Boat lifts and jet ski lifts on Lake Lanier

What the Corps allows

The 2004 Shoreline Management Plan names two kinds of hoist for a private slip: floating lifts, which must be attached to the dock's substructure, and suspended hoists, which hang from the dock and are allowed only with certified engineering drawings showing the dock and lift can carry your boat (SMP §15.3.6). Every lift goes inside the slip. The one exception is jet skis: up to two PWC lifts or drive-on ports that let the craft rest on the dock may sit outside the slip.

Slips on a Lanier dock can't add up to more than 20 ft wide by 28 ft long, and the Corps decides the longest boat your dock can safely moor from the dock's length and the site. A boat that creates blind spots or that the dock can't protect in a storm belongs at a marina (SMP §15.2). A lift doesn't change those limits, so measure the boat on its trailer, motor and swim platform included, before you shop. The full size table is on our dock rules page.

Lift types and what they cost

Prices from ShoreMaster (May 2024) and Fixr (Jan 2025), national, before installation. The PWC figure is our planning estimate. Your builder quotes the lift that fits your slip.

Why a moving lake favours floating lifts

Lanier fell to 1,050.79 ft in December 2007, about 20 ft under full pool (lakelanier.com). A lift standing on the lake bed in 8 ft of water would have been high and dry. The plan expects the dock itself to float or rest on the ground at all times, and lets owners move docks out to follow a falling shoreline as long as a third of the cove stays open (SMP §15.3.9, §15.5). A floating lift bolted to the dock goes where the dock goes. It may not, though, be used as a permanent hoist to move the dock itself. More on drought years in our lake levels guide.

Choosing and sizing a lift

• Weigh the real boat. Size the lift to the loaded weight: fuel, engines, batteries, ballast and gear, not the brochure's dry weight.
• Check the slip width. Air-chamber lifts take up room beside the hull; make sure the boat still clears the dock posts.
• Plan the power. Electric pumps and motors need GFI-protected service on a buried line.
• Think about the roof. A suspended hoist puts the boat's weight on the dock frame and roof, which is why the Corps wants an engineer's stamp.
• Ask about service. Seals, valves and cables wear; ask who maintains the lift and how fast they come out.

Getting it approved

A lift is part of your permitted dock, so adding one is a change to the dock. The Lake Lanier Association's guidance is to talk to your area ranger before any change, with plans (LLA). Bring the lift's spec sheet, where it sits in the slip and, for a suspended hoist, the engineering drawings. The wiring for the lift falls under the Corps' electrical standard; see our dock electrical guide. For a whole-dock budget including the lift, see the dock cost guide.

Common questions