The Real ROI of a Lifetime Pier vs. a Wood Pier
If you live on a Wisconsin lake, you know a pier isn’t just a walkway—it’s where summers happen. Morning coffee. Panfish with the grandkids. Loading up the pontoon for a sunset lap. It’s also one of the biggest long-term investments on your property.
So let’s treat it like one. When you compare a Summerset Lifetime Pier to a traditional wood pier, the conversation isn’t just about looks. It’s about return on investment—cash out, time saved, and resale value over decades in real Wisconsin conditions.
Why do the numbers favor permanent
1) Replacement & longevity
Lifetime Pier: Schedule 80 steel frame + HDPE decking built for 30+ years.
Wood pier: In Wisconsin, freeze/thaw and wave action, plan on 5–8 years before replacements.
What that means: Over 30 years, a wood system is torn out and rebuilt four times. A Lifetime Pier is still doing its job.
2) Maintenance/Repairs
Lifetime: No staining. No sealing. No warped-board swaps.
Wood: Plan on 10–20 hours each summer or $500–$1,000/yr if you hire it out.
3) Seasonal install/removal
Lifetime: Permanent—no annual install/removal cycle.
Wood: Professional handling commonly $2,000+/yr (and you’re hoping for a good weather window).
4) Resale signal to buyers
Lifetime: Reads as permanent + low future costs.
Wood: Reads as soon-to-be expense.
Rule of thumb: On a $600K lake home, a permanent pier can support $30K–$60K in perceived value.
5) Safety & reliability
Lifetime: Built for Wisconsin ice, wind, and wave loads. No splinters, no soft spots.
Wood: Warping, loose fasteners, and rot compound with age.
A day in the life
Picture two neighbors on Pewaukee Lake:
House A (Lifetime Pier): They sip coffee, step onto a rigid, splinter-free deck, and head out. No install appointment. No stain project. No “don’t step there” spots after a storm.
House B (Wood Pier): Spring install bill shows up. A few warped boards get replaced. Late July, stain day. By year 7, it’s decision time: patch again or start over.
Same shoreline. Very different ownership experience—and very different cash curve.
Beyond dollars: the “quiet ROI”
Time: Skip 15–20 weekends of staining over a decade.
Predictability: One asset that doesn’t ask for money every spring.
Confidence: Built for Wisconsin’s worst week of ice heaves and wind—not last July’s best day.
Bottom line (and why homeowners switch)
A wood pier can look cheaper on day one. Over time, it drains your wallet and your weekends. A Summerset Lifetime Pier is precisely what it says: one investment, built for a lifetime—with over $200,000 in potential 30-year savings, stronger resale value, and summers that are about the lake—not the lumber.
Less hassle. More summer. That’s the Summerset way.
Every lot, water depth, and exposure is a little different. We’ll model your total cost of ownership and layout options—no pressure, just data. Please fill out the form below, and we’ll contact you right away.
