Boat ramps fail from the water backward: scour digs out the toe until a drop-off forms at the end of the ramp, undermining works under the slab until sections crack and settle, and the edges erode until trailers drop a wheel. Jordan Marine Construction repairs boat ramps across Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, and the Houston Gulf Coast — diagnosing the water-side cause, not just patching the surface symptom, with 40+ years of construction experience.
We repair settlement and cracking, rebuild washed-out toes and edges, restore stable subgrade under undermined sections, and armor the repaired ramp so the same failure doesn't repeat. If a ramp is beyond economic repair, we say so and price the rebuild honestly.
Request Your Free EstimateOur Boat Ramp Repair Process
- 1
Above & Below Water Assessment
We inspect the full ramp — surface, edges, and the underwater toe where most failures start.
- 2
Repair Plan
You get a clear scope: what's structural, what's cosmetic, and what armor will stop the cause from recurring.
- 3
Structural Repair
Undermined sections are re-supported, settlement corrected, and damaged surface repaired or replaced.
- 4
Armor & Protect
Toe and flank armor — riprap or structural — defends the repair against the scour that caused the failure.
How We Repair Ramps
Repairs address the subgrade and scour first — restoring support under the slab and armoring the toe — then the surface. Materials match the duty: stabilized base, durable surfacing, and graded riprap at the water's edge.
Ramps Fail From Underneath — Diagnose Before You Patch
By the time a boat ramp shows surface damage, the real failure is usually well advanced below it. The sequence is predictable: prop wash scours out the underwater toe, launching creates a drop-off at the ramp's end, undermining creeps up-slope beneath the slab, and unsupported sections crack and settle under trailer loads. Patching the visible crack without restoring the support beneath it buys a season at best — the patch cracks along the same line because the void is still there.
Our repairs start with the full picture, surface to submerged toe: where the scour is, how far undermining has traveled, which sections still have support, and whether the edges are eroding. From that we scope what's structural versus cosmetic — a distinction that routinely saves clients from re-paving ramps that needed toe armor, or from patching ramps that needed re-support. With 40+ years of construction experience, we've seen every version of this failure.
The repair sequence follows the physics: restore support under undermined sections first, correct settlement, repair or replace the damaged surface, and then — the step that makes the repair permanent — armor the toe and flanks with graded riprap or structural protection so the scour that caused the failure can't restart it.
Common Ramp Repairs and What They Involve
The end-of-ramp drop-off is the classic: prop wash has excavated a hole where the ramp stops, and trailer wheels fall off the edge in low water. We rebuild and extend the toe, re-establish grade, and armor the end so the hole doesn't re-dig — often the single repair that transforms a ramp from treacherous back to trusted. Edge erosion is its sibling: flanks washed out until the usable width shrinks, fixed with flank rebuild and stone protection.
Cracked and settled sections come next: where undermining has left slab spans unsupported, we restore the subgrade support and repair or replace the surface — matching the fix to the damage rather than defaulting to full replacement. Surface deterioration — worn texture, algae-slick zones below the waterline — gets addressed for traction, because a ramp your tires can't grip is failed even if it's structurally perfect.
When a ramp genuinely is beyond economic repair — undermined throughout, broken into drifting sections — we say so plainly and price the rebuild against the repair honestly. Community and HOA ramps get scheduling built around usage, with outage windows agreed up front; most repairs run days, not months, once mobilized.
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Where We Build Boat Ramp Repair
We build boat ramp repair for waterfront communities across Greater Houston, Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, and the Texas Gulf Coast. A few of the areas we serve:
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Boat Ramp Repair FAQs
There's a drop-off at the end of my ramp — is that fixable?
Yes, and it's the classic ramp failure: prop wash and current scour out the toe. We rebuild the toe, extend or re-support the end, and armor it so the hole doesn't re-dig itself.
Can you repair a ramp without closing it all season?
Most repairs are measured in days, not months, once mobilized. We sequence the work and communicate the outage window up front — community ramps get scheduled around usage where possible.
How much does boat ramp repair cost?
Scope decides: toe rebuild and armor is a focused project, re-supporting undermined slab sections is mid-range, and full reconstruction prices like new work. The assessment separates structural needs from cosmetic wants so you spend where it counts. Estimates are free.
My trailer wheels drop off the end of the ramp — what's happening?
Toe scour: prop wash has dug a hole past the ramp's end. It worsens with every launch and eventually undermines the slab itself. The fix — toe rebuild, extension, and stone armor — is routine for us and permanent when done right.
Why does my ramp keep cracking after repairs?
Because the crack was patched but the void beneath it wasn't filled — unsupported slab cracks along the same lines every time. Repairs that last restore the subgrade support first, then the surface. That order is the whole trick.
Can you fix a slippery ramp?
Yes — below-the-waterline algae slick on smooth surfaces is a traction failure worth taking seriously. Surface texturing and cleaning restore grip; where the surface is worn beyond texturing, targeted resurfacing does it permanently.
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Get a Free Boat Ramp Repair Estimate
Tell us about your project and we'll provide a detailed, no-obligation estimate. Serving Greater Houston, Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, and the Texas Gulf Coast.