Sizing first. Get the capacity class and the cradle right and the rest of the lift decision is easy — get it wrong and you will feel it every time the boat comes up.
The spine of this page
Dry weight is a brochure number. Size from the boat as it actually sits: dry weight plus fuel, water, batteries, gear, and any hardtop, tower or arch. Then add margin, because nobody's boat gets lighter over the years, and round up to the next standard class.
Beam and hull type set the cradle. A pontoon rides on full-length bunks under the tubes. A deep-V wants bunks angled to the deadrise and set to carry the hull at the stringers, not the strakes. A wide-beam tri-toon can need a wider cradle than the standard kit for its weight class, which is a spacing problem between pilings — measure the beam before you pick the lift, not after.
Manufacturers you will encounter as you shop: ShoreStation, Hewitt, HydroHoist, FLOE, IMM Quality and Golden Boat Lifts. Each covers a different slice of the capacity classes above.
Published figures vary widely because some quote equipment only and some quote installed turnkey jobs including pilings.
| Equipment only, common freestanding and pile-mounted lifts | roughly $2,000–$8,000 |
|---|---|
| Installed turnkey, 7,000–13,000 lb vertical lift on existing pilings | roughly $12,000–$16,000 |
| Installed turnkey, same lift with new pilings | roughly $16,000–$20,000 |
| Above 24,000 lb capacity | $25,000+ |
| Premium when new pilings are part of the job | roughly $4,000–$5,000 |
Source: HomeGuide (equipment), The Boat Lift Pros (installed)
These are market ranges for this kind of work on this lake, not our rates. Your quote depends on depth, access and scope — we price after we look at it.
Galvanized lift cable should be replaced about every two years; stainless lasts roughly twice as long, per Marine Construction Magazine. Cable does not usually fail all at once — it gives you warning if you look.
Failure signs worth acting on:
The rest of the repair list: motor and drive failures, worn bunks and cradle carpet, misaligned or seized sheaves, bent guide posts after a hard docking, and gearboxes that groan under a load the lift was never sized for. A lift that has started groaning on the way up is telling you something about either the cable or the capacity class.
Start with the boat's dry weight from the manufacturer, then add fuel at about 6 pounds per gallon, water, batteries, gear and any hardtop or tower. Then add margin and round up to the next capacity class. A 21-foot bowrider that lists at 3,400 pounds dry is usually a 4,000 pound lift once it is loaded, and a wakeboat with full ballast often needs 10,000 pounds or more.
Galvanized lift cable should be replaced about every two years, and stainless lasts roughly twice as long, per Marine Construction Magazine. Cable is the cheapest part on the lift and the one whose failure drops a boat. Inspect at the winch drum and at the sheaves, where wear concentrates.
Sometimes. It depends on piling condition at the waterline band, spacing versus the lift's beam requirement, and whether the framing can carry the point loads. We probe the pilings first. Adding new pilings typically carries roughly a $4,000 to $5,000 premium on the job, so knowing the answer early changes the budget.
Make, length, beam and whether it has a tower or hardtop. We'll tell you the capacity class you actually need and whether your pilings can carry it.
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