Dock and seawall cleaning is usually quoted blind. You call, someone comes to look, and a number arrives days later. Our rates are simple enough to publish, so here they are.
These are our retail rates. They are the same whether you book once or put the property on a schedule.
How much does dock piling cleaning cost?
| Service | Retail rate |
|---|---|
| Dock pilings | $79 per piling |
| Seawalls | $15 per linear foot |
| Dock ladders | $79 per ladder |
| Boat lifts | $440 per lift |
| Floating docks | Quoted individually |
| Piling wraps | Quoted individually |
Floating docks and piling wraps are quoted rather than rated because both depend on measurements. A floating dock is priced on surface area, condition and access. Wraps are priced on piling count, diameter and how much of each piling needs sealing.
What does that work out to on a real dock?
- 4 pilings and 1 ladder: (4 x $79) + $79 = $395
- 8 pilings and 30 linear feet of seawall: (8 x $79) + (30 x $15) = $1,082
- 12 pilings: 12 x $79 = $948
- 1 boat lift and 2 ladders: $440 + (2 x $79) = $598
- 60 linear feet of seawall: 60 x $15 = $900
Is there a minimum charge?
Yes. Our minimum is $220 for any visit.
Most single items sit below that on their own. One ladder is $79, two pilings are $158. If what you need comes in under the minimum, the sensible move is to bundle: have the pilings, the ladder and anything else on the property done in the same visit. You get more work for the same trip, and you are not paying a minimum for one item.
Tell us everything on the property when you call, even the things you were not planning to do yet. It is almost always cheaper in one visit than in two.
Do you offer a military discount?
Yes. Active-duty service members and veterans get 10% off the retail rate, on property work the same as on vessels. Mention it when you call and we will apply it.
It does not stack with a prepay plan discount, so you take whichever works out better for you.
How often should dock pilings and seawalls be cleaned?
South Florida growth is fast, and the right interval depends on the structure and how much boat traffic moves water past it.
- Dock pilings: every 1 to 3 months. Stagnant basins and heavy-traffic slips foul faster than open water.
- Floating docks: every 6 weeks to 3 months. Six weeks is the most frequent schedule we run, usually where appearance matters. Most clients sit on 3 months.
- Boat lifts: every 6 months.
- Dock ladders: yearly at minimum, and more often on a property people actually swim from.
- Seawalls: usually handled on an annual cavitation visit, bundled with the pilings so it is one mobilization rather than two.
Leaving it longer does not save money. Light growth comes off quickly. Growth that has been hardening for a year takes far more time on every surface, and by then the damage described below has already been happening for months.
What do barnacles on pilings and ladders actually cost you?
Two things, and neither of them is cosmetic.
Fouled ladders injure people. A wet, barefoot swimmer pulls their full body weight onto the rungs with both hands and feet at once, and there is no other way out of the water. Barnacle-covered rungs are sharp. Falling off a dock is usually harmless. Climbing out on a fouled ladder is where people get cut.
Fouled pilings damage the boats tied to them. Encrusted pilings are abrasive, and vessels move against them constantly with wind, wake and tide. That is gouged gelcoat and chewed rub rails. A slip holder with a damaged hull looks at the piling, then at whoever is responsible for maintaining it.
If you manage a building, a marina or an association, this is the part worth putting in front of your board. We cover it in more detail on our condo association services page.
What is included in every visit?
- Cleaning by trained, insured divers, full depth from the waterline to the bottom rather than just the part you can see from the dock
- Cavitation cleaning equipment, similar in function to an underwater pressure washer working in close contact with the surface, plus hand tools where they are the better choice
- After-photos taken by trained divers on professional underwater camera equipment, delivered with the invoice, so a board or a property manager has a dated record rather than a line item
- A written service report covering what was cleaned and the condition we found
- Live GPS tracking and an on the way text on the day of service
- $3,000,000 in total per occurrence liability, including Ship Repairers Legal Liability
- Workers compensation and USL&H coverage on every diver
- Certificates of insurance issued to your association, marina or property manager on request
Why does insurance matter on underwater dock work?
Underwater work on a property with vessels tied to it is a commercial dive operation. A diver is working in confined water alongside hulls, running gear, power to the lift and boat traffic.
Covering that properly takes three separate things: general liability, Ship Repairers Legal Liability for the vessels in the slips, and workers compensation with USL&H for the diver. We carry all three, and we issue certificates on request without being chased for them.
If your association or marina requires a certificate before a vendor sets foot on the property, tell us who it needs to be addressed to and we will have it sent.
How do I know the work actually happened?
You see it. Underwater work is invisible from the dock, which is exactly why every visit comes with dated after-photos and a written report.
For a board or a property manager this matters more than it does for a homeowner. When somebody asks what the association paid for, the answer is a folder of dated photographs of the structure, not a receipt.
Do you install piling wraps?
Yes. We supply and install protective wraps, fitted in the water by divers, sealing the piling through the zone where the damage happens.
Wraps are a capital item rather than a maintenance one, and they are quoted individually on piling count, diameter and depth. They are worth asking about when pilings are being cleaned anyway, because the wrap goes on a clean piling.
What is not included?
We are a marine surface cleaning company, and the scope is deliberately narrow.
We do not repair docks, replace pilings, do marine construction, or apply any coating. We do not remove trash or debris from the water or the bottom. If what you need is outside cleaning, say so on the call and we will tell you straight away rather than sending someone to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to clean dock pilings?
Barnacle King charges $79 per piling. An eight piling dock is $632. The minimum charge for any visit is $220, so smaller jobs are usually bundled with other work on the same property.
How much does seawall cleaning cost?
$15 per linear foot. A 30 foot seawall is $450 and a 60 foot seawall is $900. Seawalls are usually cleaned on an annual cavitation visit alongside the dock pilings.
How much does boat lift cleaning cost?
$440 per lift, and lifts are typically cleaned every 6 months in South Florida.
How often do dock pilings need cleaning in South Florida?
Every 1 to 3 months. Stagnant basins and slips with heavy boat traffic foul faster than open water. Floating docks run on a 6 week to 3 month cycle, boat lifts every 6 months, and dock ladders yearly at minimum.
Do you repair docks or replace pilings?
No. Barnacle King is a marine surface cleaning company. We clean pilings, seawalls, ladders, lifts and floating docks, and we supply and install piling wraps. We do not perform dock repairs, piling replacement or marine construction.
Do you remove debris or trash from under the dock?
No. We clean marine surfaces. Debris and trash removal from the water or the bottom is not a service we offer.
Do you offer a military discount on dock and seawall cleaning?
Yes. Active-duty service members and veterans get 10% off the retail rate, and it applies to property work as well as vessel cleaning. It does not stack with the prepay plan discount, so you take whichever is better for your situation.
Can you provide a certificate of insurance for our association?
Yes. We carry $3,000,000 in total per occurrence liability including Ship Repairers Legal Liability, plus workers compensation and USL&H on every diver. Tell us who the certificate needs to be addressed to and we will have it issued.
Do you clean the whole piling or just the part above the water?
The whole piling, full depth to the bottom. Cleaning only the visible section leaves the growth that is doing the damage, and the piling refouls from below within weeks.
Get a quote
Tell us the property address, roughly how many pilings you have, the length of any seawall, and whether there is a ladder, a lift or a floating dock. That is usually enough to give you a number on the call.
Call (954) 256-1440 or email service@barnacleking.com.
More detail on the individual services: dock piling cleaning, seawall cleaning, dock ladder cleaning and cavitation cleaning. If you are looking for vessel rates instead, they are on our hull cleaning prices page.