You do not need an LCRA permit for a residential dock on Lake Travis if it is 1,500 square feet or less. LCRA charges no fee and requires no registration for those docks, though it does set safety standards every dock has to meet. The permit you do need comes from whoever governs your lot: a city building permit in places like Lakeway and Lago Vista, or a Travis County floodplain development permit in unincorporated areas. On Lake Austin, LCRA is not involved at all. The City of Austin handles docks there through a site plan, a building permit and a free registration.
This guide covers who regulates what on each lake, the LCRA safety standards, the City of Austin’s dock size limits, when the Army Corps of Engineers gets involved, and which repairs need a permit. We checked every rule against the agencies’ own pages in October 2026, and the sources are listed at the end.
Who Permits a Boat Dock on Lake Travis and Lake Austin?
| Agency | Lake Travis | Lake Austin |
|---|---|---|
| LCRA | No permit for residential docks of 1,500 sq ft or less; safety standards apply. Larger floating docks are treated as marinas and need a marina permit. | Not involved in docks |
| City or county | A building or floodplain permit from your city (Lakeway, Lago Vista, Point Venture and others) or from Travis County if the lot is unincorporated | City of Austin site plan or site plan exemption, then a building permit |
| Registration | Voluntary with LCRA | Required and free with the City of Austin, renewed every 5 years |
| Army Corps of Engineers | Only for fill, dredging or bank stabilization | Only for fill, dredging or bank stabilization |
| HOA or property owners association | Often has its own approval | Often has its own approval |
Basis: LCRA Buoys, Docks and Marinas page and Safety Standards for Residential Docks; City of Austin Boat Docks page and Land Development Code; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Checked October 2026.
Do You Need an LCRA Permit for a Dock on Lake Travis?
Not for a typical home dock. LCRA’s residential dock rules cover Lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Travis, and for docks of 1,500 square feet or less there is no permit, no registration and no fee. You do need to own the submerged land under the dock and its anchors, or have permission to use it.
The exception is size. A floating dock with more than 1,500 square feet of water surface falls under LCRA’s Highland Lakes Marina Ordinance and needs a marina permit, even on a private lot. Some large multi-slip entertainment docks can cross that line, so we check the square footage early in design.
LCRA does not inspect docks on a schedule. It inspects after a complaint or report, or when an owner asks.
What Rules Does LCRA Set for Lake Travis Docks?
No permit does not mean no rules. Every residential dock on Lake Travis has to meet LCRA’s Safety Standards for Residential Docks:
- Distance from shore: no more than 100 feet out on Lake Travis, or up to 200 feet in shallow areas if the dock is not a hazard to navigation.
- Narrow water: a dock cannot further restrict access where the water is 40 feet wide or less. In those coves only recessed docks are allowed.
- Flotation: encased flotation only. Metal barrels and drums are banned for new or replacement floats, and replacing the floats together with the whole dock triggers the encased-flotation rule.
- Anchoring: anchor cables need at least a 1,000-pound working load, with thimbles or chafe protection.
- Wiring: no overhead wires or cables spanning open water.
- Lighting: a dock that extends past the shoreline limit or is a navigation hazard has to be lit from sunset to sunrise, outlining the whole structure, with lights shielded so they do not blind boaters.
- Condition: abandoned or dilapidated docks are prohibited. That includes docks that are submerged, not floating upright, or have loose structural members. Owners get 30 working days to fix one after a notice of violation.
LCRA also publishes voluntary guidelines: fixed, downward-facing yellow or amber lights of 40 watts or less, white or amber reflectors, about a quarter of the flotation above the water, and electrical work to the National Electrical Code by a licensed electrician with the main disconnect on shore above 722 feet. We build to those as a matter of course.
Who Issues the Permit for a Lake Travis Dock?
It depends on where your lot sits.
Inside a city. The lake cities we checked treat a dock as construction that needs a building or floodplain permit. Lakeway lists boat docks among the additions that need a building permit. Lago Vista has a permit category for boat docks, decks and patios, with a published fee of $100 for 100 square feet or less and $150 above that. Point Venture’s floodplain development application includes boat docks. Other lake communities have their own rules, so we check with the city before design starts.
Unincorporated Travis County. Travis County requires a development permit for development in a special flood hazard area and lists docking facilities as a use that depends on being at the water. Fees follow the county’s schedule. The Travis County permit desk is at 512-854-4215.
Your HOA. Many lake neighborhoods have architectural review that covers docks, roofs and materials. It is separate from any government permit.
How Do Dock Permits Work on Lake Austin?
Lake Austin docks are regulated by the City of Austin, and the process has two steps. First comes a site plan, or a site plan exemption for small work. Then comes a building permit. The city is clear that an approved site plan exemption is not a building permit.
