Had a seawall put in this and Kyle's crew did an amazing job! Courteous and conscientious of their work and our home, made it a pleasure to work with them. We are having a pier replaced with a new one next week. It will be the highlight of our backyard. Thanks Kyle, Charlie, Leo, Kim, Brittany and of course Rod. read more

I spent $15,000 on a brand new CraftLander lift from Captain Rod's two years ago, and it has been one headache after another. To be fair, they were great during the sales process. Once they had my money, getting anyone to answer the phone became nearly impossible. The install itself was a mess. They installed the wrong bunks for my lift, never installed the canopy, never sealed the battery boxes, didn't center the bunks, didn't level the lift, and the winch box was missing required components. I called, left voicemails, and messaged them for weeks. Eventually I gave up and fixed most of it myself. Then halfway through the summer, one of the rear bunk supports bent backwards while my boat was just sitting on the lift. After finally getting Brittany on the phone, she immediately told me the only way that happens is if you drive your boat into the lift. I absolutely did not. She refused to warranty it. She said they had replacement parts and I could come pick them up because they weren't coming back to the lower river until the end of the season. We set up a day and time, I drove there during their normal business hours, and the office was locked. One of the seawall guys called Brittany, and she said, "I forgot you were coming. We decided to make it a long weekend." Then they looked for the replacement parts...and didn't even have them. So once again I fixed it myself. I straightened the supports, fabricated reinforcement plates, and put everything back together. Later I contacted CraftLander directly, and that's when I learned those bunks weren't even supposed to be on my lift. They were undersized for my boat and missing the proper reinforcements. The final straw came when I was raising my boat and the chain inside the winch box snapped. The boat crashed down from near the top of the lift. My wife and I were about to get in the water to wipe down the side of the boat. Had timing been a few seconds different, it could have ended very badly. I messaged Brittany. She read the messages and didn't respond. More voicemails. More ignored calls. 5 days later, I finally got Rod on the phone, instead of asking what happened, he immediately started cussing me out. He called me a "fucking idiot," accused me of winding the winch backwards, and then sealed off the conversation by saying: "We would've been luckier if you were in jail from the boat falling on your wife even better if the boat fell on you." Before I could even get another word out, he hung up. At that point I contacted CraftLander directly and spoke with Rory. I sent him photos and videos of the lift and my concerns. Within minutes he found multiple installation issues. Wrong bunks. Missing reinforcements. Missing winch shaft retainer. Missing cable guides. Motor installed incorrectly. Basically the lift had never been assembled correctly and parts from other lift models were used which led to every issue that I ran into. CraftLander's customer service was amazing. Rory told me he wasn't comfortable letting Captain Rod's touch the lift again. Two days later he sent one of their factory technicians to my dock. The guy drove 8 hours each way! The technician completely rebuilt the lift with all the correct parts and fixed every issue. All free of charge. CraftLander stood behind their product, even when it was their dealer that made all of the mistakes. If you're shopping for a boat lift, I'd absolutely buy another CraftLander, just buy from somewhere else, as Captain Rods won't be a dealer for CraftLander much longer. read more

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Captain sponge Bob put in a retaining wall next door last year. Cracked my existing retaining wall and refused to take accountability. Very rude and basically told me to pound sand as they could not possibly be responsible. After reading all of the "wonderful" reviews it is not surprising now. Any response to my emails would have been nice, but I had to call him for a rude response. I am currently looking to replace my wall and he would have had the job if he had only done the decent thing! read more

They always work with you to be sure you're satisfied and are very pleasant to deal with!

