- Walk the dock and photograph every hardware connection, piling, and float drum from 4 angles. Timestamp matters for insurance.
- Inspect for any loose fasteners, cracked boards, or stressed cables. Tighten everything you can.
- Verify your homeowner's policy includes the dock — many NC policies exclude detached structures by default.
- Top off boat lift battery and test the manual crank.
- Check NOAA tides for storm-surge timing relative to high tide.
72 hours out — assessment
24–48 hours out — physical prep
- Floating docks: Detach the gangway. Cable the floating section to the bulkhead pilings on the leeward side using ¼-inch stainless cable.
- Fixed piers: Remove loose deck furniture, kayaks, and gear. Strap down or bring inside.
- Boat lifts: Lower the cradle to maximum down position. Cable cradle to the lift pilings. Disconnect the motor and bring battery inside.
- Boats: Move to a hurricane hole, dry storage, or a friend's inland slip. Do not ride out a Cat 2+ on the lift.
- Bulkheads: Clear weep holes of debris so water can drain after surge.
During the storm
Stay off the dock. Wind-driven waves on coastal NC docks have killed people who went out to "check on the boat" during the eye. Nothing on a dock is worth your life. Watch from a safe distance.
Post-storm — first 48 hours
- Photograph all damage before touching anything. Insurance adjusters require pre-cleanup documentation.
- Do not walk onto a dock until you have verified each piling is still solid by probing with a pole.
- If decking is missing or framing is exposed, treat the dock as condemned until inspected.
- Call us at (910) 612-6107 for an emergency assessment. Storm-damage estimates move to the front of our schedule.
- File your claim within 24 hours with photos and a timestamp.
Build standards that survive
After Hurricane Florence (2018), we walked dozens of coastal NC waterfronts. The docks that survived shared three traits:
- Every piling driven to refusal — not to a number on a clipboard
- 316 stainless hardware throughout the saltwater splash zone
- Floating sections cabled or detached pre-storm
The docks that failed had at least one shortcut in those three areas. Build standards matter more than any prep checklist.