Some context before the answers. This lake is a working reservoir: Ameren owns the water, permits every dock, and drops the level about six feet each winter. Those three facts sit behind almost every question below, from why docks sink in spring to why your modification needs paperwork. The other recurring theme is electricity around water, which this lake treats with hard-earned seriousness. If your question is urgent and not listed, skip the reading and call.
When something is wrong right now
The neighbor says our dock is going down and we are three hours away. What do we do?
Call us with the mile marker and what the neighbor sees. If the neighbor can safely kill the dock breaker at the panel, that first. We can usually get eyes on it, send you photos, and stabilize with temporary flotation without you making the drive. Out-of-state owners are half this lake; remote is normal for us.
Someone felt a shock or tingle swimming near the dock. Who do we call?
Everyone out of the water immediately, away from the dock ladder. Kill the dock breaker. Then a licensed electrician, before anyone swims there again. This lake lost two children to dock electricity in 2012 and the fire districts now inspect powered docks for a reason. We fix dock structure; we do not touch wiring, and neither should anyone but an electrician.
The boat is stuck on a failing lift. Can I just drive it off?
If the lift is partially down and the boat floats free, slow and straight out is usually fine. If the boat is high, cocked, or the lift is moving on the dock, do not force it; a hull dropping onto a steel cradle corner is a fiberglass repair on top of a lift repair. Call and we talk it through before anything expensive happens.
A storm just moved our dock into the neighbor’s slip. Whose problem is it?
Insurance-wise, usually yours if your anchoring failed, but policies differ; photograph everything before anyone moves anything and call both insurers. Practically: the docks need to be separated before wakes grind them against each other. That part is us, and it is a same-week priority.
Planning, permits, and money
What does dock repair cost here?
Most repairs land $900 to $6,000. Floats $150 to $200 each, minor lift work $200 to $500, full replacement around $15,000. The cost guide has the full table and the factors that move the number. Written price before work starts, always.
Are you licensed for dock work?
Missouri has no dock-repair license, so nobody honest claims one. What exists on this lake: Ameren permits for the dock itself, fire-district electrical inspections for dock power, and insurance. The permit and inspection sides we work within every week. Ask any bidder how they handle those two things and you will learn who you are talking to.
When is the best time to schedule non-urgent dock work?
Fall, without question. The lake calms, the schedule opens, and prep or repair done in October goes into winter strong instead of coming out of winter broken. Spring is the busy season because of what winter does to unprepared docks; you can be on either side of that equation.
Do we need an Ameren permit for our repair?
Like-for-like repair of a permitted dock, normally no new paperwork. Footprint or structural changes, yes, before work starts, and only encapsulated flotation goes in the water. We flag which side of the line your job is on during the first call. Full breakdown: our Ameren dock permit guide.
Deeper detail: sinking docks · lifts · storm damage · winter prep · costs