Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site New pond construction costs

Brettski:

Here's how it worked for me. NRCS engineered the damn, provided drawings and volume estimates for contractors to follow. This included spec's for overflow pipe, dimensions for emergency spillway, and in the case of the first pond, for the hydrant below the dam. Slope of dam not to exceed 3:1, all other areas not to exceed 4:1 until 6(?) feet of depth reached. Those were the things I would have had no idea even to ask for. NRCS was a fount of knowledge. I was able to point out to them where I wanted depth increased, and how much.

These plans were given to 3 contractors who provided bids. These were firm bids, i.e. the amount they would build that pond for, to those specs. I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing it any other way. I needed to know how much the project was to cost, as I was essentially borrowing the money from the gov't, albeit in the form of an interest free loan. I still had to be able to make the payment.

First pond wasn't "exactly" like this, as we had a max limit...I was to get as much pond as possible for the $7100 NRCS had in the budget.

Second pond, however, was EXACTLY this scenario. "Here's what I want. How much will you charge to build it for me?" That's where the NRCS prints were beneficial. They gave all bidders the same gameplan. No fudging. The two that I've used are very different in their approaches, but both understood how this works. Very few people around here build with no gov't assistance, so the contractors are all familiar with NRCS and their rules.