Cape Coral, Lee County
Start with the kind of work your canal lot needs. This Cape Coral page separates dock, lift and seawall activity so you can find contractors with matching permit records. The numbers cover November 2025 through October 2026. Use them to make a shortlist, then have each contractor look at the same shoreline and written scope.
Cape Coral's own Marine Improvement permits supply this ranking. More permits mean more recorded city activity, not better workmanship. Check the license and compare quotes before choosing from the table.
| 1 | Honc Docks & Lifts | 220 | 96 | 39 | 69 | 16 | 227 | $37,000 | 65% |
| 2 | Williamson and Sons Marine Construction | 219 | 0 | 8 | 211 | 0 | 219 | $15,600 | 71% |
| 3 | WB Williamson Bros | 203 | 67 | 57 | 66 | 13 | 213 | $31,000 | 68% |
| 4 | Stokes Marine | 75 | 32 | 29 | 1 | 13 | 92 | $46,500 | 66% |
| 5 | Rusnell Marine Construction | 55 | 22 | 23 | 0 | 10 | 55 | $22,500 | 71% |
| 6 | Hickcox Brothers Marine | 51 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 64 | $29,800 | 52% |
| 7 | Crocker Marine Services | 48 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 52 | $41,500 | 34% |
| 8 | Hawley Construction | 39 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 45 | $24,500 | 70% |
| 9 | Aquamarine Construction | 37 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 41 | $32,800 | 80% |
| 10 | Hooker Marine Construction | 36 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 36 | $31,700 | 77% |
| 11 | Brandon Townsend | 27 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 51 | $21,000 | 100% |
| 12 | Coastal Marine Group | 24 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 27 | $47,200 | 74% |
Source: City of Cape Coral permit records (Marine Improvement permits). Ranked by dock, boat lift and seawall permits issued or filed Nov 2025 - Oct 2026; all marine permits also counts lift covers and other marine work. Median job = the median value declared on the contractor's dock, lift and seawall permits here. Finaled = share of all its permits that passed final inspection or closed. How we rank.
220 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral
Where it works most: Cape Coral (227), Lee County (57), Cypress Lake (8), North Fort Myers (7)
License CGC1535844 · Full profile
219 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral
Where it works most: Cape Coral (219), Lee County (8), Cypress Lake (3), Iona (2)
203 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral
Where it works most: Cape Coral (213), Lee County (48), Cypress Lake (12), North Fort Myers (9)
License CGC1512211 · Full profile
A new deck on existing supports and a complete dock with a lift need different scopes. Start with the cost table's job categories, then separate the parts you are keeping from the parts a contractor must remove and replace.
| Job | Median permit value | Middle half of jobs | Permits | Data from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dock + boat lift | $48,000 | $30,000 - $66,100 | 447 | Cape Coral |
| Dock | $24,500 | $12,600 - $38,900 | 310 | Cape Coral |
| Seawall | $18,400 | $14,000 - $28,200 | 395 | Cape Coral |
| Boat lift | $16,200 | $8,060 - $23,200 | 108 | Cape Coral |
| Lift cover or canopy | $2,490 | $2,280 - $6,200 | 456 | Cape Coral |
Values are what contractors declared on public permits (job value at filing). They are local averages for information, not a quote: only a contractor who sees your shoreline can price your job.
Seawalls in Cape Coral and Lee County: a median of $240 per linear foot on 417 permits that state a length (middle half $184-$375); the typical wall was 80 feet.
The median declared permit value for a Cape Coral dock with a boat lift was $47,959. That figure describes filed work, not an invoice or a price for your property. Use it to understand the category in the table. A proposal that changes the dock size, replaces pilings or adds a canopy needs to spell out those differences before you compare it with another proposal.
Decking is only part of a dock job. Ask which supports remain, which pilings are new and how the old material leaves the property. Wood and composite are common decking choices, but a material name alone does not describe the whole structure. For the lift, have the contractor write down the capacity and included equipment. A motor change and a complete lift installation should read differently on paper.
For a seawall, ask the contractor to inspect the cap, panels and ground behind the wall before describing a repair or replacement. Length, concrete or vinyl panels, demolition and equipment access all change the work involved. Only a contractor who sees your shoreline can price that job. Keep the site visit focused on what the proposal includes, especially where the wall, dock and lift meet.
The City of Cape Coral handles Marine Improvement permits for docks, lifts, lift covers and seawalls. Get the permit number from the contractor you hire, then use the city's public search to follow the work through final inspection.
Permit office: City of Cape Coral (Marine Improvement permit)
Your contractor pulls the permit; you can look it up afterwards by address in the office's public permit search.
