A great stress reliever, koi fish is a good addition to any home. It can make the landscape of your house better and add aesthetic value to your property. Constructing a koi pond is a huge investment, but it’s worthwhile.
Having a koi pond sounds like a good idea, but this exciting prospect leaves us with one question. What is the cost to build a koi pond?
Koi Pond Construction Average Cost
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Koi pond construction rates for a koi pond cost range from $2,000 to even as high as $15,000, depending on the size and the components you wish to install. DIY ponds for the most basic type, on the other hand, range around $500 up $1,000. But it could go up to $2,000 if you want more enhancements to your project.
Excavating the ground to make space for the pond is one of the first things needed. Contractors usually charge between $21 and $42 for every square yard of ground needed to be dug. This rate depends on the rate of the excavator and the place where the excavation is.
The next material is the pool liner which keeps the water from seeping out and leaking. Pond liners come in three different materials: fiberglass, rubber, and cement. They could also be preformed (the manufacturer sells them in definite shapes already) or they could be bought raw and to be applied to the pond.
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Fiberglass pond liners are commonly preformed. They differ in depth, sizes, and capacity. The following are some of the prices for fiberglass pond liners:
- Aqua Culture Tanks’ prices range from $2,000 to $6,000.
- Waterford Gardens offers a fiberglass preformed koi pond for $6,800.
On the other hand, rubber pond liners are versatile and largely inexpensive. Unlike fiberglass pond liners, rubber pond liners come in sheets that hug to the surface of the pond. Manufacturers offer rubber pond liners in different dimensions (such as 5 feet by 20 feet sheets), and larger sheets are more expensive.
- The Pond Guy sells rubber liners from $30 to $4,500 apiece.
- The Water Garden’s prices range between $5 and $1,420 for each liner.
- Pondliner offers rubber liners from $16.50 to $320.
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The sturdiest material for pond liners is cement. Cement prices are per cubic meter (or per 264.172 US liquid gallon). The following are the prices of some manufacturers:
- Ocean Concrete sells cement at a range from $191 to $251.
- Cadman’s price range is between $167 and $177.
Koi ponds also need filters and pumps to keep the water clean and clear. Prices for filters and pumps differ based on the type and power that they can provide.
- Aquascape sells filters and pumps from as low as $160 to as high as $1,030.
- Fishmate offers cheaper filters and pumps at a range between $180 and $290.
- PondXPert’s offerings range from $323 to $810.
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Bottom drains help clean the pond by removing the debris and waste in the water. These are connected to the filter and pump. Bottom drain prices are listed below:
- DreamPond offers bottom drains from $55 to $215.
- Rhino has a more varied selection ranging from $89 to $450.
- EasyPro sells drains from $97 to $239.
Koi fish ponds aren’t complete without koi fish. Online sellers like Koi Fish Ponds offer a variety of fish that can be delivered or picked up from the store. Their prices are listed below:
- Standard koi fish go from as low as $4 to $1,250.
- Butterfly koi fish range between $7.5 and $3,000.
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Inclusions
The above quote comes with all the materials you need to build a koi pond in your home, from the excavation cost, the material you’ll use for the pond liners, the filters and pumps, the drainage and the pipelines.
The service that could potentially be the most expensive is the excavation cost. If you have a lot of time and energy to spend, you could cut back and save money by DIY digging the pond.
When you consider digging the pond yourself instead of hiring contractors, the timeframe of construction becomes longer. You have greater control on how deep the pond gets as well as its shape and design.
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You could opt to have friends or family members help you out, or you could hire people to labor and dig the ground. If you decide to hire people, you could check out sites like Indeed to find suitable people to man your pond.
Going DIY will consume more time, but it’s far less expensive than hiring contractors and their equipment. Choose something that suits your budget.
Other Costs to Consider
Constructing a koi pond in itself is already a pretty expensive investment. There are also other expenses that will be incurred and should be taken into consideration.
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- Depending on the laws of your locality, you may need to procure permits before excavation of the ground can push through. Permits can be secured from the local building department.
Local buildings generally charge permit fees. For example, when building a pond in Kansas, landowners must get a permit from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The minimum fee listed on their official website is $200.
- It’s important to keep the pond clean and that the environment is suitable for the koi fish. Weekly testing of water for the normal range of natural chemicals (like nitrogen compounds) will go a long way to keep the koi fish healthy.
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Annual cost for maintenance can reach as high as $1,000. This includes the electricity needed to power the machines, the food, the tools, and the like.
- Transportation and Delivery. Delivery of the materials needed can add up to the total expenses. Companies often include fuel costs and surcharges for transportation and delivery of materials.
Buying Tips
Have the land assessed and determine the shape and depth of the pond that will be most efficient for the least amount of materials. Soil quality is also a major consideration during excavation. Clay, sand, and rocky soil all possess different properties that can make the excavation easier or harder. Services like Promatcher match your needs to excavator contractors.
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Further, determining where the pond will be located and its specific dimensions will allow you to more accurately calculate the estimated costs and see where you can cut back and save money.
Find as many sellers as possible, read reviews, and look for the cheapest price for the same amount of quality. The internet offers many possible sellers and manufacturers and you could take your time in selecting the best materials.
Koi Pond Construction Cost Factors
Koi pond construction rates are affected by a variety of factors that can make it more expensive or cheaper.
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- Size, Shape, and Depth. The bigger a pond is, the more irregular its shape, and the deeper it goes makes the excavation of the pond more expensive. Sticking to more regular shapes (like rectangles and ovals) will lessen the amount of attention that the equipment will have to do, and in the process, lessen the working time and the expenses.
- When you decide to hire contractors, you’re ensured of professionally done work. Different contractors have different rates, and some contractors don’t include the rent of the equipment in the calculated cost. Be sure to check with your contractor.
- Another consideration is the location where the pond will be built. Contractors charge differently for each separate location. Further, delivery costs of materials typically become more expensive the farther you are from the manufacturer.
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- Pond Liner. Different liners have different properties and, at the same time, different price points. Choose something that suits your style and which is enough for your budget.
- Pond Surrounds and Other Structures. Surrounds refer to the objects that are present in the perimeter of the pond. They may be natural surrounds like rocks and stone, or they could be bricks and cobblestones. Other structures, like bridges, gazebos, and makeshift docks would make the construction more expensive.
- Filters and Pumps. There are different varieties of filters with differing features. Select the best one for your pond at the least price to let you save money.
What Else You Need to Know
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There are many things involved in constructing a koi pond. Anyone who wants to have one needs to secure the necessary permits, dig a deep enough hole, buy all the needed materials, and the like.
Koi ponds can be as any big as you want them to be. Keep in mind that for every koi fish, give it at least 200 gallons of water to swim around. Also, make sure to keep the depth at around four to five feet to keep stray animals from eating the fish.
Rubber pond liners, like EPDM rubber, come in two variations—45 mil and 60 mil. These refer to the thickness of the rubber sheet. 45 mil means that a liner is 0.045 inches thick, while 60 mil is a 0.06-inch thick liner.
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