Laurel, Sarasota County
You can ask for a new walking surface on a Laurel dock without knowing whether the pilings need work. That is what the site visit should settle. Use the records here to find the relevant project categories, then ask contractors to separate retained structure, replacement work and added equipment in their written proposals.
Laurel's ranking comes from Cape Coral and Lee County, the nearest records tracked, because Laurel permits are not collected yet. Permit volume shows activity. Check the license and compare quotes.
| 1 | Honc Docks & Lifts | 284 | 130 | 59 | 69 | 26 | 302 | $37,500 | 65% |
| 2 | WB Williamson Bros | 281 | 94 | 75 | 93 | 19 | 294 | $31,600 | 68% |
| 3 | Williamson and Sons Marine Construction | 234 | 0 | 8 | 226 | 0 | 234 | $16,000 | 71% |
| 4 | Stokes Marine | 121 | 47 | 43 | 5 | 26 | 143 | $40,000 | 66% |
| 5 | Rusnell Marine Construction | 91 | 40 | 32 | 1 | 18 | 95 | $29,400 | 71% |
| 6 | Crocker Marine Services | 86 | 22 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 95 | $42,800 | 34% |
| 7 | Hickcox Brothers Marine | 60 | 30 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 75 | $28,000 | 52% |
| 8 | Hawley Construction | 58 | 28 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 64 | $24,200 | 70% |
| 9 | Honc Marine Contracting | 58 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 0 | 58 | $33,500 | 66% |
| 10 | Aquamarine Construction | 42 | 26 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 46 | $31,000 | 80% |
| 11 | Hooker Marine Construction | 39 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 39 | $30,200 | 77% |
| 12 | Mauney Marine Construction | 36 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 38 | $25,000 | 61% |
Source: City of Cape Coral and Lee County permit records, the nearest marine permit records we track. Sarasota County permits are not in this ranking yet. 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.
284 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral + Lee County
Where it works most: Cape Coral (227), Lee County (57), Cypress Lake (8), North Fort Myers (7)
License CGC1535844 · Full profile
281 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral + Lee County
Where it works most: Cape Coral (213), Lee County (48), Cypress Lake (12), North Fort Myers (9)
License CGC1512211 · Full profile
234 dock, lift and seawall permits in Cape Coral + Lee County
Where it works most: Cape Coral (219), Lee County (8), Cypress Lake (3), Iona (2)
Keep the new deck surface and the structure beneath it as distinct questions. Your Laurel quote needs both answered. The table's declared permit values give a reference for project types; the contractor's inspection determines what belongs in your own scope.
| Job | Median permit value | Middle half of jobs | Permits | Data from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dock + boat lift | $45,000 | $29,600 - $64,800 | 618 | Cape Coral + Lee County |
| Dock | $24,000 | $12,500 - $40,000 | 493 | Cape Coral + Lee County |
| Seawall | $20,000 | $14,000 - $33,000 | 545 | Cape Coral + Lee County |
| Boat lift | $16,600 | $8,360 - $25,200 | 176 | Cape Coral + Lee County |
| Lift cover or canopy | $2,490 | $2,280 - $6,280 | 475 | Cape Coral + Lee County |
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.
Pressure-treated wood and composite decking are common options for the surface you walk on. Ask the contractor to describe the area being replaced and the structure it will sit on. A surface-only quote leaves different work in place than a full rebuild. You need that distinction resolved before choosing between written prices for your Laurel dock.
The dock-only category shows a regional median declared permit value of $24,000. It is a filing value, not an invoice, and it does not tell you the cost at your property. Use it to recognize a separate job category. The table already shows the broader cost information, leaving the site visit to establish your project's materials and extent.
Lift capacity and equipment should be named when you add a lift to the conversation. Include motors, cables and a canopy if one is part of the request. Ask whether the proposal keeps or changes the dock supports. You can then tell which differences between bids come from equipment choices and which come from additional construction.
If a seawall is involved, ask for its length, panel type and cap work to be described alongside demolition. Show the route available for reaching the shoreline. A dock rebuild beside an older wall can involve several connected structures, so have the proposal say what happens to each. Pricing that work requires a contractor to see the actual site.
Sarasota County is the permit office for Laurel. Keep the address, proposed work and permit number together from the beginning. The contractor pulls the permit, and you check its final inspection record before making the last payment on the job.
