Needing Your Dock Inspected? We Are Here To Help

Feel a Shock, Swim Away from the Dock

Never swim around a dock where breakers or GFCI's are tripping. Do not touch any part of the dock or adjacent docks if a tingle or shock is felt.

Swim or get away from the dock, cables,, and attachments. Exit the water away from the source of the shock. If possible, swim to the shoreline and exit there.

Continually Inspect Docks

Water movement, freezing, and thawing can cause wear on your dock's electrical equipment. Monthly ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) testing of electric equipment and bonding wires is recommended. Have both the dock and the power supply to the dock regularly inspected by a qualified electrician.

Fix Problems First

Never energize or re-energize, engage a breaker, or reset a GFCI while someone is swimming near the dock. Get the dock inspected and fixed before using or swimming nearby.

Electrical safety and water

Leisure time and water go well together, but water and electricity don’t! Bare feet and wet skin lower the body’s electrical resistance, meaning that the effects of an electrical shock on a person in or near water are likely to be more severe than in other places.

Dock Inspection By A Certified Electrician

We are pleased to offer free dock inspections to waterfront property owners here at our lake. Dock safety is one of our top concerns. Ground inspections, please call for price.

We thoroughly test and assess your dock's electrical & grounding system. Qualifying it for safety and function.

Ground certification and full-service Fire District inspections services are available. Most of the 25,000 docks here at the Lake of the Ozarks have never been inspected.

Let us put your mind at ease. Contact us for the next available appointment, We can usually get to it fairly quickly. Call us today... 573-480-4495 or Email Us Here.

Do I need an inspection?

Dock owners are required by Ameren Missouri, who oversees dock permitting on Lake of the Ozarks, to have your dock inspected by the Fire District if any one of the following happens:

1-The dock is modified in any way

2- The dock is moved for any reason (including repairs)

3- If you sell your home the dock must pass current codes before your closing date.

There are 25,000-plus docks on Lake of the Ozarks, many of which have never been sold or modified.

From what we have seen for the last 10 years is 90% of the docks we inspect have safety violations.

Consulting our Fire Marshall's and working with Ameren and other local Districts, this extraordinarily difficult problem needs our attention. Despite such horrible incidents around our lake, not all docks are inspected by our fire departments for electrical safety. This should raise concern for all of us.

"We're talking about people's lives," We need to work more toward education, trying to get people to understand the risks." Let us work together to help protect our beautiful resource. Our back yard.

Can you obtain a certificate of inspection for work done by another party?

The area in question would be thoroughly inspected by Connect Power. If there are no violations, we can secure a certificate of inspection at an additional cost through our local Fire District. If any violations exist, they would need to be corrected prior.

Winter draw-down: Protect your dock at Lake of the Ozarks

Winter at the Lake can take a toll on docks, from Ameren's annual Winter draw-down to frozen-over coves and heavy snow. However, dock owners can take a few steps to ensure their investment is protected for another season, especially as Ameren prepares to lower the Lake level over the next few months.

Lake and river level fluctuations occur for several reasons. At Lake of the Ozarks, Ameren Missouri generally lowers the water level during wintertime to about 654 feet above sea level—or six feet below the full reservoir level of 660 feet—to reduce the possibility of flooding during spring rains.

The Osage River level may fluctuate when Ameren Missouri's Bagnell Dam releases water to meet increased electricity demand. While the changing water levels are necessary to store water for flood control in the spring, as well as to supply the community's electrical needs, they can also put a strain on structures like docks.

“People need to prepare their docks for the draw-down,” said Alan Sullivan, Consulting Engineer for Ameren Missouri at Bagnell Dam. In order to avoid damage, dock owners are advised to follow a number of basic tips to winterize their structure:

All docks should be tested to ensure that they can safely rise and fall with the water levels: residents should check to make sure the dock isn't pinned or hampered by any stumps or objects, and inspect all dock cables and bolts for loose parts or rust. Water lines should be drained, and boat lifts should be raised to ensure they are holding air.
Cables should be lengthened to allow docks to drop as the Lake or river levels drop. Hinges, pins, and other connections linking any remaining docks to seawalls or piers have the flexibility to follow water level fluctuations.
Dock owners should make sure that they have a proper deicer and that the machine is working properly. For example, agitators are typically meant for deeper waters, as they are designed to bring up warmer water from the depths to prevent ice from forming. In contrast, bubblers are made for shallower waters, because they use compressed air to disturb the water, preventing ice from forming in areas that lack a warm undercurrent.
Below the dam, dock owners should remove their docks from the Osage River before cold weather hits.

"Winter conditions and ice can pose risks for dock owners both above and below Bagnell Dam," said Jeff Green, Ameren Missouri’s shoreline management supervisor. "We record the Lake level phone message each weekday.

It's a dock owner's best source of up-to-date information on Lake water levels and river flows." Click below for online information.

Boater Safety Education & Certification Information

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The Handbook of MO Boating Laws & Responsibilities