In House Fabrication
Custom Fabrication
Some jobs cannot be solved with a part out of a catalog. When the bracket does not exist, the ladder does not fit, or the piece you need has been discontinued for fifteen years, we build it. Aluminum welding, pontoon work, ski tows, ladders, rails, and one off custom mounts, made in our own shop to suit your boat.
What We Fabricate
What We Fabricate In House
Boats get modified, repowered, and repurposed over a lifetime, and the hardware rarely keeps up. A new motor needs a different bracket, a family wants a ladder where there was never one, a tube takes a hit on a rock shelf. Fabrication is what closes the gap between what your boat came with and what you actually need it to do.
Aluminum Welding And Repair
Cracked brackets, torn mounts, split seams, and damaged framework welded back to strength, on the boat where access allows or on the bench where it does not.
Pontoon Tube And Fence Work
Dented and holed tubes, damaged nose cones, and bent fence panels repaired or rebuilt, including the gates and framework that take the most abuse.
Ladders And Boarding Steps
Boarding ladders built and mounted to the transom or deck you actually have, at a height and reach that works for the people using them.
Ski Tows And Tow Pylons
Tow points and pylons fabricated and through bolted with proper backing, because a tow fitting is only as strong as the structure it is anchored into.
Custom Brackets And Mounts
Engine brackets, transducer and electronics mounts, trolling motor plates, and accessory mounts made to fit rather than forced to fit.
Rails Gates And Hardware
Grab rails, hand rails, gate frames, hinges, and deck hardware repaired or replaced when the original is bent, corroded, or long out of production.
How We Build It
How We Build A Custom Part
Fabrication is not just welding. The weld is the easy part. What decides whether a custom piece lasts is how carefully it was measured, what it was made from, and how it was mounted into the boat once it was finished.
Measure And Template On The Boat
We work from your boat rather than from a drawing or a spec sheet, because no two hulls are identical once they have been through a few decades and a couple of owners. Templating on the actual mounting surface is what makes the difference between a part that bolts straight on and one that needs shimming and persuasion to sit right.
Design And Material Selection
We talk through what the piece has to do and how hard it will be worked, then pick the material and thickness to match. Marine grade aluminum is the standard for most of what we build. Undersized stock is the usual reason a custom part fails, so we would rather build something slightly heavier than something that cracks in two seasons.
Cut Weld And Finish
The piece is cut, formed, and welded in our shop, then dressed back so there are no sharp edges or raw corners left on something people will grab, step on, or brush past. Welds are placed to carry load through the joint rather than simply to hold two pieces together.
Fit Test And Mount
Nothing is finished until it is on the boat. We test fit, adjust, and then mount it properly with backing plates where the load demands it and every penetration sealed against water. A ladder or tow point pulling out of an unsupported deck is the failure we are designing against.
Why We Stand Out
What Sets Our Fabrication Apart
Very few dealerships keep a fabrication capability at all. Most will order a part and fit it, and if no such part exists the answer becomes no. Ours is usually yes, and it is one of the reasons boats come to us that we never sold.
In House Welding
Marine Grade Aluminum
One Off Custom Work
Made To Fit Your Boat
Any Make Any Hull
Repairs And New Builds
80+ Years On The Lake
Built To Take A Beating
Brands We Work With
Hulls And Brands We Work With
We fabricate for virtually any make and model, including boats we never sold. These are simply the names that come through our shop most often.
Our Process
Our Fabrication Process
Every custom job runs through the same five stages, and you approve the design and the cost before we cut anything.
Consultation
Tell us what you need the piece to do and how hard it is going to be worked.
Measure
We template on the boat itself rather than working from generic dimensions.
Design
You approve the design, the material, and the cost in writing before we start.
Fabricate
The piece is cut, formed, welded, and dressed back in our own shop.
Fit And Finish
We test fit, mount it with proper backing, and seal every penetration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers To Common Fabrication Questions
What kinds of things do you actually fabricate?
Aluminum modification and welding, pontoon tube and fence work, boarding ladders, ski tows and tow pylons, custom brackets and mounts, and rails, gates, and deck hardware. If it is aluminum and it belongs on a boat, it is worth asking about. Anything outside what we do in house goes to trusted vendors we have worked with for years.
Can you weld a damaged pontoon tube?
Yes. Dented tubes, punctures, split seams, and damaged nose cones are all common work for us. Tubes take the worst of any grounding or rock strike, and because they are what keeps the boat up, this is a repair worth doing properly rather than patching.
Can you build a one off part that does not exist?
That is the main reason people come to us for fabrication. If nothing on the market fits your boat, your engine, or the way you use it, we design and build the piece from scratch. Bring us the problem rather than a part number and we will work out what it needs to be.
Can you make a part for a boat that is out of production?
Often yes, and it is one of the more satisfying jobs we do. If you still have the broken original we can work from it directly. If it is missing entirely we template from the mounting points on the boat and build something that fits and functions, even where the factory piece is long gone.
Can you repair a cracked bracket or mount?
Usually, and we will tell you honestly when repair is the wrong answer. A crack often means the original was undersized or badly mounted for the load it was carrying, so welding it and putting it straight back frequently just delays the same failure. In those cases we would rather build a stronger replacement.
Can you add a boarding ladder to my boat?
Yes, and we build them to the boat and to the people using them. Height, reach, and step spacing all matter more than the ladder itself, especially for children and older passengers. We also make sure the mounting point can genuinely carry the load rather than relying on unsupported deck.
Do you fabricate ski tows and tow pylons?
Yes. The critical part of a tow point is never the fitting, it is what sits behind it. A pylon has to be tied into structure that can take the pull of a skier or a tube, so we through bolt with backing plates and reinforce where needed rather than bolting into a deck skin.
Do you work with materials other than aluminum?
Aluminum is what we do most and what our in house welding is built around, since it covers the large majority of marine fabrication. For work in other materials we use trusted vendors we have relied on for years, and we manage that as part of your job rather than sending you off to arrange it.
How long does a fabrication job take?
Smaller pieces such as a bracket or a repair weld often turn around in a few days. Something built from scratch takes longer, since it needs templating, design approval, and material on hand before fabrication starts. We give you a timeline once we have seen the boat and agreed what we are building.
Does my boat need to be at your shop?
For most custom work, yes, at least for measuring and again for fitting. Templating on the boat is what makes a part fit properly the first time. Some bench repairs can be done from the removed part alone, so it is worth calling to describe the job before you haul the whole boat over.
Will I get an estimate before you start?
Yes. Once we have measured and agreed the design you get the scope, the material, and the cost in writing. Nothing gets cut or welded until you have approved it.
Do you fabricate for boats you did not sell?
Yes. We take fabrication work on virtually any make and model, not only the brands we sell new. A good share of our custom work is for boats bought somewhere else entirely.
Can you match the finish on my existing rails?
We can usually get close, and we will be straight with you about how close. Bare and brushed aluminum blends well. Anodized and coated finishes are harder to match exactly, particularly on older hardware that has weathered, so we will talk through the options before building rather than after.
How do I get a fabrication job started?
Call our service department at 814-658-3464 or use the button on this page. Describe what you are trying to solve and what boat it is for, and we will book a time to look at it and work out what needs building.
Ready When You Are
Let Us Build It For Your Boat
If the part does not exist, does not fit, or does not last, bring us the problem and we will build the answer.