Fixed, floating, and everything in between — designed for the realities of TVA-managed lakes and built by our own crew on our own work barge.
A Blue Horizon dock is engineered for the realities of Tennessee lakes — full-pool swells, fall drawdowns, freeze-thaw cycles, and decades of family use. We start with a site visit to assess your shoreline, water depth, and bottom conditions, then put a real plan and a real price on paper.
Every dock is built for the water it lives on. Fixed docks ride on driven posts — 6×6 or 9-inch round poles — with hot-dipped galvanized hardware. Floating docks use marine-grade aluminum frames with stainless-steel hardware. Whether you’re after a clean fishing dock, a two-story floating boathouse with a party deck, or a teardown-and-replace on an aging structure, the path is the same: in-house crew, marine materials, and a TVA permit submission you don’t have to think about.
The lake decides more than the owner does. Stable shorelines and modest drawdown favor fixed docks. Big seasonal swings on lakes like Douglas, Norris, and Cherokee favor floating. Here’s the short version of each.
The gold standard for stable shorelines and lower-fluctuation water — private lakes, Chickamauga, Nickajack, Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun, and sheltered coves on bigger reservoirs. Pile-driven posts, pressure-treated framing, marine hardware — built for a lifetime of use.
Built to ride the seasonal drawdown on Douglas, Norris, Cherokee, and the rest of the big-fluctuation lakes. Marine-grade aluminum frames, galvanized steel framing options, composite decking, integrated Floatair lifts, and pile-guided anchoring rated for the full water-level range.
Four material categories we build around — mixed and matched to fit your shoreline, your budget, and how long you want to forget the dock is there.
Our fixed docks use pressure-treated southern yellow pine: 0.80 CCA 6×6 posts, 0.60 CCA 9-inch butt-round pilings, 0.80 CCA 2×6 cross bracing where applicable, and UC4B-rated joists and girders, selected to resist rot and insects in waterfront conditions.
Splinter-free, color-stable, low-maintenance boards rated for waterfront UV exposure. Owens Corning marine-grade and Trex composite options in multiple colors.
The structural backbone of every floating dock we build — lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and zero-maintenance. Powder-coated finishes available.
Hot-dipped galvanized bolts, brackets, and connectors on fixed docks; stainless steel throughout on floating builds.
A starting point, not a catalog. Each layout is fully customizable to your shoreline, lake, and the way you actually use the water — available in fixed or floating configurations. See the full blueprint set →
Signature covered single-slip boathouse with a large side deck and generous shaded space for relaxing and entertaining.
Our signature Chattanoogan layout with an integrated PWC space for added versatility on the water.
Covered open-pavilion design with a single boat slip and spacious side deck — a balanced layout for boating and entertaining.
Two-story entertaining design with a protected boat slip below and a spacious rooftop deck above for the ultimate lake view.
Covered single-slip design with a large side deck and plenty of open space for grilling, lounging, and enjoying the sunset.
Clean, efficient covered single-slip design with full-length side walkways — everything you need without unnecessary footprint.
Long open-water layout with multiple side fingers and generous tie-up space — built for multiple boats and easy water access.
Classic open T-shaped design with a generous end platform — simple, versatile, and perfect for fishing, swimming, and boat tie-up.
Fixed-dock stability meets floating-dock flexibility, connected by an arched gangway for adaptable access as water levels change.
Long, narrow covered single-slip design built to reach deeper water while keeping the overall dock width to a minimum.
Covered double-slip gable-roof design with generous perimeter access — plenty of room for boats, gear, and days spent fishing.
Designed for properties with limited allowable projection, maximizing usable dock space within a compact, permit-aware footprint.
Every dock on a TVA-managed lake needs a 26a permit. We file the paperwork, cover the $1,000 government fee, and manage the back-and-forth so you can wait for the water instead of the mailbox.
Same path on every dock — consult, design, permit, build. You stay in the loop on each step instead of buried in paperwork.
We walk your shoreline, take water depth and bottom readings, and talk through layout, slip count, and how you’ll actually use the dock.
You get a fixed or floating layout, material spec, lift sizing, and a real price. Nothing changes after sign-off without your say-so.
We file the application, cover the $1,000 fee, and manage every back-and-forth with TVA until the approval is in hand.
Our crew rolls in on our own work barge, builds clean, and hands you a finished dock with lifts installed and tested.
Most of our builds include at least a few of these. Add them at design time so they’re rolled into the permit and quote, or add them later when you’ve lived on the dock for a season.
A smaller, turnkey custom dock typically starts around $30,000. Pricing goes up with size, roof style, boat lifts, materials, and site conditions — a simple T-dock or single-slip dock sits on the more economical end, while larger covered, multi-slip, and double-decker docks take significantly more framing, roofing, and labor.
Every dock starts with our Classic Construction Package, with Signature Appearance and Ultimate Composite upgrades available. The most accurate number comes from a site-specific design and estimate.
For most Tennessee waterfront properties, we recommend a fixed dock whenever water depth, shoreline conditions, and normal lake-level changes allow it. It’s more stable, feels more permanent, and gives more flexibility for covered slips, boat lifts, roof designs, and double-decker layouts. If the water level at your property regularly fluctuates more than about 10 feet, a floating dock is usually the better choice because it rises and falls with the lake.
Floating docks make more sense on Douglas, Norris, Cherokee, and other lakes with significant seasonal drawdowns. The floating deck stays at a consistent height above the water through every season. We’ll walk your shoreline and tell you which makes sense.
From signed contract to tied-up boat, plan on 4–7 months. The biggest variable is the TVA 26a permit, which can take up to about 120 days. Once permits are in hand and materials are on site, fixed dock builds finish in 3–5 weeks; floating dock builds in 2–4 weeks.
Yes — on every build we sign. We file the application, cover the $1,000 government fee, and manage every site visit and back-and-forth with TVA until the permit is approved. See the TVA 26a permits page for the full process.
Absolutely. Tear-out, haul-off, and a permit-ready replacement is one of our most common jobs — we can handle a piece or the whole thing, including TVA 26a removal permits. Most demos finish in 2–3 days on site.
Three common methods, picked based on depth and bottom type: cable-and-winch, guide piles (the dock rides up and down on a vertical pile), and stiff arms. We’ll spec the right one during design.
Yes — that’s standard on most of our builds. Tide Tamer for fixed docks, Floatair platforms for floating docks, and WaveArmor / American Muscle for jet skis. See the boat lifts page for sizing and brand details.
Yes. Private lakes typically don’t require a TVA 26a permit, which simplifies and speeds the build. We’ve worked on dozens of private lakes across East and Middle Tennessee.
Tell us what lake you’re on and what you’re picturing. We’ll come walk the shoreline and get you a layout, material spec, and price within the week.
We’ll reach out within one business day.
