How to Use This Calculator
This tool mirrors a real boatyard invoice, letting you enter your yard's exact per-foot rates rather than relying on national averages that may not apply to your region or vessel size.
- Enter your boat's LOA and beam — these drive every per-foot charge.
- Choose your yard's billing structure — does it bundle haul + wash + blocking into one rate, or itemise them separately? Tick the checkbox to match how your yard quotes.
- Set storage duration — enter the months or days your boat will sit on the hard. Short turnarounds (paint a weekend, re-splash Monday) use the daily rate; winter storage uses monthly.
- Add optional services — tick shrink wrap, bottom paint labour, zinc replacement, or winterisation if your yard performs these. Each is a flat or per-foot entry matching your yard's tariff.
- The itemised estimate updates instantly. Use Print / Save PDF to save a record before you book the haul, and compare two yards by adjusting rates.
What's in a Boatyard Haulout Bill?
Most boatyard bills include some or all of these line items — but the exact bundling varies enormously. Knowing each one lets you read a tariff sheet and spot what's missing.
Lift Fee (Haulout)
The travel-lift charge for raising your boat out of the water. Most yards bill per foot of LOA, typically $6–$18/ft in the US, with a minimum charge equivalent to a 25–30 ft vessel. Some yards add a surcharge for extra straps needed by catamarans or wide-beamed vessels.
Pressure Wash
A high-pressure hull wash is required to remove marine growth before any bottom work can be done. Sometimes included in the lift fee, sometimes charged separately at roughly $1.50–$4/ft. Excessive growth may trigger an hourly surcharge. Environmental regulations at many yards mean wash water is captured and filtered, adding cost.
Blocking & Jackstands
Your boat needs to be propped upright on the hard. Most yards charge a per-foot fee for initial blocking setup, sometimes included in the haulout fee, sometimes separate. Unusual keel shapes, very deep fins, or twin keels may require extra blocking time and cost.
Lay Days / On-the-Hard Storage
Every day (or month) your boat sits in the yard adds up. Typical short-stay (day) rates run $1.00–$1.50/ft/day; monthly winter storage runs $8–$15/ft/month for outdoor, more for indoor. The haulout and launch days are usually excluded. European yards sometimes bill by footprint area (LOA × beam) in m² per month.
Launch (Re-Splash) Fee
When your boat goes back in the water, the same travel-lift is used and you're charged again — often the same per-foot rate as the haulout. Some yards quote a "round-trip" rate that covers both; others bill them separately.
Shrink Wrap
For winter storage, shrink-wrapping protects the boat from weather and debris. Yards charge per linear foot of vessel length (which implicitly accounts for beam and freeboard in the material used), typically $12–$25/ft. Includes the frame and a vent.
Bottom Paint Labour
If the yard applies antifouling paint, they usually charge per foot of LOA per coat — around $8–$15/ft/coat for labour only, not including the paint itself. Two coats of ablative paint is standard.
Anodes (Zincs/Aluminium)
Sacrificial anodes on shaft, keel, and trim tabs are typically replaced during every haulout. Cost depends on your vessel's number and size of anodes; budget a flat amount rather than a per-foot rate for this line item.
Winterisation
Engine flushing, fogging, freshwater system draining, through-hull winterisation, head flushing, and genset service. Usually quoted as a flat labour-plus-materials fee per engine and per system. Larger or twin-engine vessels pay proportionally more.
Why the Bill Comes in Higher Than Expected
Forum threads are full of owners whose haul-out bill was 1.5–2× the initial quote. The main reasons:
- Project creep: "While you're out" jobs multiply once the boat is accessible — extra underwater inspection, extra coat of paint, watermaker service.
- Heavy fouling surcharge: If the hull hasn't been cleaned in a season, the yard charges extra pressure-washing time at their hourly labour rate.
