The right lift depends on your lake, your bottom conditions, your boat's weight and beam, and your dock configuration. We assess all of it before making a recommendation. Serving 5 Michigan lake communities with vertical, cantilever, and hydraulic lift installations.
The most common boat lift mistake is under-sizing. The standard rule is to take your boat's total loaded weight — boat, motor, fuel, and gear — and add at least 20% for capacity margin. On wave-exposed lakes, we go higher. A lift operating near its rated maximum wears faster and provides less safety margin in rough conditions than one running at 70–75% capacity.
Beyond capacity, lift type matters. Cantilever lifts work off the dock and are ideal for rocky bottoms like Torch Lake where bottom anchoring is difficult. Hydraulic lifts are smoother under load and better suited for heavy boats and high-wake environments like Lake St. Clair and open Grand Traverse Bay. Standard vertical 4-post lifts are the reliable choice for most calmer inland lake situations. We assess your site before recommending any of them.
Select your lake or city for lake-specific lift recommendations, sizing guidance, and to request a free site assessment.
Rocky gravel bottom favors cantilever lifts. 18 miles of wave-exposed open water requires proper capacity margin above loaded boat weight.
View Torch Lake Lift InstallationWave capacity requirements on open main lake. Steep depth drop-offs and north/south arm exposure differences affect lift type recommendation.
View Charlevoix Lift InstallationGrand Traverse Bay — West Bay wave exposure vs. East Bay shelter. Old Mission Peninsula depth drop-offs favor cantilever configurations.
View Traverse City Lift InstallationLittle Traverse Bay's northwest exposure demands hydraulic or heavy-duty lifts. Walloon Lake's calm, clear conditions suit standard vertical installations.
View Petoskey Lift InstallationMichigan's highest-traffic boating waters. Sustained wake load demands hydraulic lifts and 20–25% capacity margins over loaded boat weight.
View Lake St. Clair Lift InstallationFree site assessment — we'll tell you what we'd recommend and why before you spend a dollar.
Call (231) 227-8885Tell us your lake, boat, and dock setup — we'll follow up with a site assessment.
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