24/7 Emergency Waterfront Service
Storm damage, ice events, collapsed structures and failed boat lifts — assessed fast, made safe, and documented properly for your insurer.
When should I call for emergency waterfront service?
Call immediately if a structure is unsafe, actively moving, or at risk of further failure — a collapsed or shifting dock section, a displaced piling or crib, storm damage to a boathouse, a boat lift that has failed with a boat on it, or a shoreline actively washing out. On Lake George most of these happen between November and April, driven by ice expansion, snow loading and storm events. Lake George Docks answers emergency calls year-round on (518) 260-9878. Keep people off the structure until we arrive.
What we respond to
- Collapsed or shifting dock sections
- Displaced pilings and failed cribs
- Storm damage to boathouses and roofs
- Boat lift failures with a boat aboard
- Ice damage progressing through winter
- Shoreline washouts and bank failures
- Snow loading on boathouse structures
- Impact damage from boats or debris
What happens next
From your call to a safe structure
Call and describe it
Tell us what you can see and where. Photographs by text or email help us bring the right equipment the first time.
Make safe
The first priority is that nobody gets hurt and that the failure stops progressing. Often that means temporary support or isolation before anything else.
Assess and document
Above and below the waterline, photographed and written up — cause, sequence and scope. This is what your insurer needs.
Repair
Temporary stabilisation now where the season demands it, permanent repair scheduled into the right weather window.
Emergency FAQ
What to do right now
If something has just failed, this is the short version: keep people off it, do not try to operate a failed lift, photograph it from somewhere safe, and call us.
What counts as a waterfront emergency?
Anything that is unsafe, actively getting worse, or putting a boat or building at risk: a dock section that has collapsed or is moving; a piling or crib that has visibly shifted; storm damage to a boathouse roof, wall or door; a boat lift that has failed with a boat on it; a shoreline that is washing out; or ice damage that is progressing through a winter.
What should I do before you arrive?
Keep people off the structure and mark it if others use the shoreline. If a boat lift has failed with a boat on it, do not operate it and do not get underneath. If a boathouse is structurally compromised, do not enter it. Photograph everything from a safe distance — it helps us and it helps your insurance claim.
Do you respond in winter?
Yes. Winter is when most of these calls happen. Ice events, snow loading on boathouse roofs, and structures failing under a drawn-down water level are all cold-weather problems, and we are equipped and staffed for cold-weather work.
Will you document it for my insurer?
Yes. Photographic documentation above and below the waterline, a written description of the likely mechanism and sequence of failure, and an itemised scope and estimate. Adjusters want to understand cause as well as cost.
What are the most common emergency dock repairs?
Damage from severe weather such as storms and high winds leading to structural failure; impacts from boats or other watercraft; general wear that lets planks or supports break or become unstable; and winter damage from ice expansion displacing or breaking pilings and decking.
What are typical boat lift emergencies?
Mechanical failures in the lift mechanism such as broken cables or gears, electrical faults in motorised lifts, and structural damage to the lift frame. If your lift is not functioning properly, cease use immediately, do not attempt repairs unless qualified, and contact a professional repair service.
What emergencies affect boathouses?
Structural damage from storms or high winds, roof leaks, and door or window damage. In winter, heavy snow and ice accumulation on a boathouse roof can cause collapse or leaks — which is why we tell owners to make sure the roof is in good condition before winter and to clear snow and ice promptly.
Prevention
Most emergencies were visible in October
The failures we get called to in February were, almost without exception, a marginal piling or a spreading crib the previous autumn.
An autumn inspection catches them before ice loads the structure. Clearing snow and ice promptly keeps boathouse roofs from taking loads they were never designed for. Removing floats, ladders and lifts before ice-in eliminates the most common losses entirely. And addressing structural weakness before winter starts is dramatically cheaper than addressing it during.
Lake George, New York
Something has failed. Call now.
We answer year-round. The sooner we see it, the more likely it is a repair rather than a rebuild.