On May 2, 2025, we placed an order with Captain Rod's Boat Lift & Pier Service totaling $116.00 for parts for our watercraft lift: two 95" MAX bunk plastic pieces and four black PVC bunk end caps. The business initially provided incorrect parts and assured us they would reorder the correct items. Since then, we have made numerous phone calls and sent multiple emails throughout the summer, but our emails were never answered. When we called, we were often told to speak with Brittney, the owner. She repeatedly promised that the order was being handled and that we would receive the correct parts soon. However, the parts were never delivered, and follow-up calls were either unanswered or redirected to Brittney's voicemail, which was never returned. read more

Contracted for a seawall. Do not trust Rod. We paid for the permit, but because he did not complete the permit requirements until weeks after the job, we had to appear at the county, and WE were fined $190. He showed us a stair on a former customer's wall, we said yes to the stair, took pictures of it, but the stair was not installed. When asked, Rod said 'I didn't charge you for the stair', another lie. His crew ran into and broke the bark on a young swamp oak and a maple tree. The worst of it was that he ruined two lawns. There are 15' X 40' areas on two yards where the grass was destroyed by his equipment. He dumped dirt and grass seed on both as a remedy, but now they are huge weed patches because he mashed down the underlying ground. We had to pay more than $2,000 for another contractor for more dirt and seed. Do not trust Rod with your property. read more

These guys (and Brittany) are always awesome. They show up when they say. Everything is done on a profession manner. The guys are knowledgeable and friendly. They work hard. Great guys!!!!!! read more

I had an excellent experience with Rod and his company. He came to my house, assessed my needs and gave me a verbal quote on the spot. I received a written quote and contract the next day. Captain Rod called me the day before he began the project, and had all his equipment all set to go. The crew was super careful and left my property well tended and ready for replanting in the spring. the rip rap they layed on the shoreline was visually pleasing. the work was followed up with a crew member who came by and used an electric broom to sweep my driveway and stones that lead to the backyard. I would recommend Captain Rod Seawalls to anyone needing shoreline work! read more

The 3 man crew who came out to remove my pier for the winter were all very professional, courteous, accommodating and knew exactly what they were doing. Zach, Scotty and Romero - great job! In the last 10 years I've never had a problem with Rod's except last spring when they were installing my pier. The crew chief on that one didn't seem to know what he was doing and argued with me about everything. I hope to have Zach, Scotty and Romero again next spring to put our pier back in the water. Also, kudos to Brittany who's always great on the phone. Nick and Nancy K. 10-12-2023 read more

Terrible business people. Do not recommend at all. Threatened to put our 96 yr old neighbors lift back in the water because they hadn't paid in a whole 30 days. ( they are in a rehab center) Ridiculous business practice. Very rude employees. Very unfeeling and ruthless. read more

Captain rods is our go-to service for everything Britney especially is off the charts with her help and knowledge of every situation highly recommend them for any situation you're in with your Lyft shore station or anything having to do with water they're great thank you Captain rods read more

Don't bother with dock service as their crews suck and are lazy complainers that are enabled by terrible customer service that blames the customer, the dock manufacturer, the shoreline, the mud, etc. Never their problem even though it is and will leave your job unfinished with a ton excuses why they are AmeriCants instead of Americans. read more

The only lift and dock company with the staff and equipment to install and remove 26 dock sections and pound 20 Twenty foot 4" OD poles year in and year out. Never a problem, always on time, on budget and there when I need service. Ask for Brittney Schuh when you need the job done right. My 20th year using Captain Rods. read more

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Definitely would never use this company. Prior owner of my house used them to put in the piers at my house. They are completely twisted and one post snapped off. When I called to ask them how long the polls were that they used they said they were 21 feet. As the guy that is rebuilding them for me pulled out the old polls, it is clear they are around 10 feet. No wonder the pier twisted and broke. This is a sleazy company. read more

Captain Rod's Boat Lift and Pier Services - Poll from pier. - Boat Repair Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Captain Rod's crew from Brittany to the entire gang are really there to get the job done. In our neighborhood they bring lifts all the way to our yard by truck. Thanks again for another great season! read more

Captain Rod is someone you do not want to deal with.....He is out for himself.....Stay away from captain Rod I would never use them again.....I had them install a pier and it was wrong from day one. Had to pay to have it re done NO NO NO to Captain Rod read more

Called Captain Rod's to get on the list on March 18 and got a VM saying, "we are already booked for the year." We purchased our pier from Captain Rod's and seeing we did not get pier service in 2020 or 2021, we were, "no longer customers." Our pier with four sections was purchased for around $4000. This is the way they treat the people who have bought piers from them. read more

