A used lift can be a reasonable way to get a boat out of the water, and it can also be a frame that does not fit the slip or the boat. This site does not keep an inventory and does not quote a used-lift price. The request tells a builder what you have and what you need.
What to look at before you ask
- The capacity plate. If you cannot read the rated capacity, the builder cannot honestly size it to the boat. Do not guess a weight and write it down as if it were on the plate.
- Cables or straps, the motor or hydraulic pump, and the bunks or cradle. Those are the parts that usually decide whether “used” means a few years of service or an immediate repair.
- The slip it has to live in. Measure the clear opening. A lift that only fits if you move a finger walkway is a dock modification, not a bolt-on.
- Whether the lift is already on a dock you are buying. Personal property and the dock permit are not the same thing. The sale checklist covers the permit, which stays with the parcel.
Ameren still cares where it sits
Used does not create an exception. The lift has to be attached to a permitted dock. It cannot stand alone, and it cannot be anchored to the lake bed. If putting it on your dock changes the dock’s size, flotation, or setbacks, Ameren treats that as work that needs a permit before construction. The fee listed for a new dock or a modification is $550.
Appendix B also says lifts and accessories may not be arranged so they enclose water for private use. A used lift that “just needs to stick out a little” can be the piece that fails that test in a narrow cove.
Say this on the form
Choose boat lift installation if you want a used lift put on your dock. In the notes, write “used lift” and include whatever you actually know: the brand if it is printed on the frame, the capacity if you can read it, and whether the lift is already at the property. Attach photos. If you are also moving a dock, use the used dock and relocation page. A dock that moves to a different parcel needs a new permit before it is installed. The old permit number stays with the old property.