New docks, structural changes, a larger footprint, adding walls, demolition and replacing load-bearing beams or pilings need a full site plan. The site plan has to be sealed by a professional engineer. Residential docks also have to be registered with the city. Registration is free and renewed every five years.
| City of Austin rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Length from shore | Up to 30 feet, and no more than 20 percent of the channel width |
| Width | 20 percent of the shoreline frontage, or 14 feet if the frontage is 70 feet or less |
| Footprint | 1,200 square feet for a residential dock |
| Height | 30 feet above normal pool (492.8 feet) |
| Side setback | 10 feet |
| Storage closets | 48 square feet maximum |
| Boats | Two motorboats maximum |
| Lighting | Amber lights if the dock extends more than 8 feet from shore |
| Boat ramps and fill in the lake | Generally prohibited |
Basis: City of Austin Land Development Code, Section 25-2-1176 and related sections, and the city’s boat dock and shoreline requirements for single-family lots. Variances go to the Board of Adjustment. Checked October 2026.
The city does not publish fees or review times for dock site plans. Expect the site plan to take longer than the building permit, and plan the schedule around both. Our Lake Austin dock builder page covers what the limits mean for design.
When Does the Army Corps of Engineers Get Involved?
For a standard floating or pile-supported dock, usually it does not. Lake Travis and Lake Austin are not on the Corps’ list of Section 10 navigable waters in Texas, and placing pilings for a pier is generally not treated as a discharge of fill.
The Corps does have a say over fill, dredging and bank work under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. That covers dredging a slip, a seawall or riprap below the waterline, and placing fill. Small residential projects usually fit a Nationwide Permit, such as NWP 13 for bank stabilization or NWP 19 for minor dredging, rather than a full individual review. LCRA’s Dredge and Fill ordinance applies to the same work on the Highland Lakes: projects that remove less than 500 cubic yards and disturb less than 500 feet of shoreline need only a written notice to LCRA, and larger ones need an LCRA permit. Our lake dredging and seawall repair guides cover those projects.
Do Dock Repairs Need a Permit?
Lake Travis. LCRA never requires a permit for a residential dock repair. Replacing the floats together with the whole dock means the new floats must be encased. Whether your city or the county wants a permit for a repair depends on the scope, so structural work, a bigger footprint or a new roof should be checked first.
Lake Austin. Painting, staining and placing furniture need no permit. Simple re-decking, and repairs to a legally built dock that add no footprint or walls and replace no load-bearing parts, qualify for a site plan exemption instead of a full site plan, and repairs still need a building permit. Replacing load-bearing beams or pilings, adding walls or expanding the footprint needs a full site plan. Bulkhead repairs covering no more than 25 percent of the bulkhead are also exempt from a full site plan. A dock that does not meet current rules can replace structural parts in the same location and footprint. Docks built after January 1, 1984 need proof of their original permit to do that.
Do You Need an Electrical Permit for a Dock?
LCRA recommends that dock wiring follow the National Electrical Code and be done by a licensed electrician, and bans overhead wires over open water. Cities on both lakes generally require trade permits for electrical work. A licensed electrician pulls the permit that applies to your address. Our dock electrical guide covers the safety side, including ground-fault protection and electric shock drowning.
What Does Longhorn Docks Handle?
We check which rules apply to your lot before design starts: city or county, HOA, the LCRA standards on Lake Travis, the City of Austin limits on Lake Austin, and whether any part of the work needs the Corps. We prepare the drawings and applications, coordinate the engineer’s seal where one is needed, and schedule the build around the approvals. If the dock you want would cross a limit, such as LCRA’s 1,500 square feet or Austin’s 30 feet from shore, we tell you during design, not after.
Dock Permit FAQs
Do I need an LCRA permit to build a dock on Lake Travis?
Not for a residential dock of 1,500 square feet or less. LCRA requires no permit, registration or fee for those docks, but they must meet its safety standards. You will usually still need a building or floodplain permit from your city or from Travis County.
Who regulates docks on Lake Austin?
The City of Austin, not LCRA. Docks need a site plan or site plan exemption, a building permit, and a free registration renewed every five years.
How far can a dock extend into Lake Travis?
Up to 100 feet from shore under LCRA’s standards, or up to 200 feet in shallow areas if it is not a navigation hazard. On Lake Austin the limit is 30 feet, and no more than 20 percent of the channel width.
Do I need a permit to repair my dock?
On Lake Travis, not from LCRA, though your city or the county may want one for structural work. On Lake Austin, re-decking and repairs that keep the same footprint and load-bearing parts qualify for a site plan exemption plus a building permit; replacing beams or pilings needs a full site plan.
Does the Army Corps of Engineers need to approve my dock?
Usually not for the dock itself. The Corps gets involved when the project includes fill, dredging or bank stabilization, which small residential projects can often cover under a Nationwide Permit.
Sources
- LCRA, Buoys, Docks and Marinas
- LCRA, Safety Standards for Residential Docks (amended May 24, 2023)
- LCRA, Residential Boat Dock Safety Guidelines
- LCRA, Highland Lakes Dredge and Fill Ordinance
- City of Austin, Boat Docks
- City of Austin, Boat Dock and Shoreline Modification Requirements for Single-Family Lots
- Travis County, Chapter 464, Floodplain Management
- City of Lago Vista, Fee Schedule, Ordinance 21-12-02-04
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navigable Waters of the United States in Texas
Rules change. If you are planning a dock, call us at (512) 200-4244 and we will check what applies to your lot today.