Hello all! I have previewed the forum and must say im impressed with the info on here. With that being said I will put my first topic into thought for you guys. I am currently in assessment to planning, reviewing, and following through on a 3/4 acre pond build on my property in sw ohio. Was wondering what the average price for a pond this size averaging 10 ft in depth, with a 3;1 slope would be. I have a known pond builder lined up already but am strongly reviewing all plans as much as possible. I have already seen several ponds built by contractor and am impressed as well as happy with the customers opinions on the jobs.I have had my soil tests dug already an am told majority of dirt is muck then sand/gravel, little clay. Was told pond was for sure possible to be built efficiently but will cost a little more $$ due to extra excavating work to correctly blend and pack the liner with correct compacion/clay. Any input and info from you guys will be greatly appreciated!!

Welcome to PB. Not sure how he is going to get sand and gravel to hold water.

Plus 1 to what Dave said. Is he going to bring in clay from an outside source? I would spend the money on getting the liner right so it don't leak.

I had estimates ranging from 15K to 35K. My pond was re-doing an old filled in pond with difficult access, plus it has a strong spring flowing in. All of that makes the price higher than a new build, in most cases.

PondFanatic, I put in a ~3/4 acre pond a few years ago with a price tag of $13,300 for the dirt guy. I received quotes for $5,000, $18,000, $22,000, $25,000, $28,000, and $32,000. The highest 4 prices included all the materials for my primary spillway. So when I selected the $13,300 quote I spent an additional $5,000 for materials. They removed 9,000 cubic yds of dirt, replaced 500 yds for the keyway and used 1500 yds for the dam. The remaining soil was piled up on site into clay and topsoil piles. We ended up hitting pockets of sand, gravel, and water so we had to dig it out and pack with clay. I had/have enormous amounts of clay so sourcing for us was not an issue. My slopes are 3:1 with a max depth of 9'

Hey guys thanks for the replys. Good info ben, im looking to be somewhere in the 13k-15k range. My guy says he guarantees the pond from leaking otherwise he wouldnt do it. And i agree, i want it done right. Im just nervous about the soil issue which dirt guy says will not be a problem it will just put me in the 15k range. The pond will be at the end of a1000ft+ grass waterway between two adjacent hay fields with slight incline into thw middle. The ground is always damp in this area except when seasons permit. I just hope its a good location . Also there is a quarter mile of farm waterway upstream from this area

Also included with my $ range is the 3/4 acre pond dig, 3/:1 slope, 10in incoming drain along with 20ft of drain pipe behind it up waterway, 5:1 slope on the dam, along with with emergency spillway, and a 10in exit pipe thru dam.

PF, That is a good fair price, at least by my standards. What if he hits some unforeseen circumstance, is there an additional charge? The guarantee of no leak is probably worth an additional $1,000 or two! Out of all the quotes and people I talked to not a single one ever guaranteed a non-leaky pond and everyone made sure to mention they could NOT guarantee it. I would make sure to get in writing on the quote or some other signed document. I don't suppose you would be willing to offer up his name just in case I have future pond work?

I have a very similar situation. I sent you a PM message. Feel free to contact me, I may be able to offer some help. I also live in SW ohio. Our soils are generally heavy with clay, except in flood plains and such. Why is the site damp when it is sandy? Is there a high water table? What is the "muck" made up of and how thick? Seems odd that they would recommend the site with a guarantee when these soils are problematic to begin with.Have you had your soil and water district evaluate the site and observe the test? They will engineer your pond for 150-200 dollars which is refundable if you follow their plan

The site is a waterway between farm ground and the future pond area is at the end of it before woods begin. There is an old busted drain tile through the waterway which we believe created the "muddy muck" then below that is a vein of sandy gravel then low amounts of clay./poor soil. This area has been slightly saturated many years since the old tile was never replaced. There is available dirt around the site to be excavated to bring in correct clay/soil for the seal. seems legit just makes ya nervous as any new pond! Also upon digging of test holes they begin to fill up with water