By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Decide if you want a floating or free-standing dock. Figure out how large you'd like your boat dock to be. The length of your landing area will depend on the depth of water. Shallow water will require a longer dock so that you'll have enough water available to safely dock your boat.
Step2
Figure out how much space you'd like for lounging and how much space you'd like for boarding. Plan your boat dock based on the information you've previously gathered. Draw up a plan based on your specifications or find a dock plan on the Internet or in a print book that will meet your needs.
Step3
Take your plans to the hardware store of your choice to help you get all the materials you need. The amount of materials will differ from dock to dock, but in order to make most boat docks, you will need 2-inch by 6-inch boards and 4-inch by 4-inch boards.
Step4
Construct the lounge area first. Lay out the supports and screw the boards along the supports. Use the same procedure for making the boarding part of your dock. Attach bumpers to the edges of the boarding part of your dock.
Step5
Position the large pieces of wood in the water according to the specifications outlined in your dock plan. This step is called driving your posts. These will be used to prevent your dock from moving around. Hire a professional to do this if you don't have the know-how.
Step6
Bring the lounge area and the boarding part of your dock into the water. Attach to the posts you've placed in the water. Build and secure a railing if your dock plan has one.
