Building a DIY floating dock is no easy task. If you have ever worked on a big project such as this, you might enjoy the challenge. However, if this is your first time, don’t be discouraged by the problems you expect to face during the project. I, myself, thought that perhaps I should quit, but the sight of my boat with no dock to latch on kept me going.
Since I am pretty handy with a drill and saw, I knew that I would be able to assemble my masterpiece in a short time. Of course, I did get help from other boater friends, which allowed me to complete this project in 4 days rather than a week.
So, I won’t be taking much more of your time. Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of building a dock:
Tools Needed
- A nail gun
- Socket ratchet
- Tape measure
- Writing utensil
- Saw
- Square
- Drill
Hardware Needed
- 4 inside corners
- 6 angles
- 9 dock floats
- SS 3/8 x ½ lag bolts and washers (110)
- 5lbs to 10lbs nails
Wood
- (2x8x12”) 2 side stringers
- (2x6x10”) 2 end stringers
- (2x6x12”) 4 cross stringers
- (2x6x10”) 7 float supports
- (2x8x10”) 20 decking boards
Steps to Building Your Dock
Step #1 Make the Frame
- Dock Length: 10×12”
- Cut the lumber in the appropriate size
- Make the frame using the end and side stringers
- Place the cross stringer 2ft from the center. These will act as the support beams
- To secure the frame, use a nail gain instead of a hammer as your aim needs to be precise
- Place the corners in every corner and then center them vertically
- To tighten the lag bolts, use the socket wrench and then pull them into the corner. You will need eight lag bolts per corner.
Step #2 Position the Dock Floats
- The result after step one should be the support boards placed vertically to the stringers. You should space them evenly with 3 support boards.
- Secure the boards with the nail gun
- Turn over the floats and place them flat side down. This will put the flange against the frame.
- Attach the floats with the socket ratchet to the boards using the lag bolts. You will have to use four lags for each float.
Step #3 Decking
- Using the lag bolts, secure the angles with a socket wrench
- Screw your deck board on the frame
- If you see any uneven edges, trim them with a saw
- Finally, secure the platform to a sturdy structure
And this is how I built my dock! The most difficult part of the process was spacing the support boards. Thanks to my friend who has built numerous DIY floating docks, I could easily do it.
If you want an even easier process, choose the EZ Dock DIY kits. Have more questions? EZ Dock Texas can help. Contact us today.