Captain Rod's installed our lift improperly! We can't put our boat in it. We started by leaving a message and email to Brittney about what happened. She wanted pictures of what we were unhappy with. We sent a series of pictures with an explanation of what we see happened. Bottom line the barge ran aground and their prop dug a hole through the sand/rocks and liner (to keep muck down). They put that 1 leg of the lift in the hole. There is no way to get my boat in. My husband was very courteous with him and they told him that they did not when they could come out because they are busy. I called today to ask when they can repair what they did. Rod answered the phone and was angry and very rude. He was saying some strange things and now I found out why. He was recording me without me knowing. He saw my husband's courteousness as weakness and told me obscenely that I have bigger balls than he does. He cut down my husband, told me our house is ugly, he was going to get us in trouble with the DNR (not worried) and told me that he knows everyone who puts in lifts and he will make sure no one will do business with us. He is a bully. read more

Captain Rod's Boat Lift and Pier Services - Poorly installed boat lift - Boat Repair Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Run ....don't walk to find someone else to sell or service your boat lift!! Looong story short. Boat lift broke last summer. A cantilever lift that was bringing the boat up and down at an angle. Captain Rod, decided the problem was an aging cable and pulleys. They replaced them, with an inferior cable btw, and it was still broken. Matter of fact, the next time I tried using it, my 4200lb boat got hung up at a 45 degree angle, and wedged ....emergency calls to Rod went unanswered for weeks. In the meantime, the boat was stuck on the lift, and partially in the water. This position caused over $5k damage to the hull of the boat ....at some point they came back out, and took the lift out of the water , without letting us know what was going on. Shockingly, they just showed up this spring, to weld something on the lift. Rod came out, and could not see anything that needed welding. He suggested another possible fix, and that he would be out to complete the work soon. 2 weeks later, I called for status, he said in 2-3 weeks they would be out ....I called on a Sunday, 5 weeks after that, left a message, the following Monday, I left another message to give me a call. On Tuesday, the woman that answered the phone said this was their busiest time of the year ....I told her that about 10 months have gone by, waiting for a repair, and that a busy time for them means nothing to me, as I have been trying to get this fixed since March this year (with the early nice weather). I got a call from Rod, about 10 minutes later, telling me to find someone else to fix the lift ... Yikes! He used some inane conversation between myself and his receptionist, to finally get out of the challenge of a repair, that has lasted far too long. Clearly he, nor the other 3 people he has sent out to complete the work, know what is wrong with the lift, or how to fix it. If you are looking for a knowledgeable professional, you will need to look elsewhere. If you want a bunch of monkeys to treat you like a paycheck, and throw stuff in the water for you ...well, give them a call!! read more

Highly recommend using captain rods. Coming in new to the chain I struggled to find a great pier service. I've used 3 different company's for my boat lift and pier in the spring and fall. By far captain rods is the best , the office(especially Brittany) stays on top of any changes and has always called if the was going to be a delay. Brian helped choose a new boat lift and made sure it was installed correctly. The guys on the barge are nice And go the extra mile to make sure I am happy before they leave,I would also like to thank Kevin,Angie,Ramsey & Joe for doing a GREAT JOB !!! All I can do is say thank you and pay my bill read more

Ok our pier is beautiful but I would never recommend Captain Rod's to anyone nor will we use them when we do the other portion of our pier. Thank god my husband was there when they were pounding the posts in because the stopped to soon and my husband said they were suppose to be 20 feet. The guy argued with my husband and my husband insisted they continue until the reached 20 feet. Then when the work was done our bill was $6,000 more than quoted and agreed on and what our down payment was based off of. My husband spoke with the office and the girl was rude and argumentative so my husband had to go into the office and get the boss involved. The owner asked us if we would agree to pay for materials. We agreed which was still and extra $2,800 more than quoted. THEN..... we dropped our payment off in the secure drop box on the front of the building on a Wednesday. On the following Wednesday morning they send my husband a text message stating they never received our payment. My husband told them it was put in the drop box and pictures were taken of it with date and time. They told him we should cancel and bring them another one right away. I sent my husband the pictures to show them when he went to drop off ANOTHER check, my husband said he called the office to speak with a person and they told him they never checked the drop box!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!...............piss poor service and treatment for the amount of money you spend on something like this. Never Never again! Connie J. Cary, Illinois read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! They will take advantage of you and overcharge for their services, poor customer service, they are such so rude!! I wish I would've seen these reviews first before calling them. read more

