Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Building a dock for a new pond

We just found your site and we could use any tips or suggestions on building a dock on our new pond. Our contractor just finished our kidney shaped pond in NE Ohio which covers a 1/3 of an acre in our backyard. Once I figure out how to use this site, I can upload some pictures. He did a great job. He left a nice ridge over the 12 ft in order to construct a dock. What is the best material for posts? It seems there have been many suggestions on this site. Any tips before we head off to Lowes to purchase materials would be appreciated.

A random thought to make country folks smile...our teens were wondering when the contractors come back to fill the hole with water? Thank you for any assistance.

i used 6x6 treated post from lowes. Worked fine for me. Put them in 2 to 3 ft with cement.

We used 2" galvanized pipes for uprights on our pier, and a type of clamp that allowed us to use the same size pipe for horizontal pipes. We used 2"x10" on 24" centers for "joists". We had used 1" x 6" crossways for the decking, and replaced them about 10 years ago with plastic. That plastic is VERY slippery when wet and walking lengthwise rather than across the pieces. I'm going to use 2"x6" for my decking on my pier.

If your water level will fluctuate much, I'd look into a floating pier.

I used old telephone poles (cut to length) and backfiled with dry concrete mix (1/2 bag under and 1/2 bag around after setting each post). The posts were notched to ensure that they were locked in. I then added a floating dock connected with a gang plank. The foating dock is kept from racking with criss-crossed chains that run from the corners of the fixed dock to the corners of the floating dock. I used turnbuckles to tighten the chains.

RAH
I like it

looks good RAH . worked as a marine carpenter for a few years. pensacola area. lots of salt water and hurricanes. i've put in a lot of sea walls and docks and boat houses and lifts. i would love to answer any questions you have, i dont know if i could help. but i have done the work.

we used treated poles, put in with trash pump . tied in with treated 2 by 12's, and lagged on. that wont go anywhere. since we had to build for hurricanes. and storm surge. we would do different things to enable the deck to float away, so the structure would not be thrashed by the lift on the deck. and the wave action. after the storm, we would go down the beach and collect the wood , sometimes.