Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site How much would this cost?

I was thinking about making a 4 acre lake out of my field. I know it will be alot of dirt moving but how much do you think it will cost?

A lot depends on your topography. Is it a flat field and you want an excavated pond, or do you need to only dam one end of a shallow valley, how much depth, etc.. Someone smarter than me will be along to help you calculate cubic yards. A topo map would probably help as well.. I can tell you that if your field is flat and you want to move 4 acres of dirt to dig an average depth of say 6 feet you are talking about a significant amount of cash

In reality, it all depends on the amount of dirt that needs to be moved. I've heard figures of $1.00 to $2.00 per cubic yard thrown about. I don't know if that also included any piping or structure.

I paid by the hour but my dirt guy usually charges $1.25 to $1.50 a yard depending on how far it has to be moved. This is only for the dirt moving everything else is extra

The rest of the guys have much more experience and knowledge but I am right in the process of bidding out a pond. Because of the topo I am able to save a little money but due to the thin layer of soil and limestone everywhere we are moving a lot of dirt to build the dam and construct a basin. I am spending more money for a smaller pond. Most bids in my area Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin are at 2 dollars per cubic yard. The guy that I will probably use is willing to quarantee a maximum cost and will track hours. He will charge me whichever is less.