or when it lets tide water onto neighboring property and is cited.

It is the North American Vertical Datum of 1988, the reference surveyors use for elevations. The city's seawall heights are measured from it, not from the water level or your yard.

Usually, within limits. The city allows the new face up to 12 inches beyond the old one unless the City Engineer approves more, and the county's general license covers up to one foot waterward.

HomeGuide's national guide lists non-structural repairs at $100 to $250 per linear foot and replacement at $150 to $600. Your estimate depends on the wall's condition and how much it needs to rise.

In Broward County, yes. The county requires a license before any work over its waters, including repairs, and your city may require a building permit as well.

Look at the waterline at low tide. Pilings that have narrowed, feel soft when probed, or wobble when you push on the dock need a closer look.

If the framing and pilings are sound, yes. New boards on a failing frame will not last, so we check underneath before quoting.

HomeAdvisor's national guide lists piling replacement at $300 to $1,600 each, piling repair at $200 to $700 and deck boards at $4 to $35 per square foot. Your price depends on what we find.

Residential davits range from a few hundred pounds to several thousand. Heavier or longer boats belong on a boat lift.

If the cap is sound concrete, usually. Cracked or spalling caps should be repaired first, and we check before recommending a mount.

Manual davits are simpler and cheaper for light boats. Electric ones make daily use easier and need a wiring permit.

Broward County requires a license for work over its waters, electric models need an electrical permit, and your city may require a building permit.

Often, if the framing is sound and joists are close enough together. We check and add joists or make repairs first when needed.

It can, especially darker colors in full sun. Lighter colors and textured boards stay more comfortable.

Bob Vila's guide lists composite boards at $5 to $12 per square foot for materials and $5 to $15 for labor on simple layouts. Framing repairs add to that.

Textured composite boards are designed for grip, but any surface can get slick with algae. Regular cleaning helps.