- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Cost on digging pond myself vs. hiring someone
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:10 pm
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:10 pm
I'm going to be getting 3.25 acres of pasture land that I plan on building a house and shop on. I figure digging pond for dirt for my pads would be the cheapest. So. I'm looking to dig a 1/2 to 3//4 acre pond. Here is my options.
1. Find someone with their own equipment and pay them to dig it for me.
2. I rent a machine to dig it myself. I've never ran a excavator before but I do have a skid steer I use to move dirt around and I'm hoping it wouldn't be much trouble to learn on the fly using the rented excavator.
Any ideas or people to refer? Costs information?
Any advice would be nice...
1. Find someone with their own equipment and pay them to dig it for me.
2. I rent a machine to dig it myself. I've never ran a excavator before but I do have a skid steer I use to move dirt around and I'm hoping it wouldn't be much trouble to learn on the fly using the rented excavator.
Any ideas or people to refer? Costs information?
Any advice would be nice...
13
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:30 pm to nsudemon10
just open the phone book and call the real local people who do it. It's different than those trying to bank off your service
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:34 pm to nsudemon10
quote:
I rent a machine to dig it myself. I've never ran a excavator before
Have you ever used a transit? Any idea how to cut to grade? how will it overflow?
Do you have enough water supply to fill a pond? Because a hole in a flat field is just going to be a giant mud hole that dries out in summer. You will need to have about 7-10 acres of storm drainage minimum to keep it full.
If so go ahead and have a blast, if not get someone to at least see if it is feasible, try the NRCS, I know they used to provide this service.
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:44 pm to nsudemon10
What's your time frame and where is it? How are you going to move it from pond area to pad? You going to hire/rent a dump truck too? I think most people charge about $3 a yard to dig, haul, and install dirt in this manner. At least in South LA.
Posted on 10/23/16 at 9:56 pm to cave canem
Why would it dry out? If it has clay bottom, and 7' deep it shouldn't.
Would you do it for half the price? 5k vs 10k
Would you do it for half the price? 5k vs 10k
Posted on 10/24/16 at 12:55 am to nsudemon10
From my experience most small ponds are built with a dozer not an excavator.
I'd call some local dozer operators and get a time estimate for their average 3/4 acre pond.
Then call your local equip rental and see how much rental rates are and compare.
Probably will be pretty expensive to get a pond properly built and have the pads built and compacted too. Just my opinion.
Edit - Also a majority of the dirt from a pond is usually used to build up a dam or raised portion on one side.
I'd call some local dozer operators and get a time estimate for their average 3/4 acre pond.
Then call your local equip rental and see how much rental rates are and compare.
Probably will be pretty expensive to get a pond properly built and have the pads built and compacted too. Just my opinion.
Edit - Also a majority of the dirt from a pond is usually used to build up a dam or raised portion on one side.
This post was edited on 10/24/16 at 12:59 am
Posted on 10/24/16 at 4:59 am to Rust Cohle
quote:
Why would it dry out? If it has clay bottom, and 7' deep it shouldn't.
You are going to be losing ROUGHLY a minimum of 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch of water per day due to evaporation in the summer, the larger the area drained the better you can combat this.
And honestly if you were unaware of this you really need to get a pro to determine if it is even feasible without supplementary water.
Ever noticed how many people have empty ponds in their yard? They all assumed that if they dug a hole it would just fill up and stay there.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 5:56 am to cave canem
Not sure where you live, but around Baton Rouge I've seen many many ponds in my life and none of them have been empty. It hasn't rained here in seven or eight weeks, since the big flood, and my pond is down maybe a foot and a half.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 6:11 am to Rust Cohle
quote:
Not sure where you live, but around Baton Rouge I've seen many many ponds in my life and none of them have been empty. It hasn't rained here in seven or eight weeks, since the big flood, and my pond is down maybe a foot and a half.
8 weeks x 7 days = 56 total days
56 days X 1/3 inch a day = 18.48 inches
18.44 inches/ 12 = exactly 1.54 ft
Math is not as hard as it looks
Without proper storm runoff you will receive exactly one inch of water in the pond from each inch of rain.
Or for example an one acre pond that drains 10 acres will rise approx 10 inches with that same 1 inch of rain.
Soil porosity and permeability will also factor in greatly.
IF the OP has a handle on all this and can operate the equipment well go for it, otherwise I would at least contact a pro for some advice, like I said above the NRCS used to do this for free and still may.
It does however appear someone else whom was much more clever than you built your pond.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 7:00 am to cave canem
Think about this, the most important part of building a house is the construction of the dirt pad. If its built wrong the whole house suffers.
The proper compaction is the key. If you don't know what that means hire someone.
The proper compaction is the key. If you don't know what that means hire someone.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 7:15 am to nsudemon10
We figure $650/d (8 hr day) for an operator, machine, and a tamper. So figure $600/d for operator and machine
Rental rates for a backhoe is $250/d, $600/wk, $1650/mo (but add in drop off and pick-up)
obviously, the longer you keep the machine the cheaper the day rate average for the rental.
use the numbers above to make your decision.
