Sizes
| Item | Rule | SMP section |
|---|---|---|
| Overall footprint | Max 32 × 32 ft, including any deck | 15.3.1 |
| Smallest dock | 18 × 24 ft with a 10 × 20 slip | 15.3.1 |
| Slips (all together) | Max 20 ft wide × 28 ft long | 15.3.1 |
| Attached platform or deck | Max 192 sq ft | 15.3.1 |
| Walkways on the dock | 4–6 ft wide | 15.3.3 |
| Approach walkway | 4–6 ft wide, 16–40 ft long; can't lead to the roof | 15.3.3 |
| Storage box | Max 8 × 4 × 2.5 ft; water gear only | 15.3.7 |
| Water depth | 6 ft at the slip end at full pool | 15.2 |
Width is measured parallel to the shore, length out from it. Your own permit can be stricter. Source: 2004 SMP.
What kinds of dock are allowed
- Single or double slip, open or roofed. Two slips have to share the 20×28 slip allowance, for example two 10×28 slips.
- Swim platform. As a deck attached to your dock, inside the 192 sq ft and 32×32 limits. New stand-alone platform or T-docks aren't permitted for private use.
- No walls. New docks must be open-sided; enclosed docks that already exist are grandfathered.
- No mooring buoys. They're no longer permitted on Lanier.
Roofs and upper sundecks
A roof can be built to carry a sundeck. The pitch can't exceed 3 in 12, and wood-and-shingle or metal roofs are both fine. If you use the roof as a deck, its whole edge needs a rigid rail 36–48 in high with a mid-rail; a bench-and-rail combination along the inside is allowed. What isn't: any cover, canopy or room that makes a second roof level (SMP §15.3.5). The plan notes that roof decks have collapsed under furniture and crowds, so ask your builder what load the deck is designed for.
Floats
Floats must be made for marine use, carry at least an 8-year warranty against sinking, waterlogging, cracking, peeling, breaking up or losing beads, resist puncture and animals, and be fire resistant. Floats within 40 ft of a fuel line must be fully impervious to water and fuel. New or recycled drums and open air containers are banned, and failed floats must be repaired or replaced (SMP §15.3.2). With roughly 20,000 floats under private docks, loose foam is a big part of what the Lake Lanier Association pulls out each year (LLA).
Lifts
Boat lifts sit inside the slip. Floating lifts attach to the dock frame; suspended lifts hung from the structure need certified engineering drawings showing the dock can carry them. Up to two PWC lifts may sit outside the slip (SMP §15.3.6).
Electrical
The Corps' standard goes a bit beyond the National Electrical Code: GFI protection on all receptacles and lighting, service buried underground, flexible twist-lock cord from the GFI to the dock, and lights shielded, pointed down and kept within the dock. No grandfathering here, and the service is recertified at renewal, sale or a failed inspection (SMP §15.3.10).
Sources & further reading
- Lake Sidney Lanier Shoreline Management Plan (2004), hosted by the Lake Lanier Association. §12, §15.1–15.3, §18
Editorial note: General planning information, not engineering or legal advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rules with your local officials and a qualified pro.