I have lived on the Chain for 25 years ad to date have always had subpar service or no shows for installing and unstalling my pier and lift. I used Captain Rod's for the 1st tie this year and my experience was AMAZING! Brian,Enrique, Frank and Stephen were top notch. They were on time and responsive to all my questions and needs. GO WITH THEM (but don't take my place in line...haha) Valerie W. read more

Begged for a yelp review. Here it is. Don't use this guy he is dishonest and will rip you off. Worst pier guy on the chain just look at his review.s. Here is a tip rod - treat people as you would like to be treated. Good luck captain a------!! read more

Terrible experience. They installed our lift wrong and it broke, thus costing us thousands of dollars to buy an new one. Do not buy from them! read more

I bought a dock from Cap. Rods in McHenry, Il. 6 men came to put in a 4x6 and two 4x10 in the shape of a T also a 4' bench I asked them to off set the front of dock so the bench could fit in back looking out at lake said they couldn't do it. so they left when my son came he saw that they didn't connect the end of dock to anything just laid it on top of step and no bench came it still isn't here so my son came fixed the whole thing by himself no easy job. I called Cap.Rod I got no apology said he didn't understand what I was saying got no real satisfaction. Marilyn S. read more

We had Captain Rod's install a dock. The next year, they came back to adjust the metal support poles. It was not done correctly, so we didn't pay them. While awaiting their return to level the dock, the lady called me and said they were going to "repossess" the dock due to failure of payment...actually rip it out and haul it away. This is HIGHLY illegal since we paid for the dock in full. The adjustment cost was $100, which was being disputed. They have no authority to trespass on our property and remove anything we own. Don't fall for their shadiness! They are terrible business people. read more

Very unhappy regarding follow up phone call! I told Captain Rod that I was told my property would be left as if they were never here! There truck tire ridges from the street to my sea wall were never filled with dirt properly!! Long metal rods and other debris was never taken away! I called regarding these items and still no help! Would not suggest to anyone to use them!! read more

Captain Rod's Boat Lift and Pier Services - Left near garage! - Boat Repair Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Had Captain Rod's install a new permanent pier. Contract stated he would remove old pier. I specifically asked if removal included hauling away the old pier and was told yes. When the workers came to install the new pier they removed the old & threw it on my lawn. When they finished the pier they asked for the rest of their money. I told them they need to haul away the old pier per the contract. They called Captain Rod who told me that the remove on the contract was to remove the old pier out of the water so they could install the new not haul away the old. He rudely told me to burn the old pier and take the heavy iron bases to a recycle center. I had no way to move the iron frames and so he told me it would be an additional $1,000 to haul it away. I told him I would not pay him the balanced owed and he told me he would sue where he would easily win. Do not use this company. read more

This is the first time we've used Captain Rod's, and we couldn't be happier. They were referred to us by a neighbor who has used them for a couple of years. Steve, Ronald, & Frank came on time and worked diligently and quickly. They were polite and their work was neatly done. We've had other people do the installation and removal of our pier with disastrous results. We'll be using them permanently from now on. Thank you, Frank, Steve, and Ronald. read more

So incredibly poor. Don't show up for months-claiming weather when every other pier on the lake is installed. Then when they do finally showing up after chasing and calling, they don't complete the work or installation but demand payment. I would advise that you purchase your pier and lift from a more reputable business which is more reliable and trustworthy. read more

Thank goodness for Yelp. I'm really glad I checked ratings as Capt Rod stopped by to give me a quote and never called back. I made 4-5 attempts to ask for quote and was ignored. Thanks Rod for not getting back to me! read more

