Not every old dock needs to be torn down
Here's something most dock companies won't tell you: a surprising number of "worn out" docks don't need replacement. They need a proper restoration — new decking over sound framing, a few pilings sistered or replaced, fresh hardware, and suddenly a dock that looked done has another decade in it. We do full rebuilds too, and we'll tell you straight when that's the right call. But we start every repair visit asking "what can we save?" because that's usually the best deal for you.
Tampa Bay is rough on docks, so there's no shortage of repair work. Sun-baked deck boards cup and split. Salt air eats through cheap fasteners until boards work loose. Marine borers hollow out pilings from the inside. Storms snap rails and twist frames. The good news: most of this damage is local. Fix the bad parts properly and the good parts keep serving.
What we repair
Decking is the most common job — pulling weathered boards and redecking with pressure-treated wood, composite, or PVC. It's the fastest visual transformation in dock work; a redecked dock looks and feels new underfoot even when the structure below is original. We also replace stringers and joists when the framing is soft, re-fasten entire decks where the original builder used the wrong screws, and rebuild rails, benches, and stairs.
Pilings are the structural heart. We replace rotted or borer-damaged pilings one at a time, working around your dock so you don't lose the whole structure during the repair. Where a piling is marginal but not shot, we sister it — bolting a new piling alongside to carry the load. We also repair or replace cross-bracing, which is what keeps a dock from racking sideways in wind and waves.
Hardware and accessories round it out: cleats, ladders, bumpers, fish-cleaning stations, lighting, and the roof structure if you have a covered dock. Small stuff, but it's the difference between a dock you use and a dock you avoid.
Repair or replace? Our honest test
We run every old dock through the same three questions. First: are the pilings sound? If most pilings are solid and only a few need work, repair is on the table. If pilings are failing across the whole footprint, you're rebuilding the structure anyway — patching the deck on top is lipstick. Second: is the framing straight and true? A dock that's badly racked or settled unevenly usually needs more than spot fixes. Third: what does the math say? If the repair estimate creeps past half the cost of new, new usually wins — you get a full lifespan and a warranty instead of a patchwork.
We'll walk you through all three on site, show you what we're seeing, and give you both numbers when it's close. No pressure either way — our job is to give you the information, not to steer you to the bigger ticket.
Storm and wake damage
After every big storm, our phones ring with the same stories: sections of decking peeled up, rails snapped, pilings shifted, lifts twisted on their mounts. We do emergency shoring first — stabilizing what's still standing so it doesn't get worse — then a full assessment and a repair plan. We also document everything with photos, which your insurance company will want to see. (More on our storm damage dock repair page.)
Our process
We start with a thorough inspection — above the deck, below it, and at the waterline where most damage hides. We check every piling by sounding and probing, test the framing for soft spots, and look at how the dock is tied to the seawall or shore. Then you get a written estimate that separates "must fix now" from "watch and plan for." We schedule the work, usually completing repairs in a few days to two weeks depending on scope, and we haul away all the old material. You get a dock that's solid, safe, and documented.
Every project is different — contact us for a free written estimate.
Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form for a free on-site estimate.