8 Questions to Ask Your Dock Builder

Commercial & Residential Docks in California

Associated Pacific Constructors provides comprehensive marine contracting solutions to both commercial and residential clients throughout Southern California. We deliver turnkey dock solutions, handling the entire process in-house from start to finish, including the initial design and planning phase, the pursuit and acquisition of all necessary local, state, and federal permits, and finally, total project execution. When searching for a dock builder in Greater Los Angeles, you should take the time to ask these eight questions. Associated Pacific is confident that we offer the best all-around and comprehensive marine construction solutions, especially when you ask us these important questions regarding dock building services.

What is Their Contractor Experience?

Your dock builder, or any contractor, should have extensive experience with similar projects to the one you propose. Always make it a point to ask about the experience that your contractor has in the field, and don’t be afraid to ask for references. Associated Pacific Constructors has over forty years of experience in marine contracting solutions, successfully completing projects that fill out the entire spectrum of this category of construction. 

How Easy is Communication?

Reliable dock project planners, designers, and builders should be easy to get in contact with. It should never take a company a week to return your phone calls! When you come to Associated Pacific for your dock building solution, you’ll be given multiple means of communication with your project managers, and you’ll never be left in the dark as to the progress of your dock project.

Are There Warranties in Place?

You should always ask your dock builder about what warranties are offered on their work. When warranties are part of the business, they should certainly be part of the contract. Warranties can be openly discussed early on in the process and may be able to help cover the cost of service visits that are required in the period of time following dock construction and installation.

How Long Will My Dock Last?

You should never hesitate to ask about the quality of work that should be expected from your dock construction project. Ask how the proposed dock project will endure the anticipated wear and tear, as well as what considerations dock designers have considered to accommodate for local weather and waterway requirements. The presence of any extreme weather, traffic, or other significant factors should always be taken into account by your dock builder in the design phase.

What Materials Will Be Used in the Dock Construction?

The quality of materials used in any build lends itself to the quality of the finished product. Always ask your dock builder about their preferred building materials, and explain to you why they use them. If your dock builder uses a specific manufacturer, you can also do some of your own homework on the company and decide if you trust their products as much as your dock builder does. Associated Pacific uses a proprietary dock system called Bluewater, an aluminum dock system, which you can read more about here.

What’s a Realistic Timeline For Dock Construction?

When you get to the point where you’d like to start scheduling your dock build, it’s always prudent to ask about your builder’s expected timeline for the project. There shouldn’t be much room for ambiguity regarding a start date — contractors that properly manage their projects should be able to provide an accurate estimation of the project start date, and how long of duration the project should be expected to last. There should be some aspect of timeline expectations laid out in the contract you take part in with your dock builder.

What Measures Are Taken to Protect Property?

Before the dock building project can get to the stage where construction is taking place, you should inquire as to what measures your dock builder will take to protect your property. For both residential and commercial projects, builders that are worth their salt can lay out a proper plan for equipment access and operation in such a way that your property is minimally impacted by the construction process, or that a plan is put in place to accommodate for the necessary equipment and construction crew.

How Likely Are Changes?

While it’s not common for big changes to occur during a properly planned out dock build, unforeseen circumstances do arise from time to time. Your dock builder should be very transparent about the process that is used when changes to a design are necessary, especially when such changes could impact the cost of the project. Before any changes happen, those design alterations should be explicitly communicated prior to any action taking place. 

When you ask these questions to your dock builder, you’ll be on your way to having a great professional relationship. The clarity that comes with these answers will make it much less likely that setbacks will occur, and that your dock build project will be a success from start to finish. To get started on your commercial or residential dock build, contact Associated Pacific Constructors today! You’ll be in prompt communication with one of our friendly marine construction experts, who will gladly answer these and any other questions you may have. We look forward to working with you!