Rental rates for a backhoe is $250/d, $600/wk, $1650/mo (but add in drop off and pick-up)
obviously, the longer you keep the machine the cheaper the day rate average for the rental.
use the numbers above to make your decision.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 8:50 am to nsudemon10
You may also look at trading some of the dirt to someone who does this type of work. You get a pond and a house pad and they get some dirt to sell to another customer. Should get a reduced price on the work
Posted on 10/24/16 at 9:05 am to cave canem
I see what you're saying, to keep it 100% full you need 7 to 10 acres per acre pond
Average rainfall in la is 60", average evaporation is just a little bit more. Most ponds will be fine, they will be low in the summer, but fill back up at some point. maybe it is because they all have drainage into them. Even with flat ground and a hard rain of 2", the pond will be the low spot, and some will drain into it. You just threw me off whenever you said it will be a mud hole, because I have never seen one that is dried up, unless it had a sand bottom.
I didn't dig my pond\house pad, but I did all the grading, French drains, used a transit to make sure it would all drain properly. I made sure that the water drained into the pond In the backyard then when full through the French drains trough the front yard under the road into the ditch.
OP you can do it, just do your research. You will have to get a compaction test on your pad, so you will know if it's good or not. You should get one every 12 inches, but it is only required on the entirety of the pad.
Average rainfall in la is 60", average evaporation is just a little bit more. Most ponds will be fine, they will be low in the summer, but fill back up at some point. maybe it is because they all have drainage into them. Even with flat ground and a hard rain of 2", the pond will be the low spot, and some will drain into it. You just threw me off whenever you said it will be a mud hole, because I have never seen one that is dried up, unless it had a sand bottom.
I didn't dig my pond\house pad, but I did all the grading, French drains, used a transit to make sure it would all drain properly. I made sure that the water drained into the pond In the backyard then when full through the French drains trough the front yard under the road into the ditch.
OP you can do it, just do your research. You will have to get a compaction test on your pad, so you will know if it's good or not. You should get one every 12 inches, but it is only required on the entirety of the pad.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 9:41 am to nsudemon10
Depends, what is your time worth to you?
Based on the OP, you're probably better off hiring a contractor that has done it before. You'll probably save some money (and time) that way and the job will be well done.
Based on the OP, you're probably better off hiring a contractor that has done it before. You'll probably save some money (and time) that way and the job will be well done.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 9:43 am to Rust Cohle
quote:
Average rainfall in la is 60", average evaporation is just a little bit more. Most ponds will be fine, they will be low in the summer, but fill back up at some point. maybe it is because they all have drainage into them.
Yes, but you also need to realize that is 'average' and evaporation like rainfall is not routine. It will evaporate more in the summer and some years you may get 45 inches of rain and other years 75 inches. If your pond dries up, everything dies and you start over.
Furthermore, you have to fill the pond up somehow. So you start with 0 water, then have to have the circumference big enough to fill up but not overflow once after the first year.
I'm no professional here, but acting like ponds don't dry up is incredibly ignorant. All they are saying is you need to drain more land than you think to build a pond that is sustainable.
Op, I don't know how it works at all. But it's very possible like said above to sell your dirt. May be able to look at selling the dirt to dig the hole, then you finish the pond with your bobcat. Then have someone make your pad.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 9:50 am to baldona
quote:
I'm no professional here, but acting like ponds don't dry up is incredibly ignorant.
After living in the south my entire life I don't think it is possible to not have noticed dozens of ponds that either do not hold water due to soil conditions or that regularly dry out in summer due to evaporation and/or lack of storm drainage.
Most competent dirt work companies will tell you up front that the soil issue is always possible, it can often be resolved but it aint cheap at that point.
Maybe I just look for them though.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 11:08 am to nsudemon10
Hire a man with a tractor and dirt pan. He can do what you want for 5 to 6 grand and do it 1,000 times better than you can.
Posted on 10/24/16 at 12:18 pm to nsudemon10
As someone who has run equipment for a long time, hire someone. Will turn out better with less headache
Posted on 10/24/16 at 12:44 pm to Rust Cohle
quote:
around Baton Rouge I've seen many many ponds in my life and none of them have been empty.
Ride by Fountain Hill neighborhood off Bluff Rd, the pond in the front is dry as a bone
Posted on 10/24/16 at 1:02 pm to nsudemon10
quote:
I figure digging pond for dirt for my pads would be the cheapest.
I suggest getting a soils test done and make sure it's suitable soils. Otherwise you're wasting time and money.
3/4 acre pond at the end of that day isn't very big so go deep and I'd take the warning of cave's post if it's open pastureland. You will want a well on it to keep it full otherwise it's a mudhole next to your house. 3acre site with 3/4 acre pond, house and shop is tighter than it sounds.
I dug a lake and used 3' of packed red clay it can lose about an inch a day in summer.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News