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If you're choosing between an aluminum dock and a wood dock in a VW Docks sectional, the hardware and the install are the same. They share the Walk On Water system, sections of about 80 pounds, and a lifetime warranty on the heavy-gauge steel brackets. What changes is the frame, the deck, and how much work you do between seasons. Western Red Cedar is our most economical line and puts real wood under your feet, but it needs some care over the years. Aluminum costs more than cedar and asks for very little: no staining, sealing, or board replacement. Pick the one that fits how much time you want to spend on it.

Key Takeaways

• Both lines use the same hardware, the same 80-pound sections, and the same one-person install.
• Cedar is the economical choice and the real-wood look, with some upkeep every year.
• Aluminum costs more than cedar but skips the staining, sealing, and board replacement.
• Your lake bottom decides whether a sectional fits at all. After that, it comes down to upkeep and budget.
• Neither one is maintenance-free.

What's the same on both docks?

People come in thinking aluminum versus wood means two completely different docks. On a VW Docks sectional, it mostly means two different frames and decks riding on the same system.

Our sectional wood docks and sectional aluminum docks both use:

• The patented pipe casting and the Walk On Water install, so one person puts the dock in and takes it out from on top of the dock without getting wet.
• Sections of about 80 pounds.
• Adjustable heavy-gauge steel anchor plates and heavy-gauge steel braces.
• A lifetime warranty on the heavy-gauge steel brackets.

Both lines come with layout options and a full line of accessories. The spring and fall routine is the same either way, and our walkthrough on installing a dock by yourself applies to both.

Why would you choose a cedar sectional?

Cedar is where we started. We've built sectional Western Red Cedar docks since 1959, and it's still our most popular and most economical line.

Cedar makes sense on a dock you lift twice a year. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (accessed October 2026) lists it as one of the lightest commercial softwoods, about 21 pounds per cubic foot oven-dry, and rates it ahead of other softwoods at resisting warping, twisting, and checking. Flat boards mean your sections keep lining up season after season. Our wood sections are screwed together, which makes swapping out a worn board a simpler job.

A lot of lake-home owners just want wood underfoot. Good enough reason.

Now the upkeep. The cedar association itself says cedar that sits for long periods where decay can set in, like ground contact, should be treated with a preservative. A sectional comes out every fall, and stored the way we recommend, it winters up off the ground on blocks. During the season, you'll rinse off the muck, keep an eye on the boards, and replace the odd one that wears out. It isn't much work, but it's a yearly job.

Why would you choose an aluminum sectional?

We added the aluminum line in 1996 for owners who wanted the same one-person install with less work between seasons.

The frames are 6005-T5 aluminum with welded and gusseted corners. Aluminum protects itself with a thin oxide layer that's more stable than the metal underneath, and the 6000-series alloys are relatively resistant to corrosion, according to the aluminum producer Hydro's guide to aluminium corrosion (accessed October 2026). The decking is SunWalk vinyl in tan or gray.

You're paying more so you don't spend a June weekend with a stain brush. There's no staining, painting, or sealing, and no boards or posts to replace. No exposed nails or slivers either. If your kids run the dock barefoot all summer, you'll notice.

Aluminum sections also come 4 by 10 feet as well as the standard 4 by 7. On a long run, longer sections mean fewer to set in the spring and pull in the fall.

You'll still rinse the deck, check the hardware, look the frame over when it comes out. You just won't be doing woodwork.

Which one fits the way you use your lake?

Start by making sure a sectional is the right dock in the first place. That's a question about your water. A firm bottom at a workable depth suits a sectional. A soft, silty, or deep bottom calls for a floating dock, which our guide to the best dock for a soft or deep lake bottom covers. Get that right, then pick the deck.

Once a sectional fits, here's how the choice usually goes:

• You're at the lake every weekend and would rather fish than work: aluminum.
• You want real wood and don't mind a little care each season: cedar.
• Budget is the deciding line: cedar. It's our most economical sectional, and it goes in and comes out exactly like the aluminum.
• It's a rental cabin or a place you only get to a few times a summer: aluminum, since there's less to check on and less to fix from a distance.
• You're replacing an old wood dock that wore you out: figure out what actually wore you out. If it was a post-and-plank dock that took a crew to put in, the wood wasn't the problem, and a cedar sectional may be all you need.

Buy the one you'll actually keep up with. Either dock does better when somebody looks it over every fall. And if you're shopping because your current dock is failing, our post on the signs you need a new dock will tell you whether it's really time.

Where VW Docks fits

VW Docks was the first dock company to design a sectional Western Red Cedar dock one person could install, remove, raise, and lower without getting in the water, and that system carries both lines today. We build both, so we've got no reason to steer you toward one. If you're still weighing dock types, start with our guide to choosing the right dock for your lake and shoreline. If you want to go deeper on wood, our post on the best wood for boat docks covers it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an aluminum dock better than a wood dock?

Neither wins every time. On our sectionals the hardware and install match, so the choice comes down to price and upkeep. Aluminum costs more and needs less care. Cedar costs less, looks like wood, and wants a little attention each season.

Which is cheaper, an aluminum or a wood dock?

In our lineup, the cedar sectional is the most economical. Your actual price depends on length, layout, decking, and accessories, so ask your dealer for numbers on your frontage.

Do aluminum docks corrode in lake water?

Aluminum protects itself with a natural oxide layer, and the 6000-series alloy we use is relatively resistant to corrosion. That doesn't make it immune, so rinse it, look it over when it comes out, and deal with anything unusual early.

Do the two docks go in and come out differently?

No. Both use the same Walk On Water system, the same winch, and sections of about 80 pounds. If you can handle one, you can handle the other.

Still on the fence? Find your local VW Docks dealer and walk on both before you buy. If you already know which one fits, request a quote for your shoreline.