Fiberglass And Gelcoat
Fiberglass And Gelcoat Repair
From a scratch in the gelcoat to a soft transom or a rotted stringer, our shop repairs fiberglass of every size and puts the finish back the way it left the factory. We handle cosmetic touch ups, structural rebuilds, and complete restorations on virtually any make and model.
What We Repair
Fiberglass Damage We Repair Every Season
Fiberglass damage rarely stays cosmetic for long. Water finds its way into a hairline crack, works into the laminate over a season or two, and what began as a scuff becomes a structural repair. We fix the visible damage and the cause underneath it, so the same spot does not come back next year.
Gelcoat Scratches And Chips
Dock rash, trailer scuffs, and chips along the rub rail, filled and color matched so the repair disappears into the surrounding finish.
Spider Cracks And Crazing
The fine star shaped cracks that spread around cleats, rails, and corners, ground out and rebuilt rather than simply filled over.
Hull Punctures And Holes
Impact damage, grounding damage, and old through hull openings, laminated back to full strength from both sides where access allows.
Transom Repair
Soft, flexing, or water logged transoms rebuilt so the boat carries the weight and thrust of the engine safely again.
Stringer And Floor Repair
Spongy decks and failing stringers, the structural grid a hull depends on, cut back to sound material and laminated in properly.
Complete Restorations
Older boats brought back end to end, combining fiberglass work with flooring, upholstery, and fabrication under one roof.
How We Repair It
How We Repair Fiberglass And Gelcoat
A lasting fiberglass repair is mostly preparation. Filler over a crack looks fine for a season and then telegraphs straight back through, so every repair we do removes the compromised material first and rebuilds the laminate before anything cosmetic happens.
Assessment And Moisture Testing
We start by finding the true extent of the damage, because what shows on the surface is usually smaller than what is happening inside the laminate. Sounding the area and checking for trapped moisture tells us whether this is a cosmetic repair or a structural one, and you get that answer before any work is quoted.
Grinding And Structural Lamination
Damaged material is ground back to sound fiberglass and beveled so the new laminate can bond over a wide area rather than sitting in a shallow patch. We then build the repair back in layers of glass and resin, matching the thickness and strength of the original hull rather than filling the void.
Fairing And Color Matched Gelcoat
Once the structure is sound the area is faired flat so the repair follows the original curve of the hull. We then tint gelcoat to your boat rather than working from a stock color, which is what allows an older and sun faded finish to blend instead of showing as a bright patch.
Wet Sanding Buffing And Blending
The new gelcoat is wet sanded through progressively finer grits, then compounded and buffed until the gloss matches the panels either side of it. This final stage is what separates a repair you can find from one you cannot, and it is the step most rushed jobs skip.
Why We Stand Out
What Sets Our Fiberglass Work Apart
Plenty of shops will touch up a scratch. Far fewer will take on a rotted transom, a failing stringer grid, or a full restoration, and fewer still will do all of it in the same building.
In House Repairs
Color Matched Gelcoat
Structural Repairs
Any Make Any Hull
Full Restorations
Written Estimates
80+ Years On The Lake
Repairs Built To Last
Brands We Work With
Hulls And Brands We Work With
We repair fiberglass on 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 Fiberglass Repair Process
Every repair runs through the same five steps, so you know what happens next and what it costs before we start.
Inspection
We sound the area and check for trapped moisture to find how far the damage really goes.
Written Estimate
You approve the scope, the method, and the timeline in writing before any work begins.
Structural Repair
Damage is ground back to sound glass and rebuilt in layers to original strength.
Gelcoat Finish
The area is faired flat and sprayed with gelcoat tinted to match your hull.
Buff And Pickup
We wet sand and buff to full gloss, then walk the finished repair with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers To Common Fiberglass Questions
Can you match the color of the gelcoat on my boat?
Yes. We tint gelcoat to your specific hull rather than pulling a stock color off the shelf. This matters most on older boats, because years of sun change the original color, so a factory code alone will not blend. Matching to the boat as it is today is what makes a repair disappear.
Do you repair boats you did not sell?
Yes. We take fiberglass and gelcoat work on virtually any make and model, not only the brands we sell new. Where the boat came from makes no difference to us.
How long does a fiberglass repair take?
It depends entirely on the damage. A small gelcoat chip or scratch can often be turned around in a day or two, while a transom rebuild, a stringer repair, or a full restoration runs from several weeks to a good part of an off season. Cure times between layers set the pace on structural work and cannot be rushed without weakening the repair. We confirm an estimated timeline in writing once we have inspected the boat.
Can you fix a soft or rotted transom?
Yes, and it is one of the more common structural jobs we take on. A transom that flexes under engine thrust is a safety issue rather than a cosmetic one, so we remove the compromised core, rebuild it, and laminate the skins back so the transom carries the engine properly again.
What are spider cracks and are they serious?
Spider cracks are the fine star shaped cracks that appear around cleats, rails, corners, and anywhere the hull flexes or takes a knock. On their own they are usually cosmetic, but they let water into the laminate, and that is what turns a surface blemish into a structural repair over a few seasons. Dealing with them early is far cheaper than dealing with what follows.
Do you repair stringers and soft floors?
Yes. Stringers are the structural grid the hull depends on, and a spongy floor is usually the first sign that water has reached them. We cut back to sound material, rebuild the structure, and laminate it in properly rather than sealing over the symptom.
Can you repair a hole or puncture in the hull?
Yes. Impact damage, grounding damage, and old through hull openings are all repairable. Where we can reach both sides we laminate from inside and out, which restores full strength rather than leaving a patch that relies on filler.
Will the repair be visible afterwards?
On most repairs, no. A color matched gelcoat that has been faired, wet sanded, and buffed properly blends into the surrounding finish. Very large areas and heavily faded metallic finishes are the hardest to hide completely, and we will tell you honestly at estimate time if we expect a repair to show at certain angles.
Do you take on complete fiberglass restorations?
Yes. We regularly bring older boats back end to end, and because flooring, upholstery, fabrication, and engine work all happen in the same building, a full restoration does not have to be split across several shops.
Do you work on pontoons as well as fiberglass hulls?
Pontoon tubes are aluminum, so those are a fabrication and welding job rather than a fiberglass one, and we handle that work too. The fiberglass parts on a pontoon, such as consoles, helm pods, and furniture bases, are repaired exactly the same way as any other gelcoat surface.
Will I get an estimate before work begins?
Yes. Once the boat has been inspected we confirm the scope of work, the method, and the cost in writing. Nothing gets started until you have approved it.
Is the off season a better time for this work?
For anything structural, yes. Larger fiberglass repairs need cure time between layers, so scheduling them over the winter means the boat is finished and ready rather than sitting in the shop through the weeks you want to be on the water. If your boat is already stored with us we can do the work while it is here.
How do I schedule a fiberglass repair?
Call our service department at 814-658-3464 or use the estimate button on this page. Tell us what the damage is and what boat it is on, and our team will confirm a drop off time that works around your season.
Ready When You Are
Make Your Hull Look New Again
From a gelcoat chip to a full structural rebuild, our shop will tell you honestly what it needs and what it will cost.