Free pond - see any problem?

TomIre · Mar 20, 2019

A gentleman who has been in the area all his life (stable, local, etc) is offering to dig a pond on my property for free. The only "catch" is that he gets the material dug (top soil and/or clay) for his time. He sells it for fill dirt and topsoil to local builders, etc. I stopped by another site he's working on and everything looked OK. He has his own track hoe and dump truck. Looks legit in other words.
The main potential issue I can see is if he gets partway through the job and quits leaving me with a muddy mess. But, I'd just have to hire somebody to finish it off and can't see it costing much, if any, more than if I didn't have a mess.
Am I missing something? Seems a bit like a free lunch but I'm thinking it's a good deal all around.

JNA · Mar 20, 2019

See if he will buy it from you for $10 a load and have a contract, been here before.

chesternator · Mar 20, 2019

Curious myself. A pond existed on my property and was stocked but stopped holding water years ago before we moved in. Wondering if you are getting a pond or simply a hole in the ground. From what I understand, a pond is more than digging a hole. I still just have a hole that doesnt hold water. I'd like to get it fixed but not sure what that looks like. I'd also like to take some of the dirt to build up the bank so it's less of just being just a hole in the ground and also to keep it from extending into the neighboring property.

TomIre · Mar 20, 2019

JNA said:
See if he will buy it from you for $10 a load and have a contract, been here before.

Interesting but what would the contract say? Or, does it just establish a buyer/seller relationship? We could do that for a buck.

JNA · Mar 20, 2019

If you are considering it talk to another contractor to see what is required to build a fuctioning pond in your area.

JNA · Mar 20, 2019

How deep, sloped sides, clay lined, berms, excess unwanted fill etc. Who knows he may need it and it may be of value.

KennyG · Mar 20, 2019

I would think carefully about how much drainage you have into the pond. My experience is that ponds are pretty fool proof if you have natural drainage that can be directed into the pool. Then the quality of clay liner installation is not critical. If you don't have excess drainage, it needs to be built by an experienced pond guy.

airbiscuit · Mar 21, 2019

I get all the reservations listed above, however ... sometimes a handshake agreement between honorable people is as good as gold. That has been my experience anyway. I think it makes sense to define the boundaries, depth, saving clay for the liner, etc. It wouldn't hurt to see if the topography and soil will sustain a pond. If yes and you think this is one of those handshake agreements then win-win. It sounds promising to me.

newbury · Mar 21, 2019

There is probably a state agency that could be consulted for advice and maybe even to give you $$ for things like a standpipe. My parents had a small pond put in (in northern Vermont) by the state.
GREAT impact on me. Fresh fish, swimming all four days of summer.
Might want to visit a dedicated site like Pond Boss Magazine: PondBoss Magazine.

rbtjr · Mar 21, 2019

I would definitely get some design help, hopefully from the state agency that regularly deals with pond construction. You may also need a permit from a state agency and/or the US Army Corp of Engineers. We have built two ponds. You need to have an adequate flow of water to support the size pond. For us, that meant determining the acreage and composition of the drainage basin from which the water drained into the pond. You have to consider seepage, overflows, etc. In our case, we constructed dams that included a core area of compacted soil all the day down to soil that didn't "leak"--i.e., down to soil that would not seep too much. And you need some construction planning. What happens if your guy starts digging and water flows into the area he is digging in and interferes with the plan? You might need to construct a temporary diversion of the water flow. And when you start changing the natural flow of water, you might need to consider the effects on downstream land owners. So, I would definitely get some knowledgeable advice, and I would also have a clear contract with your guy that incorporates the plan and obligates him to build the pond per the plan and to finish it.