Boat Lifts
Boat lift construction protects your investment and makes every trip to the water easier. Property Image has been building and installing boat lifts on the Florida Panhandle for years. We're a certified Sunstream Boat Lifts dealer, and a preferred Tide Tamer and Golden Boat Lifts® partner, so whatever your dock, water depth, and boat call for, we can spec, build, and install the right lift for it..
Contact us today to learn how we can work with you on your next boathouse construction project.
Now Offering Sunstream Boat Lifts
Property Image is proud to be a certified Sunstream dealer. For nearly 30 years, Sunstream has led the boat lift industry with award-winning hydraulic, solar, and remote-controlled lift engineering, and we're pleased to bring that same quality and innovation straight to your dock.
Our Sunstream Lift Lineup
LiftBar — The Fast Ball-Screw Cable Lift
Meet the lift you barely see. LiftBar hides its entire lifting mechanism inside a slim 6 x 7 inch aluminum bar, so there is no powerpack or battery box sitting on your dock — and no overhead structure between you and the water. Twin DC motors drive a ball-screw mechanism that lifts or launches your boat in as little as 30 seconds, then locks the cradle in place: no sway, no cable tangle, and a smaller gap to the dock for safer boarding.
Because LiftBar is battery powered (trickle-charged by 110V or solar), there is no AC power in the water and no 220V circuit to run — and it still works when dock power is out. It mounts to pilings, fixed docks, or integrated floating docks, and it is built for salt water: raise it, and the working components come out of the water with the boat.
Property Image measures your slip, water depth, and boat first, then specs the right LiftBar model for your dock.
Quick specs: Lift or launch in as little as 30 seconds (up to 10 ft/min) · Lifting range 9-12 ft depending on model · As little as 8 inches of water under the keel (V-hull; add 3 inches for pontoons) · Salt-water ready · Piling, fixed, and floating docks
SwiftShield — Cover Your Boat in About 30 Seconds
The cover you will actually use. SwiftShield is Sunstream's automatic boat cover system: press a button and smooth hydraulics guide a custom-fit, marine-grade cover over your boat — top, sides, and rear — or roll it away onto its roller for storage. No snapping, no wrestling a cover in the wind, and no crew of two or three to get it done.
Every cover is digitally measured for your boat, with open aft venting so the boat dries quickly underneath. The frame is marine-grade aluminum with stainless hardware, built for fresh or salt water, and SwiftShield pairs with SunLift X, SunLift Legacy, FloatLift, and Helix-P — plus configurations for other pile, elevator, and swing-arm lifts. Some boats up to 40 feet can be fitted; bass-style boats with bow-mounted trolling motors are the main exception, so we confirm fit on your boat before quoting.
One Gulf Coast note we walk every owner through: take the cover off ahead of forecast winds above 70 mph. We cover the storm-season prep for your exact setup at install.
Quick specs: Cover on or off in about 30 seconds by remote or phone · Custom digital fit with quick-dry venting · Marine-grade aluminum and stainless hardware · Works with most Sunstream lifts · Fits select boats up to 40 ft
Which Sunstream Lift Fits Your Boat?
The right lift comes down to three things: how your dock is built, how much water you have at mean low tide, and what your boat weighs. Here is how the Sunstream line breaks down.
| Lift | Best for | Water needed | Launch time | Capacity (model shown) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix2-P | Piling docks, with the frame hidden inside the pilings | Standard piling-dock depth | About 30 seconds | 8,000 lb (HP8000-2) |
| SunLift X | Freestanding; rests on the bottom | Down to 0-3 in. under the keel in shallow-water configuration | About 30 seconds | 5,000 lb at 4 ft range (SLX5010B4) |
| FloatLift | Free-floating; ties to a dock or mooring buoy | Your draft plus 12 in. | About 18 seconds | 5,500 lb (FL6012D / FL7012D) |
| SwiftShield | Automatic cover; adds to any lift above | Not applicable | About 30 seconds | Boats up to 40 ft |
Sunstream builds medium, large and X-large versions of each lift, so the figures above are for the models named. We measure your slip, your water and your boat before specifying anything.
Built for Gulf Coast Water
A lift that does fine on a freshwater lake has a harder life down here. These are the conditions we spec around.
Salt gets everything eventually
Sunstream frames are marine-grade aluminum with stainless hardware, and FloatLift adds zinc protection on frame components. On the FloatLift the hydraulic cylinders retract above the waterline when the lift is raised, so the working parts are not parked in salt water between trips.
Shallow water and soft bottoms
A lot of sound and bayou frontage here does not have the depth for a conventional cradle lift. SunLift X runs in a shallow-water configuration with as little as 0-3 inches under the keel, and FloatLift floats rather than standing on a soft sand bottom, needing only 12 inches under your keel.
Tide swing
FloatLift rises and falls with the water, so your hull stays supported through the tide instead of hanging in a fixed cradle as the water drops away underneath it.
Storm season
Sunstream publishes hurricane preparation guidance for each lift, and SwiftShield covers should come off when winds above 70 mph are forecast. We will go through the prep steps for your setup with you before the season starts.
How Your Install Works
1. Site visit
We measure water depth at mean low tide, check what the bottom is made of, and look at your dock or piling layout and slip width, along with your boat's weight, beam and draft.
2. Lift spec
We match the lift and bunk setup to your hull, confirm how you will power it (AC, DC or solar), and check whether SwiftShield fits your boat.
3. Permitting
Requirements vary by county and by waterway. We will tell you what your site needs before any work starts, so nothing stalls halfway through.
4. Install and walkthrough
Set, wired, tested. Before we leave we run the remote and the smartphone app with you so you are not reading a manual on your first trip out.
Boat Lift Questions We Get Asked
- How much water do I actually need for a boat lift?
- Less than most people expect. FloatLift needs your draft plus about 12 inches. SunLift X can be configured for 0-3 inches under the keel. If you have a piling dock, Helix2-P works at standard piling depth.
- Will a hydraulic lift hold up in salt water?
- That is what these are built for: marine-grade aluminum, stainless hardware and zinc protection on frame components, with cylinders that retract above the waterline on the FloatLift.
- How fast do they actually launch?
- Roughly 30 seconds for Helix2-P and SunLift X, and about 18 seconds for FloatLift.
- Can I run the lift from my phone?
- Yes. Sunstream lifts pair with a smartphone app over Bluetooth, so you can check voltage, battery health, charging status, and diagnostics right from your phone. We'll walk you through setup during your install.
- What do I do with the lift before a hurricane?
- Sunstream publishes preparation guidance for each model, and SwiftShield covers should be removed when winds above 70 mph are forecast. Call us and we will walk your site with you.
- Do you handle jet ski lifts and covers too?
- Yes. See our jet ski lifts and boat lift covers.
We build and service boat lifts across the Florida Panhandle, including Niceville, Valparaiso, Shalimar, Navarre, Mary Esther, Destin and Miramar Beach. See all service areas.
Trust Us for Quality Boat Lift Construction
Investing in boat lift construction is an excellent way to enhance your waterfront property and make your boating experience more enjoyable. Property Image is proud to offer top-quality boat lift solutions as a preferred Tide Tamer and Golden Boat Lifts® partner. Our commitment to exceptional service, custom designs, and expert installation ensures that your boat lift will serve you well for years to come.