How to Build a Dock

Co-authored by Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: June 29, 2021 References

Building a dock to a lake can be an attractive additional as well as a functional one. Once you determine how long you want your dock to be, you can be well on your way to enjoying your customized creation.^{[1]
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Research source} Constructing a dock yourself can be an overwhelming task, but you can learn how to build a dock step-by-step by carefully following a few steps.

Steps

1
Gather all the supplies you will need to build a dock. The list of items can be found at the bottom of this article in the "Things You'll Need" section.
2
Visit the area of the water where you plan to build your dock, and bring your supplies with you. Get as close to the water as you can to build it because once it is complete, it will be very heavy and difficult to move.

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3
Make a square with your 8-foot (2.4 m) long 2-by-8 pieces, and screw them together. Keep 2 sides of the square on the inside so that you construct a perfect 8-foot-by-8-foot (2.54-by-2.54 m) square. Place your 4-by-4-inch (10-by-10 cm) pieces inside each corner to ensure 4 perfect right angles. Don't screw in the pieces yet in case you need to make adjustments.^{[2]
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4
Prepare your barrels. Make sure all plugs are tightened, and apply a layer of silicone caulking over and around the plug to prevent leaks.^{[3]
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5
Add supports to the basic frame you constructed. Measure, and find the middle of the square. When you have found the center, place an 8-foot (2.4 m) long 2-by-4 support there.
6
Place 4 of your pieces parallel to the center support piece. Lay a barrel on its side on top of the support pieces. Shift them left or right accordingly until a barrel can sit between 2 boards without touching the ground but still can grip the curve in the barrel. Mark that point, and screw in the 4 boards. Do this for both sides.^{[4]
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7
Create a perpendicular layer of supports above the layer you just constructed. Place the barrels on the bottom supports and measure where they end. Place a top layer of 2 of your 8-foot (2.4 m) long 2-by-4 perpendicular supports here. Screw them in securely.
8
Screw in the 4-by-4-inch (10-by-10 cm) pieces for a more secure hold. Attach L braces at each of the support intersections.
9
Place eye hooks on the bottom support layer where the barrels sit. Put 2 on each side of each barrel. Lay down all 4 of your barrels between the supports that have eye hooks, and tie down the barrels with rope. Tie a knot to the eye hook on the end, string the rope across the barrel to the eye hook next to it on the other side, lace it diagonally to the opposite eye hook, across again, and finally to the last eye hook. Tie a final knot to secure the rope against the barrel. Repeat for the remaining 3 barrels.
10
Flip over your partially constructed dock.
11
With the help of 1 or 2 other people, carry your dock to the edge of the water and temporarily tie it to something so that it doesn't float away while you finish working on it.
12
Make the top deck layer of your dock. Lay out your 8-foot (2.4 m) long, 1-by-6 pieces, and make sure they sit nicely with a little space between each board. Avoid having ends hanging over the edge. Hammer the boards at both ends into the support layer. It should be stable enough to stand on.^{[5]
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13
Push your new dock completely out into the water. You can adjust how far out in to the water it goes by increasing or decreasing the length of the rope you tied it down with.

Community Q&A

Question

What does it mean if the article says two eye hooks per barrel, but the picture shows three per barrel?

Jason Lafferty

Community Answer

Always put an extra one for good measure.
Question

Why can't the barrels on a dock touch the grass?

Jason Lafferty

Community Answer

If the barrels touch they will corrode.
Question

What size steel posts should I use?

Jason Lafferty

Community Answer

It depends on the size of the dock.