Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Hourly $ for a dozer?

I decided to have the forest cleared at the site of my future pond. I want to get someone to shoot the elevations and give me an idea of what size pond I can build. I expect it to come in somwhere between 1.5 and 4 ac.

What should I expect to pay for a D6 or similar machine / hr? Can the dozer contractor usually shoot the elevations?

(my old contractor charged $65/hr and did the pond design for free - watershead cals, overflow pipe design etc. I just can't find him anymore)

I am in the Brenham / College Station area in Texas.

south louisiana,adding on to my lake now.i'm paying $750.00 per day for dozer,$850.00 for trackhoe and $300.00 per day for dump truck with driver.hope this help's you.

Just about all the "good" Dozer guys can shoot laser, generally they're pretty accurate. Back when oil prices were low, i.e. 12 months, a local operator could be had for a minimum of $55-60, per hour...add another $10 per hour if they have to travel. I don't think diesel prices have skyrocketed like other gas prices, but you're getting a good deal at the above rates.

There are some variables shooting waterlines and acreage. It's easy to guess...it's a lot harder once the digging begins...clay depth varies, and there's unknowns with rock/limestone/gravel/etc.

I bet it costs $1000 per day or more for a good dozer guy on a D6.

Thanks for the feedback. Anyone else please chime in. I am getting three estimates. Some people prefer to work by the job, some by the hour. I would prefer this one by the hour, because there are spots already cleared and a mixture of very dense and very light underbrush.
The thickest is from the road and it is the first impression so I think the fixed price will come in the highest.

Lee,

That is very valuable info. I will need the trackhoe and trucks later. How many hour days do they work?

Thanks.

e,everything i do on my farm i try to work with a hard price.as we speak i'm adding on to the lake,this area will be about 3/4 acre larger and it will cost me $7,000.00.they are running 2 12 yard trucks 9 hour days,1 large track hoe and 1 d6 dozer.it will take them about 3-31/2 days to complete this project.i've added on to this lake 2 other times and 1 time i did not need many truck hours due to we had a levee and dozer's were pushing dirt then 1 time we had 13 dump trucks working in the hole.i have found with a good contractor they will put in 9 hour days with no problem.be very carefull with any job by the hour.these guys know how to do nothing in 8 hours with a rookie watching.good luck.when are you digging your pond?

The problem with a "hard price" is that any smart dozer guy will have to build risk into his cost. You never know what you are going to hit when you start a pond project. I think it's better to find someone who has a track record for doing good work and who you can trust. That way you pay for what you get and it's fair for everyone. A job can take 2 to 3 times longer than expected due to rain, hitting springs, big bolders, sand , etc. etc. etc.

Plan the project. Have test holes dug so you have a good idea what's in the ground and find a pond builder who can show you work he has done and talk, talk, talk to his other customers.

I was lucky to get a great guy here in New York and we were able to both envision what I wanted and I got exactly what I wanted. CLick my home page to see photos of my pond.

Good Luck!!!!

lee, I am not sure about the timing of the pond. Right now I just need to clear the land and shoot the elevations to see how high the dam has to be, check my watershead, design the overflow and spillway etc. My plan witht the previous contractor was to do it in stages, kind of like you are talking about. Add on a little every year. How is that working out? Are you partially draining the lake every time you do that?

ed,not sure with the original size but this is how i did my pond.started with about 3 1/2 acres then added sections totaling i guess about 5- 5 1/2 acres now.the way i did this was build a new section and cut the dam down so as original pond gets full water goes in new section(plug overflow pipe)then when water gets right you dig the middle of the dam out first then take sides out this way you dont get your water all muddy again.i've done this 3-4 times now and it works great.you can also make the old levee a ridge,i put about 4 feet of water on the old levee.i find this better than lowering the pond.