Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam New pond seepage. Is this normal?

All ponds/dams leak but they should not get worse in the weeks/months following construction.

Excavation is basically bid on how much material will be moved. If more material needs to be moved, it makes sense that there would be an "extra" charge, such in the case of a core. I think this is merely the contractor justifying costs to the customer. No contractor knows exactly what they will encounter before they start digging. Test holes can give you a good idea but there are always surprises. Most excavators will give you an estimate as opposed to a guaranteed price. The estimate is usually loosely based on cost per cubic yard and their estimated time. If you want a guanteed lump sum price for a leak free pond...expect it to be double or triple that of an estimate.

Are there written specifications for the dam/pond? Did the excavating company build the pond in compliance with the specification? Was there any guarantee that the pond would be leak free or for workmanship?

Having clearly written plans, specifications, and a contract with a lump sum price and provisions with a pre-established per cubic yard unit prices for extra work outside of the plan is most fair for all parties involved.

It is also a good idea to have a capable quality assurance person without any vested interest in the project to give the owner assurance that the contractor is performing the work in accordance with the plan and specification and too look for potential problems that can be addressed during construction which will be less costly for both the owner and the contractor to correct during rather than after completion.