Dear Person Considering using “The Dock Experts” in Lighthouse Point, FL:


I was going to wait until my job was finished with the “Experts” - but I simply can not wait any longer, as you read, you will see why.


First, the purpose of this page: To share with you the experience I have had and continue to have building the following with “The Dock Experts”:


Truline Seawall (80')

Two “returns” (10' each)

Concrete Cap

Concrete Dock

Re-installation of a four-post boat lift


This journey started in February of 2020 and... as of March 15, 2023 is still not over, the job is still not done.


I can not tell you who to use for your marine construction project – because I do not know the answer. But, what I can do is share an accurate account of what it was like for me and my family to work with “The Dock Experts”.


I will be developing this site with everything from photographs, videos, and documentation from both the company and their lawyer's office trying to intimidate me into not sharing my experiences - A right that is soundly protected by The First Amendment of The United States Constitution.


Until this page is completed there are somethings you must know! I wish someone told me!


  1. They are extremely good salespeople!! I'd go so far as to say, they are expert salespeople. I believed everything they said. That was my first mistake.

  2. If you opt to discount what you see and learn from this site, make very certain that EVERYTHING is in writing. Now... before you way, “Well – yeah! Of course I would!”... let me explain. When I say that EVERYTHING has to be in writing. I mean EVERYTHING!!

    For example, if you are having a four-post boat lift installed. You need to make sure that you explicitly state that all four pilings needs to be the same finished height. Otherwise, what they do, is they use the same pile lengths in the deeper water that they used in the shallower water and then your outside piles are shorter than your inside piles. (This is just one of countless examples!!... more will follow as this page is developed and updated!)

    Also, look very carefully at the plans they give you. They don't actually have the engineer come to your house. In my case, they made plans that didn't even include the storm drain that came out of the seawall – so that was a problem. (I'm reminded of the subcontractor didn't even know how to install Truline (never did it before) – even though I was told they didn't use subs).

    One of the smaller things, make sure to put in writing that if they cover your lawn with concrete and stone they will clean it up. EVERYTHING, down to the smallest thing MUST be in writing! EVERYTHING!

    Even with everything in writing, I would never wish my experience with “The Dock Experts” on anyone. And believe me when I tell you, you'll forget something in writing and it will come back to haunt you. I lived it and continue to live it.

  3. There are some good people working at “The Dock Experts” - one of the reasons I hesitated to make this page sooner... (I also hoped that they would start to do things like they said, but it went from bad to worse) But, again, if you opt to ignore this page make very certain that you are aware of the “General Manager” Andrew Ockerman - he is one of the biggest problems. He starts out very nice – but after the sale - becomes extremely aggressive – frankly, I believe I will have to get some kind of legal protection from him for me and my family after seeing how he acts and as a result of this page. If that's not enough of a reason to find another contractor, I don't know what is.


  1. If you opt to still go with “The Dock Experts” you are going to want to make sure you can take a lot of time off from work and get pictures and video of everything. If you don't know what you are seeing them do, I would highly recommend you hire someone who can manage the project to add a layer of protection. Even if you see them doing something (like trying to convince you that Truline will “be OK if it's only a couple of feet deep” because they don't want to use the jet pump and install it as per Truline's procedure) then it is A LOT of work to compel them to do it the right way... and you better have pictures and video of them doing it the wrong way... and that's usually when the legal threats start and Mr. Ockerman and the “main” owner Mr. John Piotrowski get aggressive.

    If you still continue to feel compelled to deal with this company, try to maintain a majority of your interaction with Mr. Piotrowski, but also make VERY certain that you get everything in writing. The hard part here is that Piotrowski's primary occupation is as a Financial Planner with Ameriprise – so he has to delegate a majority of daily operations to Mr. Ockerman. There is another “key player” Ryan Rodosta – he was actually the person that I started this journey with – however, I really haven't had much interaction with him since the initial sales process. He, like Mr. Piotrowski, has a primary job with Spirit Airlines – so this is not his main employment.


Hopefully I have given you enough cursory information to save you from the hassles that I have had to endure and continue to endure. I haven't even discussed how the property has been left all this time, or how they try to get paid before the work “Phases” are completed, etc.


From the moment they didn't know how to handle the storm drain...

To when they tried to drive the Truline dock down incorrectly...

To not knowing the right way to fill the Truline material (and getting the hose stuck! LOL)...

To placing the dock pilings in the wrong place...

To the broken boat lift guide...

To the broken GEM boat lift control box...

To the lost dock bumpers that they were to save...

To the uneven boat lift piles...

To the terrible wooden stairs they are trying to build.

(Oh! The wooden stairs. This is the most recent debacle!! The “Experts” had a Grand opening party. They come over to both my wife and I and tell us to select the composite decking for the stairs (Originally we were going to have concrete steps, but the City didn't allow it because they wouldn't allow them to be tied into the seawall)... so we were told that the “Experts” would build a 5' wide composite step. My wife was very easy about it and said, just a gray color that matches the concrete is fine. Fast forward to the construction of the stairs? They come with pressure treated wood and the stairs are so steep it's terrible. But WAIT it gets better... since Mr. Ockerman has been increasingly aggressive with me – what does he do when I asked about the composite stairs? Ha. He sends me a change order (a document that says I have to pay more for composite stairs)... Get this. Three steps, 5' wide. How much do you think the change order was for?!? $3,500.00 You read that right.)


And that's STILL not all of it!! As I look through the pictures and video, I'm astounded that I allowed to go this long. I almost blame myself. I trusted these people. I watched the marketing video that the owner made. I can't even begin to tell you how many things in that video are NOT what I experienced.


At this point, I'm certain after the activation of this page and the subsequent reviews on various search engines and websites – it'll get even worse.


Just realize this: A person (me) is writing this before the contractor got off the job! The ramifications and retaliation that I am certain these people are going to put me through is likely going to be horrific. I am now at the point where I can't sleep at night with worry not only about my own job and the parts of it that I believe were done haphazardly – but worse, the thought that others may meet the same fate.


If you've read this far – You know what? Let's me be clear, for a majority of the job, I believe, they didn't know what they were doing. But had they at least owned the mistakes they made and made it right – I'm pretty easy and it would have been fine. But when you look at the big picture. They couldn't even acknowledge when they didn't do it right or when they broke or lost something. A wise man once said, it's not the number of mistakes you make – it's how you react to them. With “The Dock Experts” those mistakes are met with anger, hostility, and agressiveness. Don't do it. There are many other companies to use. Just. Don't.


I HAVE THREE YEARS WORTH OF EXPERIENCE AS A “THE DOCK EXPERTS” CUSTOMER TO SHARE!!


If you need to contact me for more information about my experience, please do so text/call:

954-822-0619.


Sincerely,
Peter M. Turso


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