- Delays: Waiting for parts, weather holds, or a busy yard schedule add lay days at the per-foot-per-day rate. A €20 seal can cost €200 in extra storage.
- Minimum charges: Many yards have a 25–30 ft minimum on every service. A 22 ft boat pays as if it were 25 ft.
- Card payment surcharges: Some yards add 2–3% for card transactions.
How Shrink Wrap Is Sized
Shrink wrap material usage depends on the boat's LOA, beam, and freeboard (hull height above the waterline). Yards simplify this to a per-linear-foot charge that folds in all three dimensions. The formula is approximately: material area ≈ LOA × (beam + 2 × freeboard) × 1.1 (wastage factor). At a material cost of roughly $0.50–$1.00/sq ft plus labour, the total shrink-wrap bill is essentially rolled into the per-linear-foot charge of $12–$25/ft.
Comparing Two Yards
Use this calculator to compare two boatyards side by side. Enter yard A's rates, note the total, then update the rates to yard B's tariff. The key variables are usually (1) whether the wash is bundled or separate, (2) the monthly storage rate, and (3) whether they allow DIY work — a yard that allows you to do your own bottom paint can save $350–$700 on a 35 ft boat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do boatyards calculate haulout fees?
Most boatyards charge a haulout lift fee per foot of LOA, typically $6–$18/ft in the US (with Northeast and West Coast yards typically 20–40% higher than Gulf Coast or inland facilities). Some bundle in pressure wash and blocking; others charge those separately. There is usually a minimum charge equivalent to a 25–30 ft boat regardless of actual length. A separate launch/splash fee is charged when the boat returns to the water.
What is a lay day and how is it billed?
A lay day is any day your boat sits on the hard in the boatyard. Yards charge lay day fees per foot of LOA per day (commonly $1.00–$1.50/ft/day) or switch to a monthly per-foot rate for long-term winter storage (commonly $8–$15/ft/month for outdoor storage). The haulout day and launch day are usually not charged as lay days, giving you a "free" turn-around window for quick jobs.
How much does boat shrink wrap cost?
Boatyards typically charge shrink wrap by the linear foot of the boat, which implicitly accounts for beam and freeboard in the material used. Rates vary from about $12 to $25 per linear foot depending on region and vessel height. A 40 ft powerboat typically costs $500–$900 to shrink wrap including the internal frame and a ventilation port.
What is included in a typical boatyard haul-out?
A standard haul-out usually includes the travel lift charge (per foot of LOA), a high-pressure hull wash to remove marine growth, and blocking/jackstand setup. Many yards bundle all three into one per-foot rate. The haulout fee does NOT normally include lay day storage beyond a few free days, the launch/re-splash fee, bottom paint, winterisation, shrink wrap, or anodes — these are billed separately and are the main source of invoice surprises.
What drives the total boatyard bill so much higher than expected?
Project creep is the main culprit. Once a boat is on the hard, owners add work: extra pressure washing for heavy growth, second coats of paint, anode replacements, through-hull inspections, winterisation of heads and gensets, and an unplanned extra service while everything is accessible. Each service multiplies by the LOA, so costs stack quickly. Delays waiting for parts also add per-foot-per-day storage charges. Using this calculator before you haul lets you budget all standard items up front and resist "while you're out" additions.
Is the launch fee always the same as the haulout fee?
Often yes — many yards charge the same per-foot rate for both lift-out and splash. Some quote a single "round-trip" or "haul and launch" rate that is applied once. Others charge them as two separate line items. This calculator lets you set the launch rate independently so you can match your yard's exact tariff.
Does vessel type affect the cost?
Catamarans and other multihulls often need extra travel-lift straps, wider sling spreaders, and custom blocking arrangements, which add flat fees per strap or per setup. Powerboats with deep V hulls or unusual keel configurations may also need additional blocking. Mast-stepping for sailboats is sometimes a separate charge not covered by the haul-out rate. This calculator includes an extra-strap field for these common add-ons.