Boathouses on Lake Martin
A boathouse keeps sun and rain off the boat and gives you a covered spot on the water. Here is what the rules allow and what to decide before it's drawn.
Around Alexander City, Eclectic and nearby
Calls are recorded for quality assurance.
What a boathouse usually includes
- One or more covered slips, often with a boat lift.
- A walkway around the slip and a covered sitting area.
- Sometimes a roof deck with stairs.
- A small storage area, placed at the end nearest the shore.
The open-sides rule
Under Alabama Power's guidelines, covered structures over the water must stay open and can't be walled in. Part of one exterior side may be walled for an approved storage area, and that storage has to sit on the shore end of the structure, not counting the walkway.
Screening is allowed on the outside walls of pavilions and gazebos. Ask the builder to show exactly what will be walled or screened on the permit sketch.
Size, roof and storage
The boathouse counts toward the same 1,510 square foot total as the rest of your structures. A large boathouse can use up most of that allowance, so plan the slip, walkway and any floating dock together.
Walled storage that sits in Alabama Power's flood easement has to be raised above the flood storage area or vented so water can flow in and out.
Questions to ask
- How much of the 1,510 square feet does this design use?
- What exactly is walled or screened, and does it meet the open-sides rule?
- Is the boathouse floating or fixed, and how does it handle winter pool?
- What roofing is used, and how is the roof deck reached?
- Is a lift included, and is it priced as its own line? See boat lifts.
Boathouse questions
Can I enclose an old boathouse?
Not under the current guidelines for new work. Older enclosed structures have their own legacy program, and the shoreline office can say how it applies.
Can I put electricity in a boathouse?
Lights and lift motors are common. Electrical work is done by a licensed electrician, separate from the dock work.
Ready when you are
Call now, or send the form. A local pro calls you back, usually the same business day.
Calls are recorded for quality assurance.