Pond cost?

[Froggy]

Get some design advice from your local Natural Resource Conservation Service office. They can help you with dam design. It's important to have a properly designed overflow pipe and flood spillway.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/tx/contact/?cid=stelprdb1077064

[bklem]

Dont know what part of Texas you are in, but call Mike Otto... hes one of the highest recommended people in the US when it comes to building a pond and is very affordable. They key to a pond is holding water. People who can run a dozer or excavator is not the same as a pond builder.

^^^^^Great advice here. Mike was not an option for us because of locale but he is considered the best at building ponds/lake, not holes. There is a HUGE difference.

[texansfan]

You better call Mike Otto

[TKK]

Dont know what part of Texas you are in, but call Mike Otto... hes one of the highest recommended people in the US when it comes to building a pond and is very affordable. They key to a pond is holding water. People who can run a dozer or excavator is not the same as a pond builder.

THIS - you only want to use someone experienced in pond building. Mike is well known - I would use him but too far from where he operates I am afraid

[tex8569]

I would only hire someone with experience. Otherwise itll be a waste of money. We were quoted $45K for just under 1 acre with a prefabbed liner. The liner was 19 or 21 of that. This was in the hill country with good dirt but no clay. Another thing to consider is what happens in a drought when clay can crack. In my mind, find the highest reputable person you can afford.

[Murdock]

Dude it's funny the broad range of cost. I've seen from like $25k to $4k. I sure would like to be closer to the $4k. I can't believe we don't have a tbh brother that does this for a livin. Hell we got everything from janitors to doctors.

[spro]

Do some looking around for someone who will do it for the dirt. My mom had one dug last year and the guy did it for free because they used the dirt. They build foundation pads.

Brother-in-law did this in Louisiana and if I recall correctly they actually paid him for the dirt. Pond is awesome and has lots of big fish in it.

[TxHunter06]

Why not just rent a dozer for a couple weeks and dig it yourself? In my area it's about $1k per week to rent. That's what everybody I know with a pond did anyways.

[jshouse]

.

[Moose]

Was always told never do a bid for a pond, just ask a rate and supervise until it's done to your liking.

[texansfan]

I want a pond built by Otto but he charges $75 an hour to drive to you and I'm in Marshall and he's north of Dallas so I calculated over $400 in driving fees alone just for him to come out and possibly tell me that my site is no bueno for a pond be it lack of clay or poor catchment area.

Another guy gave me a quick and dirty $10-$12k quote over the phone.
That sounded reasonable but then again....

[texansfan]

Any other folks around Marshall want to get a pond built by Mike Otto and share the cost of him driving to our area (about 7hrs roundtrip) in order to give is quotes?

Let's say he agrees to $400 for his travel costs we can spilt that 4 ways $100 each and he'll charge is individually for however long it takes him to assess our property.

If I did it alone I estimated almost $1,000 just to get a quote.
That's a pretty big chunk seeing some are saying the whole (half acre, 8' deep) pond can be built for $4k

[friscopaint]

My pond was $30,000, could have gotten cheaper but I wanted it done once and done right and still a lot cheaper than a pool.....we definitely feel we got our monies worth. 3 operators with a total of 90 yrs experience and loved the fact that he said "if you just want a hole in the ground I'm not your guy"......looks fantastic and will add way more than that in value to my property, 1.5 acres 15 ft. deep. His price was based on the amount of dirt needed to move, knew after he surveyed how many yards he would move, and came highly recommended. Actually had them come back and knock down some since it hadn't settled as much as expected. They also pulled off topsoil and then placed it back over the clay once finished. Had left Otto a message but never heard from him. Funny how afterwards everybody knows someone that would have done it for "half" that because they need the work....a poorly built/looking pond would have caused more damage to my value than what I would have saved and we got exactly what we wanted.

[8mpg]

Aerial View....See the Pond in Top left Corner? A friend of mine did not listen, hired some jack leg to "run" a dozer to do his now he has a 1/2 acre Mud Hole and it cost 12k. Its only 6 ft deep and will never be clear. Plus it cost him extra on dirt work when he built his house because there were hug voids under the dirt where the Dozer track were.....If you want a mud hole in the ground thats fine, BUT to have a nice LOOKING pond you need to get someone with experience.

[ATTACH]782468[/ATTACH]

what are you doing to keep your water that clear? Chemicals? PH? Design isn't the only thing that is going to change water color. Runoff, spring water, water table, etc all add to it but **** your pond looks great!