Permit office: Sarasota County
Your contractor pulls the permit; you can look it up afterwards by address in the office's public permit search.
Start the record search with the Laurel property address and ask Sarasota County how to retrieve its permit history. Venice is nearby, but City of Venice is a separate permit office named on that town's page. For the new work, obtain the number from the contractor before construction and check the project description. Contractors pull permits for the work they perform. An owner-builder permit for your own home places contractor responsibilities on you. Treat that choice as a responsibility decision, rather than a way to skip the hired contractor's role in the project.
On larger Florida jobs, the Notice of Commencement is recorded with the county before construction and posted at the site. Ask the contractor how that paperwork will be handled and save it with the permit. Also settle how you will check the final inspection before the last payment. The completed dock should have a permit record you can return to, using the number you saved before work started. If you cannot identify the final on that record, get the contractor to explain the remaining step before closing out your payment.
Use the table to make a focused list, then take the license check outside the table to Florida DBPR. For a Laurel deck project, ask about the dock category specifically. For a wall replacement, turn to the seawall record instead.
Search myfloridalicense.com before you sign and connect the result to the contractor offering the work. If you use a license number shown on a permit, treat it as a starting point for that lookup. The table is a record of permit activity, not a completed license verification for the company you will hire on this project.
Rusnell Marine Construction has 32 dock permits in the tracked record. That gives you a category to examine for a dock project without repeating all the totals already in the table. For a wall, use the seawall column to ask a different set of questions. A count describes activity; it does not establish the quality of the finished structure.
Read the finaled share for its status meaning. In these records, it means passed final inspection in Cape Coral or closed with a certificate of completion in Lee County. It is useful context for asking about project closeout. Your own contract discussion still needs a permit number before work begins and a final check before the last payment.
Pick up to 3 contractors using the form and they will contact you to look at the job. Give all three the same written scope and ask for departures from it to be identified. Once you choose, the hired contractor handles the contract, price, permit and construction. Keep the comparison focused on what each proposal actually includes.
Laurel is in Sarasota County, near Venice and Palmer Ranch. Those place names help locate the job, but a useful request describes the shoreline itself: existing dock parts, any wall movement, water exposure and the way equipment can reach the work.
Venice and Palmer Ranch are listed nearby, with South Venice another place to compare the questions you are gathering. Keep each property's notes separate if you are planning more than one project. A Laurel address belongs with its own scope and Sarasota County permit discussion. Before the appointment, write an inventory of the dock, lift and wall so the contractor can see what is staying and what needs inspection.
Use that inventory to point out wear at the water. Saltwater, sunlight, barnacles and boat wakes affect marine structures, with the actual exposure varying by property. Describe the water you have rather than applying a general Gulf access label to the request. Close views of the pilings, decking and lift parts help explain the concern, while a wider photo shows the shoreline and the route through the yard.
If the seawall is older, include the cap and ground behind it in your notes. Cracks, leaning and lost fill are observations worth showing during the inspection. Storms can prompt rebuilding, but the scope still needs to distinguish damage from additions such as a different deck material or lift. Give those items their own lines in the request so the contractor can explain how they fit together.
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.
Have the pilings and support structure inspected before agreeing on a surface-only scope. Ask the contractor to state what stays beneath the new boards. That makes it possible to compare a deck replacement with a larger rebuild and understand why the written proposals cover different work.
Select up to 3 contractors, and they will contact you to look at the job. Describe the existing deck and any lift or wall work you want included. Use the same description for each appointment so you can request three proposals for a common scope.
The record lists 32 dock permits, alongside other marine work shown in the table. It is one way to identify activity related to your Laurel dock project. It does not evaluate workmanship. Check the contractor's license and compare the scope in each written quote before hiring.
That amount is the regional median declared value for dock permits, not a price for your home. A permit filing value is not an invoice. Your decking choice, support work, demolition and access need a shoreline inspection before a contractor can price the job.
Describe visible cracks, leaning and missing fill, and show the cap, panels and yard behind the wall. Ask the contractor to identify the parts covered by a repair or replacement proposal. Include any dock or lift that touches the work area so the scope addresses it.
Ask Sarasota County how to retrieve the record using your Laurel address. Get the new job's permit number from the contractor before construction. Save that number for completion, when you check that the permit shows the final before paying the remaining balance.
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