A gel coat shop in Buford, close to the water
Our shop sits on Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford, near Lake Lanier Islands and the south end of the lake. We moved here in January 2026, and it is the same team Lake Lanier boaters already know. For Buford owners that means a short trip to drop a boat off for repair, and a shop that is close to the ramps and marinas on this end of the lake.
Buford sits mostly in Gwinnett County, with a small northern piece in Hall County, and it reaches right up to the lake. Many boats here live on trailers in driveways and storage lots, and many others stay in the water at the marinas and docks nearby. We repair both.
Bring it in on the trailer
If your boat is on a trailer, the easiest route is to bring it to the shop. From most of Buford that is a quick drive up toward the parkway, and owners coming from elsewhere in Gwinnett can get here from I-985 or I-85. Call ahead at (770) 967-8495 so we know it is coming and can look at the damage with you when you drop it off.
Trailer boats tend to pick up a specific kind of damage: bow and keel scrapes from loading at the ramp, chips from road debris on the highway, and scuffs where the hull sits on the bunks. Those are good candidates for a shop repair, where the boat can sit out of the weather while filler and gel coat cure.
Boat in the water? We can come to you
Not every Buford boat comes out of the water easily. If yours stays in a slip or on a lift, our mobile service can look at the damage where the boat sits. Small chips and scuffs can sometimes be repaired on site. If the job needs grinding, fiberglass work or a finish that has to cure, we will tell you, and we can help with boat transport in Buford to get it to the shop and back.
What we repair for Buford boaters
- Ramp and loading damage: scrapes along the keel and bow from launching and pulling out.
- Dock and lift contact: rub-rail scuffs and hull-side gouges from docking in wind.
- Chips and cracks: dings at the bow and transom, and stress cracks around cleats and rails.
- Impact damage: deeper gouges from hitting debris or a stump, including the fiberglass underneath.
Each repair follows the same basic path: clean the area, grind back to solid material, fill, fair to the hull's shape, then gel coat, sand and polish to blend. Our main gel coat and fiberglass repair page walks through those steps in more detail.
What changes the size of the job
We will look at the damage before we talk price, because no two repairs are the same. The main things that change the scope are how deep the damage goes, where it is on the hull, how faded the original gel coat is (which affects color matching), and whether the boat can come to the shop or needs work where it sits. A photo sent with the form helps us give you a straight answer faster.
Keep the repair looking good
A repaired area is only as good as the care around it. A few habits help the whole hull last longer:
- Rinse the boat after use and wash off the scum line at the waterline before it sets.
- Keep a coat of wax or a ceramic coating on the gel coat to slow sun fading.
- Move fenders and adjust lines when the lake level changes, so the hull is not rubbing in a new spot.
- Check the bunks on your trailer. Worn or misaligned bunks leave marks on the hull every time you load.
More services for Buford boat owners
Many owners use a repair visit to catch up on other work. While the boat is here, we can handle boat engine repair in Buford or a detail and ceramic coating to protect the finish. See everything we do on our Buford boat repair page.
We also repair gel coat for owners just up the road. Questions about your repair? Contact the shop. Boaters in Sugar Hill and Flowery Branch use the same shop, and so do people with boats on Lake Lanier.