Cost to own a pontoon boat in Texas
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) | $3,382 | 6.25% of sales price (vessels 115 ft or less and outboard motors), collected by TPWD at registration/title transfer, due within 45 working days. Cap: $18,750 maximum boat/motor sales tax per sale (6.25% rate). |
| Title (once) | $27 | State title fee. |
| Registration (per year) | $27 | $53 every 2 yr (length tier 16-26 ft). |
| Maintenance (per year) | $5,412 | 10% of boat value, a rule of thumb from discoverboating.com; not a measured average. |
| Property tax | — | Generally no for personal-use boats (local option) — not included in these totals. |
| At purchase (tax + title) | $3,409 | plus the boat price |
| Per year, sourced lines | $5,438 | about $453/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: Texas boating rules · all pontoon / tritoon models
Sources
- Registering agency: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- tpwd.texas.gov
- tpwd.texas.gov
- tpwd.texas.gov
- uscgboating.org
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- tpwd.texas.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.