What should I expect to spend for a 1/4 to a 1/2 acre pond?

[dooleysm]

As I understand it from some other posts on here, Florida is a unique situation. The water table is so high that if you just dig a hole, it'll fill with water and you have a pond. If this is the case, it's little work for someone wanting fill dirt to come in and dig a hole, take the dirt, and leave you with a pond. Most other places you need to dig a keyway, pack clay on top of it, and build up a dam. This is a more significant effort and (at least in my case) the dam used up all the dirt that was excavated from the pond.

My point being, I wouldn't count on finding a deal like this in too many places around the country.

 

[MarkV]

Wade before you get going to fast I would have someone in the know take a look at the soil you will be working with. A pond needs a clay base to hold water or you end up with a hole in the ground. My FIL built and then rebuilt what ended up being a hole in the ground and we are now paying for dirt to fill it in. Clay can be trucked in and compacted as a liner but the expense can be steep.

Unfortunately you may run into a problem with the power easement also. A line goes down in a storm they don’t want it landing in a pond. It would make for a very quick fish fry.

MarkV

 

[MMM]

Check with USDA about EQUIP. Mine was cost shared at 75% due to erosion problem (a 20' ravine was dammed) There's a 50% share plan also for stock watering. If water table is consistently high as mentioned, you shouldn't need a dam. That's a BIG plus $-wise.
Good luck.

 

[ToadHill]

I had a 1/2 acre pond put in. The guy I hired charged by the hour, biggest dozer I ever saw. The pond is 14 ft deep at one end and swimming depth at the other. At an hourly rate of $120 per hour it cost me just over $1200.

 

[dirtworksequip]

The RULE OF THUMB for soil types in pond building is " If you can wet it and make a mudball that will hold together you can make a pond" Soil types are not quite as critical as you may think.

 

[cisco]

Digging the pond might just be the start. I had a 1/2 acre pond dug last summer ($3000, including the dam and outlet pipe; 9' deep - South Carolina). Then I had to sod the sides so I wouldn't get too much erosion into the pond. Then I had to move the dirt (from the pond dig) to other areas on my property that needed leveling - and that was 1 FEL load at a time. Then I had to plant ornamental trees (my wife wanted "color") around the pond, and lay water and electrical lines for the trees and lighting. Then I had to treat the pond for algae - which flourished after the water cleared.
So, ponds are great - but mine turned out to be a bit more work than anticipated (like just about any chore I get into).
PS - get some "sterile" carp, like the golf course ponds, to control the algae without crowding out the "game fish" (catfish, bass) you're going to stock the pond with for grandchildren

 

[MossRoad]

Digging the pond might just be the start. I had a 1/2 acre pond dug last summer ($3000, including the dam and outlet pipe; 9' deep - South Carolina). Then I had to sod the sides so I wouldn't get too much erosion into the pond. Then I had to move the dirt (from the pond dig) to other areas on my property that needed leveling - and that was 1 FEL load at a time. Then I had to plant ornamental trees (my wife wanted "color") around the pond, and lay water and electrical lines for the trees and lighting. Then I had to treat the pond for algae - which flourished after the water cleared.
So, ponds are great - but mine turned out to be a bit more work than anticipated (like just about any chore I get into).
PS - get some "sterile" carp, like the golf course ponds, to control the algae without crowding out the "game fish" (catfish, bass) you're going to stock the pond with for grandchildren

They just found "sterile" carp in our river last fall. Hmmm....

 

[cisco]

OK, if the darn things haven't been sterilized, then I'll take up bow hunting, for fish, a time-honored (in the Amazon) pursuit for fish that don't readily come to a baited hook. If that doesn't work, dynamite is usually effective (neighbors may notice), but then I'd have to restock the pond with "game fish" like catfish or bass. Oh well, a big fish fry... and then a pond restocking?