Cost to own a pontoon boat in Rhode Island
Example: the SunChaser 21 Lr Dh, 21' 8", at its published builder price of $54,119 (sunchaserboats.com). It is the middle-priced of 160 pontoon / tritoon models with a published price ($23,970 – $418,939).
| Cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sales/use tax (once) | $0 | 0% on boats: R.I. Gen. Laws §44-18-30(48) exempts boats/vessels (general rate 7%; parts and accessories remain taxable) -- boats generally exempt from RI sales tax (except purchases before 1993-07-29); outboard motors 7% from retailers. Cap: n/a: boats/vessels exempt from sales and use tax (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-18-30). |
| Title (once) | $25 | State title fee. |
| Registration (per year) | $33 | $66 every 2 yr (structured length tier 21-26 ft (2-year registration)). Extra service/county fees not included. |
| Maintenance (per year) | $5,412 | 10% of boat value, a rule of thumb from discoverboating.com; not a measured average. |
| Property tax | — | No if registered — not included in these totals. |
| At purchase (tax + title) | $25 | plus the boat price |
| Per year, sourced lines | $5,445 | about $454/month; partial |
Costs you add yourself
We have no official per-state figure for these, so they are not in the totals above.
- Storage: outdoor storage runs about $600 – $3,600 a year nationally (discoverboating.com, $/month × 12). Keeping it on a trailer at home can be $0.
- Insurance: no public premium data; get a quote. Insurance matcher
- Fuel: the SunChaser 21 Lr Dh holds 38 gal. No official or public marina-fuel dataset found. EIA on-road retail gasoline/diesel by region is a proxy only.
- Loan: these numbers assume cash. Add your rate and term in the calculator.
Run the full calculator for this boat
More: Rhode Island boating rules · all pontoon / tritoon models
Sources
- Registering agency: Rhode Island DEM
- dem.ri.gov
- dem.ri.gov
- webserver.rilegislature.gov
- tax.ri.gov
- Boat price and length: sunchaserboats.com
State rules checked 2026-10-24. Fees change; confirm with the agency. Calculated with the same engine as the true cost tool.