There is no reliable national "price per metre" because site works can exceed the pontoon fabrication cost.
Four price classes
Modular recreational platform
Small HDPE cube systems can start in the low thousands of dollars. Current public Aussie Dock pricing in September 2026 included a 16-cube approximately 4 m² platform at $1,699 and 32-cube 4 x 2 m kit at $3,199. These figures are useful only for that class of protected-water modular product.
Fabricated residential pontoon
Mr Pontoons publicly advertises residential pontoons starting at $7,999 + GST, including a published 4 x 2.5 m starting configuration. A complete site-installed residential project can cost substantially more after engineering, approvals, gangway, piles, freight, crane and utilities.
Engineered public/commercial facility
These are civil/marine infrastructure projects. A useful example of scale is Marine Structures' publicly documented Thursday Island public access pontoon project at a stated value of $2.03 million, including a 24 m gangway, 36 m main pontoon, finger pontoons and works for a large wave climate. This is not comparable with a domestic berth.
Marina development
Large marina systems involve design, dredging, piles, services, fire systems, access, utilities and hundreds of berths. Procurement is project-specific.
Budget worksheet
| Cost item | Buyer allowance |
|---|---|
| Feasibility/site visit | $ |
| Survey/bathymetry | $ |
| Geotechnical/pile investigation | $ |
| Environmental studies | $ |
| Engineering | $ |
| Planning/authority fees | $ |
| Crown/jetty/tidal licence fees | $ |
| Pontoon fabrication | $ |
| Gangway | $ |
| Piles/anchors/struts | $ |
| Shore abutment | $ |
| Freight | $ |
| Crane | $ |
| Work barge | $ |
| Installation labour | $ |
| Shore power | $ |
| Water | $ |
| Lighting | $ |
| Fenders/cleats/ladder | $ |
| Boat/PWC lift | $ |
| Contingency | $ |
| GST where applicable | $ |
Contingency
Waterfront projects can uncover unknowns after work begins: buried structures, weak seawalls, refusal during pile driving, deep soft sediment, access restrictions and weather delays. The more uncertain the site data, the larger the buyer's contingency should be.
Lifecycle cost
Compare 10-20 year ownership, not just purchase price:
- timber refinishing/replacement
- fender replacement
- pile-guide wear
- anodes/electrical corrosion management
- cleaning and marine growth
- float replacement
- electrical inspection
- engineering inspection
- annual licences/rent
- insurance
- storm/flood repair exposure
A more expensive system can be cheaper if it avoids regular structural maintenance or has replaceable modular components. Conversely, premium materials do not justify poor site engineering.