General Questions
Q: I live outside the Finger Lakes. How will you ship my dock and how much will it cost?
A: We strive to keep shipping costs as low as possible and use a variety of methods to do so. For more complete information, please check out our
shipping page.
Q: I see you have your pricing set for 4ft x 8ft and 6ft x 8ft section sizes only. Do you make other sizes?
A: Sorry, but to control costs we've elected to manufacture just these 2 sizes which seem to cover 95% of all applications.
Q: I've decided which style of Bestmade Dock I would like, how do I proceed?
A: The best place to start is to use our Dock Builder App on the home page or by
clicking here to create a layout drawing and parts list. This will serve to communicate with us what you want in a dock and also give you a parts list, layout drawing, and delivered price for your system. From there, you can check mark the "Submit for approval" box on step 5 and we'll review your design and advise on any changes and a possible ship date.
Q: Is there any place where I can view your products? Can you refer me to a customer in my area?
A: We're sorry but we don't do customer referrals. It's very difficult to coordinate and we don't care much to bother our customers to entertain strangers on our behalf (although they often offer to). Not being able to "touch before you buy" is often a point of contention with customers and we are sympathetic to that, but we have elected to run our business completely online. This is one of the ways we keep costs low. Showrooms and dealer networks are very expensive and that cost gets spilled down to the consumer. We do however encourage you to browse our independent Google and Facebook reviews to build your confidence that doing business with us is a great experience.
Q: Do I need to know my exact water depths?
A: Yes and no. We don't exactly need water depth down to the nearest half inch, but if you tell us the water is 6ft and it's actually 4ft or 8ft the parts will not be spec'd properly for the application. If you can tell us for example that the water is less than a foot at shore and between 3-1/2 and 4ft at the end of the dock with a gradual drop, we can work with that.
Q: Aside from water depths and desired layout, what other information might you need?
A: Anything noteworthy is worth mentioning. For example, if you have a mucky bottom let us know how deep the muck is as that might necessitate a floating dock. If you're mooring a boat for the season let us know how big of a boat and how rough the lake you're on gets. If your lake has water fluctuations in season of more than a foot that's worth mentioning as it can impact parts spec'd with a dock.
Q: Do you perform seasonal installations and removals?
A: We are currently unable to perform seasonal removals and installations. We may be able to recommend a dock removal service for deliveries in the Finger Lakes.
Q: I'm a new cottage owner and am unsure of what I need for docks. Do you do site visits?
A: Every situation is unique and there is no better way to dial in a customer's exact needs than to get a first hand look at the application. However, due to the distance between customers they are not always practical. When we can, we're happy to come check out the property. Visits are always no charge. We're great at dialing in your needs over the phone, so call to talk!
Q: What is your warranty on your products?
A: Bestmade warranties all products we manufacture for a period of 10 years after date of purchase. This includes things like frames, foot pads, and connecting brackets. You can view our
complete warranty here.