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Marine services

Haul-out in California

Hauling a boat out in California: why and how often it happens, what yards charge for separately, and rules for outside contractors in boatyards.

By the DockDash teamLast reviewed How we research
A blue travel lift standing over its haul-out slip at a boatyard

Photo: silviu rarau on Pexels

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What it involves

A haul-out lifts the boat out of the water, usually with a travel lift, so the bottom, running gear and through-hulls can be inspected and worked on. The boat is power-washed and set on blocks or stands in the yard.

Haul-outs are needed for bottom paint, many prop and shaft repairs, through-hull and seacock work, and the out-of-water part of a pre-purchase survey.

Who does it: Boatyards with a lift. Some marinas have a yard on site; others send boats to a yard in the region.

How often, in California

  • Most slip-kept boats in California are hauled on the bottom paint cycle: about every 2 to 3 years with copper paint, sooner with non-copper biocide paint.[1]
  • Zincs should be inspected at every haul-out.[2]

What affects the cost

  • Length (yards usually charge per foot) and minimum charges.
  • Haul and launch, short-haul versus full haul, and power wash.
  • Blocking, stands and daily lay-day or storage charges while the boat is out.
  • Environmental and disposal fees.
  • Work done while out: bottom paint, running gear, survey.

For published price ranges and the businesses they come from, see the haul-out cost guide.

California rules that apply

  • Yards publish their own fee schedules. Santa Cruz Harbor's boatyard, for example, lists a monohull haul-out at $13 per foot with a $300 minimum for fiscal year 2027.[3]
  • Boatyards decide whether outside contractors can work in the yard and on what terms: approval per vessel, logged entry, set hours, and limits on sanding and spray painting are common.[4]

What to tell a provider

A request with these details gets a more accurate quote and fewer follow-up calls:

  • Boat length, beam, draft and weight
  • Keel type and where the lift slings should go, if known
  • What work needs doing while it's out, and who will do it
  • How long you expect it to stay out

The free service request brief puts all of this on one page you can print or send.

Sources

  1. Port of San Diego, LA County, DBW and California Coastal Commission. Recreational Boater's Guide to Using Hull Paint in California (May 2019). Accessed November 11, 2026
  2. BoatUS. Boat corrosion protection with anodes (February 2017). Accessed November 11, 2026 · secondary source
  3. Santa Cruz Port District. Santa Cruz Harbor Boatyard fee schedule FY27. Accessed November 11, 2026
  4. KKMI (Point Richmond boatyard). KKMI Contractor and Customer Rules (December 2022). Accessed November 11, 2026