How to Build a Boat Dock Ramp

A boat dock ramp is used to launch and reclaim boats from the water that were towed on a car or truck trailer. The boat dock ramp must be constructed and located so that a vehicle has room to turn around and back a trailer down the ramp to the bottom of the slope and into the water. This type of ramp can easily be built for boating launching in all types of terrain. 

Items Needed:

• Tape measure


• Yard stick


• (3) 20-pound bags of sand


• Wheelbarrow


• (6) 10-pound bags of concrete


• (24) 2-by-6 inch pieces of lumber


• Bulldozer

1. Measure the entire length of the ramp site using a tape measure. The suggested width of a boat ramp is 16 feet. With a yard stick, measure the depth of the water at low tide along the boat ramp site. The end of the ramp should be in at least 3 feet of water at low tide with a 12 to 15 percent slope. 


2. Locate an area a few feet from the ramp site to build the boat ramp. Use 2-by-6 inch pieces of lumber to build the boat ramp form. Pile sand at the end of the ramp form to make a slope using the measurements taken in step one.


3. Pour dry concrete into a wheelbarrow and mix according to package instructions.


4. Pour concrete inside the form to a depth of 6 inches and allow complete setting. Remove the wooden form pieces from around the concrete ramp.


5. Push the finished concrete launch slab to its position within the boat ramp site. Since the concrete slab is heavy, a bulldozer may be needed to push it into place. The layer of sand under the slab should make it slide into place easily. 


6. Fill any spaces around the placed slab with gravel or dirt. You may also want to build up the area around the ramp with dirt to make an even driving area.