EnerGov shows the permit description, declared job value, status, inspections and Building Contractor. Read the description against the contract rather than stopping at the permit number. If your agreement includes a dock, lift and cover, ask how those items appear in the record. Keep the number with your proposal so you can return to the same file while the work is under way.
Cape Coral's residential seawall guideline calls for a Marine Improvement application and a site plan showing existing structures. It places the seawall at the property line and uses approved engineering standards or plans signed and sealed by an engineer or architect. Have the contractor confirm the city's current requirements for your lot. That conversation belongs before work starts, when the scope and plans can still be matched.
Florida uses a recorded Notice of Commencement before work begins on larger jobs, with a copy posted at the site. Ask who will handle that step. The contractor pulls the permit for the contracted work. Taking an owner-builder permit for your own home puts the contractor's responsibilities on you. At completion, use the city record to confirm the final rather than treating the last day of construction as the last administrative step.
Read across the job mix before reading down the total count. A contractor's seawall activity answers a different question from its lift activity. The table helps you choose whom to call; the license check and written proposals help you decide whom to hire.
Honc Docks & Lifts recorded 227 Cape Coral permits, including 96 dock-and-lift jobs. Williamson and Sons Marine Construction's city mix was largely seawalls. Those are different patterns of local activity, so start with the pattern that matches your project. A large overall count does not tell you which design to buy or what condition your existing structure is in. Bring those questions to the property visit.
The finaled share adds another piece of record history. Here, finaled means a permit passed final inspection. Read that share alongside job mix and permit volume; it is not a workmanship score or a forecast for your project. Ask for the number on your own permit before construction starts, and agree in writing that you will check the final before making the last payment.
On the quote form, pick up to 3 marine contractors in our network and they will contact you to look at the job. Give each the same description and photographs so their proposals address the same work. Rankings are never paid. The contractor you hire sets the price, signs the contract, pulls the permit and performs the work. Compare what is included before deciding which proposal fits your plan.
Cape Coral's canal network includes Gulf-access and freshwater lots. Tell each contractor which water your property fronts and how you use the dock. The city-wide records on this page do not substitute for a look at your particular canal edge.
A freshwater canal and a Gulf-access canal give the contractor different settings to inspect. Saltwater, sun, barnacles and boat wakes wear dock and lift parts across the region, but the condition at your lot needs its own assessment. Show the contractor the pilings and lift components you want retained. Have the proposal identify those pieces so a new deck does not leave you guessing about the structure beneath it.
Older seawalls deserve a separate walk along the cap. Note where the wall leans, where cracks appear and where fill has dropped behind it. Ask the contractor to explain how the proposed work addresses those observations. Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton drove rebuilding across Southwest Florida. Past storm damage is a reason to inspect the whole shoreline, not a reason to assume every visible problem needs the same repair.
These are Cape Coral city records within Lee County, rather than a ZIP-code selection. Nearby Iona, Cypress Lake and North Fort Myers pages use different local record groupings. Use those pages to see another part of a contractor's recorded work, but keep the location beside the count. A city permit total, a neighboring ZIP sample and a county total should not be treated as interchangeable evidence for your canal lot.
We count the marine permits each contractor pulled, from the city and county permit offices' public records.
The contractor named on the permit gets the credit. You can look up any permit by address yourself.
Contractors can't buy a higher rank. Network partners get a call button; the order stays the data's.
Honc Docks & Lifts has the largest city permit count shown here. That measures Marine Improvement activity during the tracked window. For a seawall or lift project, also read the relevant job mix, check the license and compare written quotes covering the same work.
No. A declared permit value describes the work filed on a permit, and the median summarizes those records. Your dock size, remaining pilings, lift equipment and demolition scope still need inspection. Have the visiting contractor put the actual proposed work and its price in writing.
Cape Coral's guideline lists state DEP approval or the Army Corps SAJ-91 general permit except on freshwater canals. The guideline may be older. Ask the contractor to confirm current requirements with the city for your property before the application and construction plans are settled.
Search your address in Cape Coral's public EnerGov self-service system. The record includes a Building Contractor field along with the description, status and inspections. Match that record to your agreement and keep the permit number so you can check the final inspection later.
Have the wall inspected before choosing either scope. Cracks, leaning panels and lost fill behind the cap give the contractor different problems to assess. Ask the written proposal to identify what stays, what is removed and how the proposed repair or replacement addresses the observed condition.
Tell us about your waterfront and pick who you want to hear from. Our local marine contractors look at your dock, lift or seawall and price the job themselves. Free, no obligation.
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