Dock Inspections

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Buying a new house on Lake Wylie? STOP NOW!

The permitting process can be confusing, even for someone like myself who files them weekly. Don't assume that just because your neighbors have beautiful docks that you can build one too. I've meet several clients over the years that could not build what they wanted, or inherited a previous home owners non-confirming, not permitted dock that had to be torn down. Now is the time to get that figured out - let us help you navigate the discovery process.

Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to schedule your dock inspection.

Dock & Marina Inspections Lake Wylie

One of the most enjoyable parts of living on Lake Wylie is the ability to have easy access to the water year round. This means there are thousands of single family docks and several marinas to enjoy boating. Many of the docks and marinas on Lake Wylie have begun to age to the point where they are in need of major reconstruction, and in the event of high winds and storms they may suffer significant damage. To repair a dock after a storm requires major demolition and often faces higher costs due to the increase in workload for the contractors. It is for this reason a property owner or marina owner should understand the condition of their docking facility.

What Do We Look at When We Assess a Dock?

Most Lake Wylie docks are built using wood piles, structural members, and some flavor of wood or composite decking. The structural members typically include wood girders that support the floor joists that run along the axis of the dock to support the decking. The girders are typically connected to the piles with galvanized thru-bolts. The connections for each element have the ability to corrode over time and may result in failure of the dock prior to the wood aging beyond it's design life and vice versa. Additionally, the piles are subject to rotting over time. Many piles will begin to show these signs either at the mudline or at the average waterline. This is why it is very important that the company you enlist to inspect your dock structure does a complete inspection.

Permit Ownership Transfers

When you purchase a property with a dock already in place you should look for a white metal tag that has a number on it. This simply means you have a dock that has been tagged by Duke Energy. Some older docks will Duke Power and more recents ones will say Duke Energy. The dock needs to tranferred in your name. This is an application mailed in to Duke Energy that will start the process of having a lake representative come out to check to be sure the structure matches what they have on file. This is also a great to know whether all structures and additions have been permitted. It's best not to assume everything was permitted. You can be forced to remove that beautiful patio or boat if it is non-compliant and/or was not permitted. Permit ownership transfers cost $350.00.

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