New and Replacement Dock Materials

Design and Build of Custom Replacement Docks

 First of all, WE don’t choose the materials, as in “we” at Tampa Dock & Seawall.

WE choose the materials – you, our customers, and Tampa Dock pick the right materials for the project, for you budget and for what you want out of your waterfront home experience.

What we do here at Tampa Dock & Seawall is pick the menu for you to choose from.

And we do this by pre-selecting the brands, models and options that make the most sense. Here are some of the criteria we use:

• Reliability – especially on the mechanical side of a dock installation. How reliable is the product? What kind of reputation does the manufacturer have?
• Pricing – each of our customers have different wants, needs and requirements. It’s our job to vet products at different price ranges so we can offer you a GOOD choice at the right price
• Suitability – It’s great to have the best boat lift in the world, for example, but it doesn’t make sense to only offer a 20,000lb lift for a dock that will house a 14’ runabout and 2 kayaks!
• Longevity and Warranty – We can absolutely make a wood pile dock, with traditional pressure treated decking look great. But we ALWAYS recommend using composite materials vendors. They have a LONG warranty and require no maintenance.

 Here are a few of our favorite dock building materials and why we love them:

WearDeck Composite Decking Material

WearDeck Decking  is a LOCALLY manufactured product.

It’s made of HPDE (high density polyethylene– that’s  fiberglass reinforced.

You know what lasts just about forever? Fiberglass and Plastic! How long do you want your deck or dock to last? 

WearDeck products check off all the boxes: 

• Reliable manufacture and manufacturer. Jimmy Wear himself is involved and the company prides itself on consistency and deliverability.
• Pricing – this forever decking is definitely more expensive up front than treated lumber, but it’s still VERY cost effective in the long run
• Suitability – this stuff is perfect for the Tampa Bay waters. Mildew resistant, stain resistant and it will not rot.
• Longevity and Warranty – how does a LIFETIME guarantee sound?

EcoPiles from Shoreline Plastics

Just a slightly farther drive than WearDeck, EcoPiles are manufactured in Jacksonville and have become a staple in our dock designs.

These are an environmentally friendly substitute for traditional wood pilings. And we ALWAYS recommend them for the following reasons:

• Reliability – Wood pilings are always slightly different from one another. The milling is good, but the process isn’t perfect – and you never know what’s INSIDE a wood piling. EcoPiles are made from a patent pending vinyl+fiberglass combination that is MOLDED to the right shape. They’re the same size and quality every time.
• Pricing – like the decking, EcoPiles cost a bit more than wood piles. But have you seen what wood borers and ship worms are doing to pilings in the Tampa Bay area? It’s far cheaper to start with EcoPiles than to replace wood pilings.
• Suitability – There aren’t any jobs that these composite pilings aren’t suitable for… UNLESS you want a rustic, old looking dock.
• Longevity and Warranty – you might get 10 years out of a set of wood pilings. EcoPiles come with a 25 YEAR warranty. How’s that for backing a product.

How to Choose the right dock-building materials? 

These are just some of our favorites, and I think it’s pretty clear why we choose to offer them and work with these companies.

So when you’re looking for marine contractor or dock builder to work with in Tampa Bay – or anywhere – make sure they’re thinking ahead and offering QUALITY products like these.

Tampa DOCK and Seawall

There are examples of our work all through the photos page here and on Facebook if you’d care to look. But the best thing  you can do to get started on your replacement dock is getting started with us!

Just call or contact us here.