Buying a Lake Lanier home with a dock

The rule in the plan

The Shoreline Management Plan is direct: permits are non-transferable and become null and void on sale or transfer of the property, or on the death of the permittee; new owners must notify the Operations Manager's office and apply for a new permit (SMP §15.1). Ranger Noe added that the Corps owns the permits, so a seller can't sell one, and anyone offering a permit for cash is running a scam (Q&A).

Before you make an offer

• Ask the seller for the current permit, its expiry date and the approved dock drawing.
• Check that the dock on the water matches that drawing: footprint, slip size, roof, deck.
• Look at the floats. Bare white foam, sinking corners or drums are a red flag and a cost.
• Have the electrical looked at: GFI protection, buried line, shielded lights.
• Check water depth at the slip end. The plan wants 6 ft at full pool.
• Ask your agent to make the purchase contingent on the dock issues you find.

After closing

1. Tell the Corps' Lanier office you're the new owner and apply for your permit.
2. Expect a ranger review of the dock and the shoreline, plus electrical recertification (SMP §15.3.10).
3. Fix anything flagged as unsafe: decking, rails, floats, roof.
4. Plan any upgrade (a lift, a sundeck, a new roof) with the ranger before a builder starts.

Selling just the dock

If you sell or give away a dock separately, the Lake Lanier Association says to get the buyer's name, address and dock permit number on a bill of sale and file the Corps transfer form, which asks for that permit number (LLA).

Common questions