Have the property address and parcel/TMS number
The parcel is the starting point for jurisdiction, prior records, Dock Master Plan context, and site-specific permit research.
Dock project readiness
Before You Call a Dock Builder
A better first conversation starts with the property, the permit history, and what you actually need the dock to do—not a guessed budget or a vague request for a quote.
12 project-readiness checksNo account requiredPrint or share with a homeowner / Realtor
Use it this way: Work through what you know, mark unknown items honestly, and send the same project facts to every serious pro so proposals are easier to compare.
Planning a new dock →Property
Bring the site facts first
A dock contractor can give a more useful first response when the property, existing authorization, and basic site constraints are known.
Know whether this is a new dock, repair, replacement, or expansion
Those are different project and permit lanes. Do not describe a reconstruction as a small repair if the scope is actually larger.
Find the existing dock permit if there is a structure today
The permit can show what was approved and help separate maintenance, reconstruction, amendment, and new-work questions.
Check whether a Dock Master Plan may apply
A development-level Dock Master Plan can affect dock corridors and future dock review. A conceptual DMP is guidance, not a permit guarantee.
SCDES Dock Master Plans ↗Project brief
Describe what you actually need the dock to do
Contractors should price the same intended outcome, not eight different interpretations of a vague request.
List the primary uses
Examples: walking access, fishing, sitting, kayak/SUP access, boat access, lift, utilities, roof, storage, or shared use.
Bring boat details if vessel access matters
Record make/model/year, beam, loaded operating weight when available, and whether you expect a larger boat soon.
Take safe wide and close photos
Photograph the shoreline, creek, existing dock, neighboring structures, access route, and any visible damage. Photos help define the first conversation but do not replace survey or agency review.
Note obvious construction-access constraints
Gate width, landscaping, walls, staging area, road access, marsh edge, neighboring property, or likely barge access can all affect execution.
Proposal
Ask who owns each part of the project
A low bid is hard to compare when survey, drawings, permits, electrical work, demolition, or restoration are excluded differently.
Ask who provides survey and professional drawings
SCDES minor-permit applications require professional drawings prepared, signed, and stamped by an appropriately licensed South Carolina professional.
SCDES Minor Activities ↗Ask who manages state, federal, local, and HOA approvals
Get the responsibility in writing. One approval does not automatically satisfy every other layer.
Request a written scope with major material assumptions
Clarify pilings, framing, decking, floats, lift, utilities, roof, demolition, disposal, restoration, exclusions, and allowances.
Ask how changes are priced and approved
Permit comments and field conditions can alter scope. Know the change-order process before work begins.
When the checklist surfaces a real project
Turn the checklist into a structured dock project.
Describe the property and what you want to accomplish. Shoreline can organize the project details before matching.
Tell Shoreline what I need →Primary sources
Use the official source for the final answer.
SCDESDock Master PlansDevelopment-level dock planning and future dock review contextSCDESMinor ActivitiesCurrent application requirements for private dock and related minor coastal work
Sources reviewed September 13, 2026. Requirements can change and site-specific decisions belong to the responsible agency or qualified professional.