Category: FAQs

Ponds are lovely water features that can add so much to your garden or yard. There are numerous types of ponds that come in all shapes and sizes. The price for building a pond varies significantly based on what you want. We’ll cover how different factors affect the price of a pond so you can get an idea of what to expect when it’s time to start building.

Do you want the perfect pond designed for your space? At Chalily, we design, build, and maintain unique ponds that fit your needs!

Factors That Affect How Much it Costs to Build a Pond

We’ll start with this: professionally built ponds are not cheap, and many factors can significantly affect how much you’ll end up paying.

The biggest factors include the following:

How Big of a Pond Do You Want?

One of the primary factors affecting the final price of building a pond is its size. Bigger ponds require more digging, lining, labor, and water.

Related: How To Prepare Your Pond for Autumn

What Type of Pond Do You Want?

There are various types of ponds, but we’ll cover the two most common.

Above-Ground Ponds

Also known as a container gardens.  If you have limited space or a smaller budget, above-ground ponds are a great option. Joe’s Patio Pond is a great beginner friendly container garden that fit in ANY space! You can use any watertight container you have on hand — barrels, bathtubs, troughs, etc. The Chalily retail store even used a old watertight boat as an aboveground pond! 

Backyard & Koi Ponds

Backyard & koi ponds are another attractive option that many people love to build in their yards or gardens, creating the perfect ecosystem for colorful, playful fish.

These ponds are extremely beautiful and are our personal favorites.

The best ponds use the space to their advantage! If you have a sloping backyard a waterfall or stream will make your space pop. We prefer to use your space as a jumping off spot for what would best fit your wants as well as what unique characteristics the property has to offer.

Related: How To Clean Your Pond

Excavation and Labor Costs

There are many other things that affect a pond’s installation cost, but the third significant factor is the price for  labor.

One of the first steps of building a pond is clearing the land, digging a hole, and clearing out rocks and vegetation from the area.

And if you need to remove any trees, those costs will increase.

You’ll have to pay labor for the excavation, liner installation, equipment like pumps and filters, and other water features.

Fish and Plant Stocking Costs

The best part about owning a pond is stocking it with fish, plants, and other wildlife to create a serene, relaxing space on your property. 

Pond plants aren’t only beautiful to look at — they also help control algae, improve water quality, oxygenate the water, balance the ecosystem, and provide shelter for your fish.

Our favorite part is stocking your pond with plants! 

Then, it’s time to think about stocking your pond with fish and other aquatic life. 

Related: How To Acclimate Fish To Your Pond

How to Save Money Building a Pond

If you don’t mind the hard work, you can build your own pond and save a significant amount. However, it’s not as easy as you might think.

The basic steps include measuring the area, renting an excavator or digging the hole by hand, digging the hole to exact specifications, installing liner and edging, adding different features, and filling the pond.

If you’re not confident about building your own pond, leave it to the pros. 

If you decide to build your own pond, you’ll need to stock it yourself — find the best pond plants here.

If there’s one thing that can make your garden more beautiful, it’s building a natural pond in your backyard. A pond benefits wildlife and adds a relaxing, soothing spot to enjoy your garden or yard.

If you want to save money, building your own pond is the way to go — but it will require a lot of work.

So, how do you build a pond?

Related: How To Clean Your Pond

 

How To Make a Pond In Your Backyard

After deciding to build a pond, the first thing to do is determine what you want out of it. Do you want to build a wildlife haven, have as many fish and plants as possible, or simply have a reflective space in your garden?

There are different ways to build a pond; the most popular options are a liner, preformed pond, or container.

Looking for the best pond products in the market? Chalily has a variety of aquatic plants including; floating plants, water lillies, shallow water plants, and much more! Check our collection today. 

How To Build a Pond With a Liner

Lined ponds are the traditional way to build a pond. It starts off with a large hole in the ground and requires removing any rocks or debris that could tear the liner. Then, you build a trench around the pond’s perimeter to accommodate the liner.

Next, you lay the liner in the hole and tuck its edges into the trench you dug. You can also use large rocks to weigh the liner down. The most popular liners for ponds are made of butyl rubber.

Finally, you’ll need to smooth the liner so that it’s flat and fill it before backfilling the trench with dirt or soil to secure the liner in place.

How to Build a Preformed Pond

Preformed ponds are an easier option. They use a plastic base that you bury in the ground — this is much faster than installing your own liner. However, it limits the size and space of the pond.

Installation is easy; dig a hole that matches the plastic base’s size, add a layer of sand, fill it with water, and backfill the area around the pond.

How to Build a Small Pond

If you don’t have lots of space, you can still build a beautiful pond in your yard. Container ponds are the quickest option, and they can be any size, large or small. However, more container ponds are relatively small.

You can use any watertight container — buckets, barrels, troughs, etc. — to build one. Size and shape don’t matter!

After choosing a container, you can add bricks and stones to create slopes instead of having a flat water surface. Then, fill it with water and add your favorite pond plants.

In addition, container ponds are great for those with young children; they’re safer than large traditional ponds and still attract frogs, dragonflies, and other wonderful wildlife to your home.

Related: How To Prepare Your Pond for Autumn

Pond Setup Tips

After building your beautiful pond, that’s not the end. What do you add? How do you ensure it’s safe? Do you need a pump?

Keep reading for the answers.

Building a Pond Safely

If you build an in-ground pond, you need to ensure it’s safe, particularly if you have pets or kids. 

Pond Pumps

Does your pond need a pump? Not necessarily, but it’s a good idea.

Pumps can have aesthetic benefits as well as helping oxygenate the water for fish and wildlife!

Troubleshooting Pond Water Issues

If your pond water turns green, you’re not alone. Algae is to blame. And while some algae are beneficial for your pond, a bloom can cause some serious issues.

The key to avoiding this is keeping your nutrient levels balanced and ensuring your water is well-oxygenated. The solution is simple: pond plants.

Having plants in your pond absorb nutrients from the sunlight that makes algae needs to grow.  Pond plants keep algae away, and act as a natural filter for your pond water.

How to Add Plants To Your Pond and Attract Wildlife

No matter what type of pond you decide to build, wildlife will often flock to it. Your pond will benefit the wildlife in the area and you get to watch all the bees, butterflies, frogs and toads enjoy their new home! It’s a win-win!

Pond plants are a fantastic way to encourage wildlife to visit your pond, among their other benefits for water quality and aesthetics. Ideally, you want to choose a mix of pond plants that offer both food for pollinators and protective spaces for insects, mammals, and amphibians.

Other than plants, installing a water feature like a bubbling fountain will make your pond look amazing, sound peaceful, and attract birds and other wildlife to your pond.

There are so many plants and fountains you can choose to add to your new pond to make it a peaceful spot for you, your family, and the local wildlife.

Looking for the best pond plants to stock your pond with? Shop the top pond plants here!

Related: How To Acclimate Fish To Your Pond