Dock & Boat Lift Repair on the Willmar Lakes
Bent frames, cracked welds, snapped brackets — we fix aluminum docks and boat lifts right on the shoreline, from Green Lake and Nest Lake to Lake Minnewaska. Most repairs get done without pulling the whole rig out of the water.
We come to the lake so your season doesn't wait
A boat lift or aluminum dock takes a beating out here. Ice heave over winter twists frames out of square. A wind-driven wave stacks a pontoon against the canopy and bends an upright. A wheel kit hits a rock pulling out in the fall and a bracket lets go. By the time you notice, the dock is racked, a weld has split, and the season's already moving.
Johnson Metal Works handles dock and boat lift repair across the Willmar lakes area — Green Lake, Norway Lake, Nest Lake, Lake Minnewaska, and the smaller waters in between. We work in aluminum every day, so we know how thin-wall dock tube and lift framing move under heat and how to weld it without blowing through or leaving a brittle joint. We bring the welder, the generator, and the gear to you with our mobile welding service, set up on the bank, and get the repair done where the dock sits.
Most of what we see can be fixed without dragging the lift or dock fully out of the water. That saves you the rental, the help, and the half a day it takes to wrestle it onto the trailer. We assess it in place, brace what needs bracing, and weld it solid so it carries the boat again.
Common dock & lift fixes
If it's aluminum and it holds your dock, your lift, or your boat together, there's a good chance we can put it back.
Bent & racked frames
Ice and wind push uprights, cross members, and dock sections out of square. We straighten, reinforce, and re-weld so the frame sits true and tracks level again.
Broken & cracked welds
Old factory welds fatigue and split at the joints that take the most load. We grind them back to clean metal and lay down a sound weld that holds.
Snapped brackets & gussets
Canopy mounts, wheel-kit brackets, winch plates, and corner gussets that have torn loose get rebuilt or replaced and welded back in place.
Boat lift repair
Cantilever and vertical lifts that won't crank straight, have a bent leg, or a cracked carriage — we true the frame and reinforce the stress points.
Pontoon & dock damage
Pontoon toons, ladders, rails, and aluminum dock decking that's been dinged, cracked, or torn get patched and welded back to solid.
Reinforcement & upgrades
Adding gussets, doubler plates, or extra bracing to a dock that flexes too much, so next winter's ice doesn't undo the same spot again.
From your call to a finished weld
1. Tell us what broke
Call or text a photo of the damage and the lake you're on. We'll talk through what's wrong and whether it's a fix-in-place or a pull-out job before we ever load up.
2. We come to the shoreline
We show up to your dock with the welder and a generator, set up on the bank, and look the structure over in person to confirm the plan and the metal.
3. Brace, straighten, weld
We support the load, bring bent metal back true, prep the joints, and weld the aluminum solid — adding reinforcement wherever the original failed.
4. Back in service
We check that the dock sits level and the lift cranks clean, then leave it ready for the boat. Spring put-in or fall take-out, we work the season with you.
Dock metal isn't the same as steel
Aluminum dock and lift framing is light, thin-walled, and unforgiving. It pulls heat fast, moves while you weld it, and goes from solid to a puddle with little warning. Welding it well takes the right machine, the right filler, and the experience to read the joint as it heats. It's not a fix you want a general handyman guessing at on the shore.
That's the part of the trade we know cold. Aluminum repair is a core piece of what our shop does, on docks and lifts and on every other aluminum job around the lakes. When the weld matters — and on a lift holding a boat over the water, it does — that experience is what keeps the repair from coming back.
Need the same skill for a trailer, a transom, or a custom aluminum piece? See our aluminum welding page, or have us out for mobile welding anywhere we can drive.
Dock & boat lift repair FAQ
Do you have to pull my dock or lift out of the water to fix it?
Usually not. Most bent frames, cracked welds, and broken brackets can be repaired right where the structure sits, on the shoreline or in shallow water. We brace and support the load, weld in place, and save you the pull-out. If a repair truly needs the lift on dry ground, we'll tell you up front before we come out.
Which lakes do you cover?
The Willmar lakes area — Green Lake, Nest Lake, Norway Lake, and Lake Minnewaska are the regulars, plus the smaller waters around Spicer, New London, and Glenwood. If you're on a lake in our service area, give us a call and we'll let you know.
Can you weld aluminum docks and lifts?
Yes — aluminum is a specialty for us. Thin-wall dock tube and lift framing take a careful hand, and we weld aluminum every day. See our aluminum welding page for more.
When should I call — spring or fall?
Both are busy. A lot of damage shows up at spring put-in when ice heave has racked a frame, and again at fall take-out when a leg or bracket gives out. Call as soon as you spot it; getting on the schedule early in the season beats the rush.
Do you repair pontoons and other aluminum too?
We do. Pontoon toons, ladders, rails, trailers, and custom aluminum pieces all come through. Book us for mobile welding at the lake or reach out through contact to talk it through.
More from the shop
Aluminum Welding
Docks, trailers, transoms, and custom aluminum work done right.
Mobile Welding
The weld shop that comes to you — lakeside, farm, or driveway.
Welding in Spicer
Lake-town repairs right on Green Lake and Nest Lake.
Welding in Glenwood
Serving Lake Minnewaska and the Pope County shoreline.
Service Area
Every town, lake, and county we cover in west-central MN.
Contact
Send a photo, get a free estimate, get on the schedule.
Get your dock back in the water
Free estimates on dock and boat lift repair — send a photo and call or text to get on the schedule.