Cost to build 1 acre pond

[EddieWalker]

I can't speak for the cost of the job, but I do like a detailed quote. That tells me volumes about the contractor and what he's doing.

The biggest fear that you will have when hiring dirt work, is not getting what you agreed to for the price you agreed to, or they run up the hours and go way over budget. Nailing them down on the final cost before they start is always the biggest challenge. Then keeping the price at the agreed rate comes in a close second.

Get they payment schedule worked out before hand and be sure not to pay the final amount until it is done to your satisfaction.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[CompactTractorFan]

The HST is our donation to goverment 13% taxes.

:laughing:

 

[swiss]

I have to second that this is a great quote, you could not ask for more. Dozer rates today in GA USA are around 100 per hour on qualified operators with equipment not sure what they are in Canada but for the South these prices are in line. More importantly the guy knows his business and has thought through the job. I would hire him if his references checked out in a heartbeat.

Why:
1. Spent the time to thoroughly estimate the job
2.) Understands what it will take to do the job
3.) Has tiered rates on the type of work being done

Steve

 

[bindian]

I honestly did not know that it rained like that anywhere in Texas. You learn something new every day I suppose!

Yep, we get dumped on here in East Texas.:laughing:
hugs, Brandi

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I just received an interesting quote (break down) last week and I didn't see something like this before. So now I'm confused, because all other quotes were as raising a tumb and speak... What's your opinion? Make sense?

a. Pond excavating: 225'x100'x12' c/w 3:1 slope
Excavator bucket volume (cy) 1
Total volume to excavate (cy) 6500
Time to excavate one bucket (min.) 0.5
Total time to excavate (hours) 54.17
No. of times to move excavator 14
Time to move excavator (min.) 5
Total time to move the excavator (hours) 1.17
TOTAL TIME (hours)+10% inspection 60.87
Operator/Excavator/Fuel cost/hour $100.00
a. TOTAL COST for excavating $6,086.67

b. Transport & level the soil (max. 300ft around) (fertile soil on top)
Loader bucket volume (cy) 5
Total volume to be transported & level (cy) 6000
Time to transport one bucket (min.) 3
Total time to transport & level (hours)+10% inspection 66
Operator/Loader/Fuel cost/hour $55.00
b. TOTAL COST for transport & level soil $3,630.00

c. Landscape the shore (3:1 slope) and clean the site (fertile soil on top)
Time to landscape (hours) 20
Operator/Loader/Fuel cost/hour $55.00
c. TOTAL COST landscape $1,100.00

Total a+b+c $10,816.67
HST $1,406.17
TOTAL $12,222.83

Quote to be confirmed once the test pit holes are in place.

I like what I see but he seems low maybe. Not giving himself much wiggle room in case of rain and mud. I would think he might want a bit to create spill or bring in topsoil to cover. Good luck.

 

[rogerius]

The test hole is in place. So after two days without rain some water came up and the water level is at 8 ft under the top. The forcast is rain for the next three days, so I keep my fingers cross.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Looks like you got a few decent sized rocks in the mix.

 

[JoeinTX]

You've gotten a lot of good responses so far and I can only echo the general mood.

Dirt work is a **** of a mess. You never know what you're going to dig into and find or how it can effect your time to complete the job. I am not an operator but I know their problem well. We ranch and many jobs, like cleaning out stock tanks, we can handle with a farm tractor and a soil mover, a chisel, for the cost of fuel and our time here and there invested. Other jobs are completely different and we hire it done. We don't ask the local dozer guy for an estimate because we know he can't give one. We know his hourly rate, we watch his hours on the job, and we generally come up somewhere close to one-another when the job is done. He's a pretty blunt and honest operator at that so nailing down the final price hasn't been hard.

Anyway, just someone else's $.02 worth.....

 

[fishwhiz]

Lots of experience on this thread. I'd add where is the cost of sealing the pond in the bid? You at least have to compact the soil, if not add clay. I got this from a pond construction cost page on a pond builder's site. They also reminded me of what will the cost of dredging a poorly designed pond add to the expense a decade or two later if the pond is built in a poor site like a ravine that washes lots of sediments.