Free tool 20+ years on the water 8 states served
Last updated: June 2026 — baseline pricing from real dock projects.
A dock is priced by deck area, your decking material, and whether you cover it, not per linear foot — so two docks the same length can cost very differently. Enter your walkway and platform dimensions, the water depth, and pick a roof (open, lean-to, gable or hip boathouse); this free calculator sizes the deck, adds the roof, and returns an all-in range — then lets you download a PDF estimate to keep. Just want the walkway straight out over the water? Use our pier cost calculator; for a walkway that runs along the shore, see our boardwalk cost calculator.
Quick answer: most freshwater docks run about $20–$130 per square foot of deck, all-in (deck, pilings and mobilization included), and a boathouse roof adds $28–$48 per square foot of covered area. Pressure-treated pine is the low-cost workhorse; composite is the popular low-maintenance choice; tropical hardwood and concrete are premium. Premium materials, a roof and deeper water sit at the higher end, and saltwater and brackish sites add a coastal adjustment.
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Dock pricing is driven by how much deck you build, the material you deck it with, and whether you cover it. The calculator above accounts for the big ones; here's what's behind the range:
| Decking material | Typical cost / SF | Best for | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $20–$45 | Budget freshwater & protected sites | 15–25 years |
| Marine composite | $40–$60 | Low-maintenance, splinter-free decks | 25–30+ years |
| Tropical hardwood (Ipe) | $80–$130 | Premium look, hardest wearing | 40+ years |
| Concrete deck | $50–$100 | Commercial & permanent high-load | 50+ years |
| Roof / cover | Cost / SF covered | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Open (no roof) | — | Sun decks, simple swim & fishing docks |
| Lean-to / flat | $28 | Budget shade over a slip or sitting area |
| Gable | $38 | Classic pitched boathouse, sheds rain & debris |
| Hip | $48 | Premium four-slope roof for wind-exposed sites |
Deck ranges are all-in (deck plus supporting pilings and mobilization) and match our published pier pricing; the roof rate is added per square foot of covered area. The calculator's live number sizes your deck, multiplies it by a depth-adjusted rate within the material's range, and adds the roof you choose — rather than a flat per-foot figure. Railings, boat lifts, lighting, utilities and benches are quoted separately after a site review. Switch the water type to Saltwater to add a coastal adjustment; tidal and brackish sites are confirmed after a site review.
Explore detailed pricing: dock construction & cost guide, pier cost, boardwalk cost, bulkhead cost, compare all our cost calculators, or browse our completed waterfront projects.
Honest answers about dock and boathouse pricing — what a dock costs per square foot, what a roof adds, how water depth changes the price, and what this estimate covers.
Most freshwater docks cost $20 to $130 per square foot of deck, all-in (deck, pilings and mobilization included). By material: pressure-treated pine $20–$45/SF, composite $40–$60/SF, tropical hardwood (Ipe) $80–$130/SF, and concrete $50–$100/SF. A covering boathouse roof adds $28–$48 per square foot of covered area. Enter your dimensions above for a build-specific range, or see local dock cost in Lake Conroe, Clear Lake and Galveston Bay.
A roof is priced per square foot of covered area: a lean-to / flat cover runs about $28/SF, a gable boathouse $38/SF, and a premium hip roof $48/SF. On a T-shape dock you can cover the whole dock or just the slip / platform, and the calculator adds only the covered area to your estimate.
This calculator prices fixed, piling-supported docks and boathouses — the most common build on Texas lakes and bays, where the deck sits on driven pilings. Floating docks ride on flotation with a different anchoring system and are priced separately; for those, see our dock construction & cost guide or contact us. Everything else here — deck area, decking material, roof/cover, water depth and saltwater — applies to your fixed dock or boathouse.
Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest decking at around $20–$45 per square foot all-in and is the workhorse choice for freshwater and protected sites. Composite costs more up front ($40–$60/SF) but is low-maintenance and splinter-free with a 25–30+ year deck life, so it often delivers better long-term value than repeatedly re-decking with pine.
Yes. Deeper water needs longer, heavier pilings driven further, so deeper sites sit toward the higher end of each material's range. The quoted per-SF range already covers typical piling depth — shallow protected coves land near the low end, deep open water near the high end — and your exact figure is confirmed at a site review.
The range covers the deck, the supporting pilings, the roof/cover where selected, and mobilization. It excludes railings, boat lifts, lighting, water and power runs and benches, which are quoted separately because they depend on your design. Final pricing also depends on shoreline access, barge needs, soil and permits, so your firm price follows a site review — estimates are reviewed by Roman Ross, Marine Construction Estimator at Shore Protect Construction.
Yes. Saltwater, brackish and tidal sites need corrosion-resistant materials and heavier hardware, so coastal docks cost more than the freshwater baseline. Switch the water type to “Saltwater” and the calculator adds a coastal adjustment to the freshwater baseline; your final coastal price is confirmed after a site review.
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