Dock Kit Calculator
Choose your dock size and we'll work out the hardware and flotation it takes, with current pricing.
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Floats are included and sized to the dock. We match flotation to the section size and to what's in stock, so exact float dimensions vary between shipments. Whatever ships is sized to carry the dock.
Lay the floats out before you fix your joists. Both the sides and the ends of every float need to bear on a frame member, so square the frame, set the floats underneath, and mark your joist positions from there.
Lumber isn't included. Frame in 2x8 or 2x6 pressure treated and deck it however you like — the hardware works with either.
Price shown doesn't include freight. Kits with floats ship LTL, delivered to residential addresses.
View the product pageNeed a size that isn't listed?
We fabricate our own hardware in Rochester, so odd dimensions are routine rather than a special order. Tell us the size you're after and how you'll use the dock, and we'll work out the parts list with you.
Call 585-266-7920Disclaimer. Quantities shown are provided as a general planning reference only. Dock Hardware disclaims any and all responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or functionality of the information above. Structural and flotation requirements vary with site conditions, loading, and local code. Verify permitting requirements before construction and consult a structural engineer where structural adequacy is in question.
Dock Kit Calculator — Find Your Floating Dock Size | Dock Hardware
Choosing a dock size
Most residential builds start at 4 feet by 16 feet. It's big enough to tie up a boat and fish from, and light enough that two people can handle it when it comes out in the fall. Go wider if you plan to put furniture on it or have several people out there at once.
Be honest about how you'll actually use it. People routinely build larger than they need, and every extra foot costs lumber, flotation, and freight.
Width
4 feet is a walkway and a fishing platform. 6 feet gives you room to set a chair out without blocking the path. 8 feet is a place to spend the afternoon — furniture, a group of people, a swim ladder and somewhere to leave your things.
Length
Length is usually set by how far out you need to reach for water depth. Sections connect end to end, so a longer run can be built from multiple sections rather than one large one — which is easier to handle seasonally and easier to repair if one section takes damage.
Shipping
Kits with floats ship LTL freight rather than parcel, because floats are bulky rather than heavy. We deliver direct to your location, residential addresses included. Freight runs roughly $299 to $659 depending on where you are, quoted separately from the kit price.
If you'd rather source flotation locally to avoid the freight, our Dock-in-a-Box kit is the steel hardware alone and ships parcel.
Custom sizes
The twelve sizes in the calculator are what we stock as kits, but they aren't a limit. We cut, punch, press, and weld in our own shop, so an odd dimension isn't a special order — it's a normal week. If your site needs a 5 by 18, or a wider section at one end, or hardware to match a frame you've already built, call and describe it.
Guides
- What a floating dock actually costs — the full budget including lumber and freight.
- How to build a floating dock — step by step assembly with drawings of every connection.
- How many floats a dock needs — flotation sizing and freeboard targets.
- Galvanized or 316 stainless — which your water calls for.