Brad, Kevin and Zachary worked diligently on our pier. It was very hot out and they worked all day on it. Very friendly and courteous to our daughter and her family. Captain Rods did an amazing job on the pier and fixed all my minor details.Brittany handled all my calls quickly and with a smile. Thanks again, Brenda at 2616 S riverside mchenry! read more

Bought a lift from him last year great price and lift works great. but his terrible employees put bolts in the wrong way. i found a manual online and it says nuts on the outside they put them on the inside. scratched the bottom of my boat terribly. i myself got in the water and reversed the bolts not waiting for him to come do it. found wrong hardware used as well. Called summit marine to talk to them and they said i should have gotten braces or my boat Rod told me nothing about that either. now the wrong hardware was used on the frame of lift and again I'm going to fix that. he got his money and said oh well i guess. never again giving him business. read more

The seawall that he installed for us was fine, the problem is the collateral damage to our fence, driveway and yard. They tell you what you want to hear, but the are deceptive in their practices. Once you've paid they will be 'in meetings' every time you call. FIND SOMEBODY ELSE!!!!!!!! read more

I am review no 5 and could not agree more!! Run run run is all I can say! I have done business with rod over the years and I can honestly say the man has gone stark raving mad! We had a 40 ft steel pier put in - $5000.00 later is a pier going out on an angle instead of straight out. Our lot is only 40 ft wide. Why would anyone do that. Plus we hired a surveyor who staked out our property lines very clearly which rod completely ignored. When I told him the pier couldn't stay on an angle because it would prevent our neighbor from ever putting in a pier and because we ordered our pier going straight out from our property he screamed and yelled like a lunatic. My husband got involved and rod finally agreed to move the pier but he wanted another 1000.00 but did it for 500.00. We had a boat lift sitting next to our old pier which they moved when putting in the new pier. When they put the lift back rather than setting it next to the pier they put it half way out into the river. My husband had to walk the rails of the lift to get on our boat. Come on capt rod this isn't ur first rodeo. I called to have them move the pier where it belongs of course they came but not on the day they said they would and now they are charging me 95.00 more. The real kicker is when I called about this new charge captain rod again screamed and yelled at me saying if I didn't pay him he would come to my house and put my lift in the middle of the river. Great doing business w u rod!!! Oh and $5000.00 was just for the steel frame of the pier. My husband purchased and installed the floor of the pier separately. Captain rod u are a complete rip off!!! And I called the army corp of engineers. Rod should have gotten a permit which is free and takes 5 minutes but they would have watched his work and made him correct his mistakes!!! Which is probably why he didn't get a permit! read more

I had a heard time continuing with this having to check at least 1star but whatever, I wanted to spare anyone from wasting away in misery while dealing with this completely ridiculous business. My amazing experience began with the purchase of a used lift which we then converted to be automatic. The automated system consisted a motor and wheel assembly that he literally left assembled using bungee cords. Needless to say when I told him it was completely ridiculous and wasn't going to work for me he then offered a newer better system which I would have purchased in the first place. Lets keep in mind here that all of this process is happening with numerous calls into the office which consists of yelling conversation from his office to his receptionist. I am so seriously confused how this guy stays in business. EVERYONE that I have talked to knows about this guy and his business's reputation. After all of this I swore never to project any business in his direction from me or with any referral. This never stops...after purchasing the new "better" system it didn't work. They installed it while I was at work and when I came home I gave it a try nothing. When I made that call in the morning I was completely out of my mind upset only to have him say he does not service this equipment but could have someone look at it. I wondered how hard did they really look at it when they installed it. I ended completing the install over the phone with the product manufacturer. Again.. Don't waste your life away dealing with the "fastest, friendliest boat lift, barge and pier service" read more

warning!!!! captain rod is a liar!!! i bought a lift from this man and it was the worst experience i ever had. he will short you on parts and try to hit you on extras. buy a shorestation over the maxx if you are contemplating which way to go. i had to hire my main local dock company to fix rod's incomplete, improper installation nightmare. only a fool will do business with this man after reading this review. read more