Dock Score™ Rates Waterfront for Boaters
A 0–100 rating that answers the question every waterfront buyer should ask: "How well does this property actually work for my boat?"
What Dock Score Measures
Water Access
How the property connects to open water. We look at whether it's on the ocean, a bay, a canal, or an intracoastal waterway — and whether fixed bridges or shallow water stand between the dock and the open ocean.
Boat Accommodation
Whether the dock and water depth can handle your boat. We consider dock length, water depth at low tide, and whether the property has a boat lift, davits, or multiple slips.
Navigation & Constraints
What stands between the property and a day on the water. Fixed bridge heights, canal widths, turning basin space, and distance to the nearest ocean inlet all matter.
Dock Quality
The condition and capability of the dock itself. Shore power, water supply, pump-out stations, seawall integrity, and dock construction type all factor in.
Why We Built It
Zillow can tell you a house has three bedrooms. Redfin can show you price per square foot. Neither can tell you whether a 45-foot boat will clear the fixed bridge two canals away — or whether the dock has shore power for a liveaboard.
Waterfront real estate has always been evaluated as land with a view. DockOnly evaluates it as what it actually is: a home with a transportation system attached to it. That transportation system — the waterway, the dock, the bridge clearance, the inlet access — is what determines whether a waterfront property is a boater's dream or a expensive mistake.
Dock Score exists because the data to answer these questions exists, but no one was combining it into something usable. We pulled it together — MLS listings, county GIS, NOAA charts, satellite imagery — and built a rating that treats waterfront property like the specialized asset class it is.
Score Ranges
Excellent
Deep water, no fixed bridges, quality dock infrastructure. Ready for serious boating.
Good
Solid water access and dock, with minor constraints. Most boaters will be happy here.
Fair
Usable waterfront with real limitations. May have fixed bridges, shallow water, or basic dock infrastructure.
Limited
Significant constraints for boaters. May lack dock infrastructure, have restricted water access, or face major navigation hurdles.
Our Data Sources
Dock Score combines multiple verified sources to build as complete a picture as possible of each property's waterfront capabilities.
- •MLS listing data and agent-submitted property details
- •County GIS parcel records and waterfront frontage measurements
- •Satellite and aerial imagery analysis for dock detection and waterway mapping
- •NOAA nautical charts for depth, inlet locations, and navigation data
- •Bridge clearance databases for fixed and drawbridge heights
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer
Dock Score™ is a proprietary rating developed by DockOnly.com for informational purposes only. It is not provided by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the MLS, listing brokers, or any real estate association. Dock Score should be used as a starting point for evaluation, not as a substitute for professional marine surveys, inspections, or legal advice. Data sources are subject to errors, omissions, and delays. Always verify critical details independently before making a purchase decision.