1. Dock type
2. Decking
3. Accessories
4. Site access
Estimated installed range
Excludes permitting, which is a separate cost and a separate timeline. On a permanent structure it is frequently the longest part of the project — check which path applies.
Turn This Into a Written QuoteWhat Actually Moves the Number
Dock type, by a wide margin
The span from seasonal pipe to permanent pile is roughly fourfold per square foot. Choosing the structure the site actually needs — rather than the most substantial one available — is the single biggest cost decision, and on sheltered water the cheaper answer is frequently the correct one.
Size, which people over-specify
Length is driven by how far out you reach usable depth, not by ambition. On steep frontage like Newfound you reach depth quickly and a long dock is wasted structure. Every extra foot is also more surface for ice to work against through a winter.
Decking
A real spread, and the trade-offs are not only financial. Composite is low-maintenance but genuinely hot underfoot in August. Aluminium costs the most and is the lightest to handle — which matters more than it looks on a dock that two people carry up the bank every October.
Access
A drive-up site and an island are different jobs with the same drawings. Barge work adds mobilisation cost and, more significantly, weather risk to the schedule.
Permitting, separately
Not included above and not trivial. A seasonal notification is a modest process; a full wetlands application for a permanent structure is months and real expense. Start in autumn for the following summer.