I've been talking to local contractors about the estimated cost to build my pond. The pond will be between 1/4 - 1 acre, depending on cost. I have a site with enough watershed to keep it full. It's on a gentle slope. The people who've looked at it say that it will be a "half dam, half dug-out." Test holes show 2 feet of topsoil, then lots of good blue clay with some shale mixed in. In fact, the contractor who dug the test holes said they're among the best he's ever seen in this area. The extra dirt will be dumped on another spot on my land, around 700' away.
The contractor I'm talking to is quoting the entire job based on $2.75 per cubic yard. What I'm wondering about is that he's basing his estimate on the total cubic yards of water in the finished pond. i.e., if the surface of the pond is 100'x100', average depth of 5', then the water area is 100'x100'x5' = 50,000 sq. ft. / 27 = 1,852 sq. yards. At a cost of $2.75 per yard this means $5,000 for a 1/4 acre pond. If I go up to a larger pond the cost becomes astronomical. It would be around $23,000 for a one acre pond!
I'm wondering if he actually needs to move that much dirt since the land is on a slope and he can build a dam to get some of the height he needs. I mean, it's not like he's just digging a 100x100x5 hole in the ground. Plus, the soil is perfect and he's dumping the extra dirt close by, which I thought should reduce the price some.
Any thoughts? Is $2.75 per cubic yard of water in the finished pond as crazy as I think it is?
