On Lake Travis, a careful buyer spends as much time on the dock, the shoreline and the flood questions as on the kitchen, and those questions are easier to answer before the listing goes live than during an option period. This guide builds on our earlier piece on why Lake Travis and Lake LBJ behave so differently, and it is general information, not legal advice: confirm the specifics of your own property with LCRA, your title company and a real estate attorney.
Does a Lake Travis boat dock need an LCRA permit?
Usually not. LCRA, the Lower Colorado River Authority, does not require a permit, registration or fees for residential docks of 1,500 square feet or less. Floating docks larger than that fall under the Highland Lakes Marina Ordinance and need an LCRA marina permit. So there is typically no LCRA permit to transfer at closing and no LCRA registry to look the dock up in. What a buyer checks is compliance.
Every residential dock on lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Travis must meet LCRA's Safety Standards for Residential Docks, which cover flotation, lighting, access, anchoring and maximum distance from shore. On Lake Travis a dock may extend up to 100 feet from shore. The dock must be securely attached to the shore, and owners must own or have permission to use the submerged land under a fixed dock, or the underwater property used for a floating dock's anchors. Owners next to LCRA-owned land need permission from LCRA Real Estate Services before placing a dock over it. LCRA does not settle private property disputes, so it cannot order a neighbor's encroaching dock moved.
Who else regulates a dock on Lake Travis?
LCRA's own page says dock owners must comply with all rules for residential docks, including local jurisdiction and HOA rules, whichever is more restrictive. Depending on where the home sits, that can mean the city, if the lot is inside one, Travis County in unincorporated areas, where the county requires a development permit to construct, and a property owners association. Lake Austin is different again: docks there are regulated by the City of Austin, not LCRA, and the city requires residential dock registration to be renewed every five years. Ask your title company and the local permitting office which bodies apply to your lot, and pull any permits issued for the dock, the boathouse or its electrical work.
How does the lake level change what a buyer sees?
Lake Travis is a water supply reservoir built to rise and fall, so a buyer judges a dock against the lake's range, not the day of the showing. On November 12, 2026, the Texas Water Development Board's Water Data for Texas showed Lake Travis at 681.44 feet, 100% full and 0.44 feet into the flood pool. Six months earlier it was 74.1% full, and a year earlier 80.1%.
The swings can be fast. After the July 2025 Hill Country floods, LCRA reported that Lake Travis had risen more than 36 feet from July 4 to July 17, and warned that some residential docks were farther from shore than usual and might not have lights. A year later, Axios, charting LCRA data, reported the lake climbing about 13 feet between July 16 and 19, 2026, from 671.78 to 684.63 feet, and LCRA opened Mansfield Dam floodgates on July 18 for the first time since 2019.
“A buyer judges a Lake Travis dock against the lake's range, not the water on the day of the showing.”
Floating or fixed: what will an inspector look at?
Most docks on Lake Travis float; LCRA estimates more than 3,700 floating docks on lakes Travis and Buchanan. LCRA says floating docks are at higher risk than fixed and recessed docks during floods, that debris can pile up against the upstream side of a fixed dock, and that recessed docks are one of the most effective ways to avoid the effects of fast-moving water. Before a flood it advises doubling up cables, anchoring downstream close to shore, keeping no anchors upstream and replacing frayed or corroded cable.
A dock inspector will look at the items the standards name. Flotation must be encased, and metal barrels or drums are prohibited for new or replacement flotation. Floating dock anchor cables need a minimum working load of 1,000 pounds and thimbles or other chafing protection. Overhead power and communication wiring spanning open water is prohibited. LCRA treats a dock as dilapidated if it is submerged, not floating upright, in disrepair or otherwise noncompliant, and gives an owner 30 working days to comply after a notice of violation. LCRA inspections are not mandatory, but an owner can request one. The standards do not address boat lifts, so have the lift serviced and keep the record.
What does a Texas seller disclose about flooding?
TREC's Seller's Disclosure Notice, form 55-1, asks about present flood insurance coverage, previous flooding due to a breach of a reservoir or a controlled or emergency release of water from one, and previous water penetration into a structure from a natural flood event. It asks whether the property is wholly or partly in a 100-year floodplain, a 500-year floodplain, a floodway or a flood pool, and whether the seller has ever filed a flood claim with any insurer, including the National Flood Insurance Program, or received FEMA or SBA assistance for flood damage. Read the form's definitions of flood pool and reservoir, and answer from records, not memory.
What about flood maps and flood insurance?
FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for the flood maps behind the National Flood Insurance Program, and buyers and lenders will look the address up there. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that a homeowners policy does not cover flood damage, that a lender requires flood insurance on a home in a designated flood zone, and that most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period. Have your current policy, premium and any elevation documentation ready to share early.
Do bulkheads and shoreline repairs need LCRA approval?
They can. LCRA's Highland Lakes Dredge and Fill Ordinance treats placing any material, structure, wall, riprap or revetment below the regulated pool elevation as fill, and lists shoreline stabilization among the work that may involve dredging. Smaller projects, under 500 cubic yards or 500 linear feet of shoreline, may be authorized without a permit but still require written notice to LCRA; larger ones need a permit. If you have rebuilt a seawall or added riprap, expect a buyer to ask for that paperwork.
What should a seller gather before listing?
Pull these together before the first showing: the current survey showing the shoreline, dock and property line; the deed and any documents showing ownership of, or permission to use, the submerged land, including any LCRA Real Estate Services approval; any city, county or HOA permits for the dock, boathouse, lift and electrical work; dock and lift repair and service records, including cable and flotation replacements; any LCRA inspection report or notice of violation and how it was resolved; LCRA notices for any shoreline or dredge and fill work; your flood insurance declarations page, any elevation certificate, and records of past flood claims or assistance; and photos of the dock at high and low water.
None of this guarantees a smooth sale, but a dock with its records in order is a feature. A dock with open questions becomes a negotiation.
