Dock Removal and Winter Storage
Seasonal dock, float and boat lift removal across the Sebago Lake region. Book before the freeze, stored over winter, back in the water in spring.
Book My Fall RemovalCall 207-209-2924
Book it before the water tells you to
Every fall the same thing happens. The season ends, the weather stays decent, nobody's thinking about the dock, and then the first hard week comes and everyone calls at once. The crews fill up in the order the calls came in, and the last people to book are the ones watching the forecast.
If your dock comes out this year, get on the schedule now. It costs you nothing to book early, and it's the difference between a removal that happens on a good day and one that happens in a hurry.
Why a dock has to come out in Maine
Ice doesn't just sit there. It forms around whatever is in the water, and then it moves. It lifts as the level rises, and it drags sideways as it shifts and breaks up. A dock left in through a Maine winter takes that load through its legs and its anchors. It bends legs, pulls pipe, tears out anchoring, and takes floats with it.
The repairs cost more than the removal. That's the whole argument.
Same crew. Same trucks. Same guy.
James has been running the service side here for ten years. Three years ago he bought it, and it operates now as JGW Dock Service & Snow Removal.
What changed is the name on the invoice. Not who pulls into your driveway, not how it gets done, and not what happens if something isn't right. If he's taken your dock out before, he's the one taking it out this year. Book it through us and you're on his schedule.
What comes out
- Sectional and stationary docks, including legs, pipe and hardware
- Floating docks and float sections
- Gangways, ramps and gangplanks
- Shoreline stairs
- Boat lifts and canopies
- Kayak racks, ladders, benches and the rest of what's bolted on
It doesn't have to be a dock we built. Plenty of what comes out every fall came from somewhere else.
What happens on the day
The sections get pulled, anything that needs breaking down gets broken down, and it all goes up above the high-water line. Hardware stays with the sections it belongs to. That matters in April, because a pile of dock and a coffee can of unsorted bolts is how a spring install turns into a long morning.
Anything found along the way gets noted: a cracked float, a bent leg, a rail working loose. Fall is when those get seen and winter is when they get fixed, so the dock goes back in ready instead of needing a second visit.
Storage
Most people store on their own lot, back from the water. If you're short on room or you'd rather not look at it all winter, say so when you book and we'll sort out what works for your site.
And then spring
Getting the dock out early tends to mean getting it back in early, and on a Maine lake that's a couple of extra weekends. If the dock needs repair or replacement over the winter, that part is ours. Tell us what you found and we'll pick it up from there.
Where we work
Out of Naples, across the Sebago Lake region and southern Maine: Sebago Lake, Long Lake, Brandy Pond, Little Sebago, Highland Lake, Thompson Lake, Panther Pond, Crescent Lake and the towns around them. See all of our service areas.
Dock removal questions
When should a dock come out in Maine?
Fall, before ice starts forming. Most removals run from early autumn through October. Book earlier than you think you need to. Schedules fill in the order calls come in, and the weather doesn't wait for the end of the list.
What happens if I leave my dock in over the winter?
Ice forms around the structure and then moves, lifting as the water rises and dragging as it shifts and breaks up. That load bends legs, pulls pipe, tears out anchoring and takes floats with it. The repair is almost always more than the removal would have been.
Who actually does the removal?
James, the same as always. He ran the service department here for ten years and bought it three years ago, and it operates now as JGW Dock Service & Snow Removal. Same crew, same trucks. You book through Sebago Dock & Lift and you're on his schedule.
Does it have to be a dock you built?
No. Plenty of what comes out each fall came from somewhere else.
Do boat lifts come out too?
Yes. Lifts and canopies, along with gangways, stairs, kayak racks and the rest of the accessories.
Where does it all go?
Up above the high-water line on your own lot, in most cases, with hardware kept together with the sections it belongs to. If you're short on space, say so when you book.
What if the dock needs repair over the winter?
Anything found during removal, like a cracked float, a bent leg or a rail working loose, gets fixed over the winter so the dock goes back in ready.
What areas do you cover?
The Sebago Lake region and southern Maine, out of Naples. Check our service areas page for the towns and lakes we run.
Get on the fall removal schedule
Tell us where you are and what's in the water, and we'll get you a date. Or call 207-209-2924.