Buying a Lakefront Home? Use This Dock Inspection Checklist Before Closing

The dock isn’t in the home inspection. Most general inspectors don’t walk it, don’t score it, and don’t comment on it. On Old Hickory or Percy Priest, that’s a problem — because the dock is one of the most expensive elements of the property you’re buying.

A lakefront home is two purchases: the house, and the structure on the water. A standard home inspection covers the first one well. The dock and shoreline routinely go uninspected — which is how buyers end up with surprise repairs, surprise permit issues, and surprise rebuilds in the first year of ownership.

Use this checklist (or hand it to a lakefront specialist for a proper pre-purchase inspection).

Structural

• Walk every deck board. Soft, splintering, or visibly cupped?
• Check framing under the deck for rot, splits, or rust streaks
• Inspect pilings at the waterline — cracks, sleeves, or visible damage?
• Verify floats are riding evenly and have full freeboard
• Examine gangway hinges, fasteners, and clearance at low pool
• Look for any visible sag, twist, or out-of-square in the structure

Hardware

• Cleats — tight, no rust streaking, properly through-bolted
• Brackets and connectors — no failing welds, no extreme corrosion
• Anchor system — cables tensioned, chains intact, pile guides operating freely
• Ladders and swim platform attachments — secure, no soft mounting points

Boat Lift (if applicable)

• Confirm lift is operational under load
• Inspect cables for fraying, kinks, or corrosion
• Check bunks or cradle for cracks and proper fit to the seller’s boat
• Note motor brand, age, and any service history if available
• Verify the lift is rated appropriately for any boat you plan to own

Electrical

• Identify the dock’s electrical source and panel
• Test every GFCI — trip and reset
• Inspect outlets, covers, and any visible junction boxes
• Note any fish lights, low-voltage lighting, or smart control systems
• Look for amateur wiring, exposed connections, or weather damage

Permits

• Request copies of the current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shoreline use permit
• Confirm the dock as built matches what’s permitted — size, configuration, location
• Verify any seawall, riprap, or shoreline work was permitted
• Check that the permit will transfer to your name and what that process requires
• Note any pending compliance issues, vegetation citations, or unauthorized modifications

Shoreline

• Look for active erosion — exposed tree roots, undermined banks, scour at the water line
• Inspect any seawall for cracks, settling, weep holes, or tie-back failures
• Inspect riprap for displaced stone or exposed fabric
• Note vegetation management within the Corps easement

Documentation to Request

• Original Corps shoreline use permit and any amendments
• Build documentation from the contractor who built the dock
• Service records on the boat lift and any electrical work
• Any prior dock inspection reports
• Survey showing property lines extended to the water

What “Failing” Looks Like

Some of these items are minor — a soft deck board, a worn ladder. Others are deal points. A dock that doesn’t match its permit, an unpermitted seawall, an electrical system that hasn’t passed inspection in a decade, or a structure that’s clearly past its useful life are all worth real money in the closing conversation.

When to Bring in a Specialist

If the home is at the top of your budget or the dock is a major part of why you’re buying, a specialized pre-purchase dock inspection is worth it. We’ll walk the structure, scope the issues, and give you a written report you can use in negotiation — before you find out at the first hard freeze.