Starting at
Koi ponds
$9,195
(6x8 with waterfall) to $122,500 (25x30 with stream, wetland filter and intake bay)
Pond and Water Feature Prices in Charlotte
Most pond contractors won't talk numbers until you've sat through a sales consultation. We think that's backwards. Below are our real starting prices for ponds, waterfalls, fountains and maintenance across the Charlotte area, and an honest explanation of what moves them.
Price explorer
Starting at
Pondless waterfalls
$6,000
(mini, 4 ft, 2 drops) to $60,000 (40 ft, up to 5 drops)
Starting at
Outdoor fountains
$5,935
(spillway or basalt column) to $17,945 (set of 3 urns)
Starting at
Pond maintenance
$1,980 / year
per year
Electrical not included. Financing available.
The site
What should you expect to pay for a pond or water feature in Charlotte?
Our published packages start at $5,935 for an outdoor fountain, $6,000 for a pondless waterfall and $9,195 for a 6' x 8' koi pond with a waterfall. Pond maintenance starts at $1,980 a year. At the top of our published range, a 25' x 30' koi pond with a wetland filter and intake bay starts at $122,500. Every number here is a starting price for a defined package. Electrical is never included.
Koi and fish ponds: from $9,195
Seven packages, from a 6' x 8' pond with waterfall to a 25' x 30' pond with stream, wetland filter and intake bay ($122,500). See all seven koi pond packages.
Pondless waterfalls: from $6,000
Five packages, from a 4 foot run with two drops to a 40 foot run with five drops ($60,000). Compare pondless waterfall packages.
Outdoor fountains: from $5,935
11 kits, from a single spillway or basalt column to sets of three urns ($17,945). Browse outdoor fountain prices.
Pond maintenance: from $1,980 a year
Three annual packages priced by water surface area, up to $7,000 a year. See the maintenance price table.
Natural swim ponds: site-specific
No two sites are alike, so pricing is covered in the design conversation. The build cost generally overlaps the range of a quality gunite pool. Learn how swim ponds work.
Pricing
What does a "starting at" price include, and what doesn't it?
A starting price covers the package exactly as listed on its detail page: the named equipment, liner, underlayment, the stated tonnage of boulders, decorative gravel and, for ponds, beneficial bacteria.
What a starting price does not include:
- Electrical. Never included. A licensed electrician quotes the circuit separately; cost depends on the distance from your panel or an outdoor outlet.
- Fish. No package lists fish.
- Lighting. LED pond and landscape lighting is an add-on. See pond and landscape lighting.
- Landscaping beyond the feature. Quoted separately.
- Ongoing care. Maintenance is a separate annual package.
Pricing
What makes a pond or water feature cost more or less?
Size sets the baseline. Your site decides the rest:
- Size. More water surface means more digging, liner, filtration, pump and stone. It is the biggest driver, which is why our packages step up by dimensions.
- Access for equipment. An open side yard lets a machine dig. A narrow gate, steep slope or pool deck in the way means hand work and more hours.
- Rock and clay. Piedmont red clay is heavy to haul, and on many Gaston County lots rock shows up at shallow depth. With a 2 foot minimum pond depth, shallow rock matters.
- Boulders. Specimen boulders are our signature and are priced by weight and handling. Packages range from half a ton to 30 tons.
- Filtration. Small ponds use a skimmer and BioFalls; larger ones step up to a custom wetland filter and intake bay. More up front, clearer water after.
- Lighting. Optional, priced separately, easiest to add during the build.
- Landscaping around it. Native plantings around the edge add cost and make the feature look like it belongs.
- Electrical run. A short run to an outdoor outlet is simple. A long trench from the panel is not.
What brings the cost down: a smaller footprint, a pondless waterfall instead of a pond, fewer boulders, a site near power with machine access, and adding lighting later. The tradeoff is less water and stone, and we'll tell you which cuts you'll notice.
Comparison
Pondless waterfall vs koi pond vs fountain: how do cost and upkeep compare?
| Fountain | Pondless waterfall | Koi pond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5,935 | $6,000 | $9,195 |
| Top published package | $17,945 (set of 3 urns) | $60,000 | $122,500 |
| Upkeep | Lowest. Top up water, keep the basin clear. | Low. No open pond to clean, reservoir sits underground. | Highest. Seasonal cleanouts, fall netting under oak canopy, plant and fish care. |
| Fish | No | No | Yes, koi or goldfish |
| Wildlife | Birds drink and bathe | Birds drink and bathe | Frogs, dragonflies, birds, aquatic plants |
A fountain is the lowest cost, lowest effort option. A pondless waterfall gives you a real cascade with no pond to clean, which suits young families and heavy leaf drop. A koi pond costs the most to build and own and is the only one with fish. Our koi pond builds page goes deeper.
Pricing
What does a pond cost to own after it's built?
Plan for three ongoing costs. Care: our maintenance packages run $1,980 to $7,000 a year, or you can do routine care yourself. Electricity: the pump runs continuously. Parts: pumps wear over time, while our EPDM liners carry a 20-year manufacturer warranty. Fountains and pondless waterfalls cost less to own than ponds.
How can you pay for your project?
Financing is available on our packages. Financing spreads payments out; it does not lower the total cost.
Why might our quote be higher than a cheaper contractor's?
Sometimes it will be. Lower bids usually come from a smaller scope (less stone, a shallower dig, no skimmer or biological filter), lighter equipment, lower overhead, or a builder who won't be around after the job. Some of those are legitimate: a small crew with low overhead can build a sound pond for less.
What our price pays for: a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor since 2009, full filtration in every pond package, 45 mil EPDM over underlayment, generous boulder tonnage, one-year workmanship and plant warranties, state licensing and insurance, and service after the sale.
When our quote should not be higher: when another contractor proposes the same size, filter and pump, liner, boulder tonnage and written warranty, the numbers should be close. If the scope truly matches and theirs is lower, that is a fair reason to choose them.
When is a water feature not the right call?
If you want moving water with no routine upkeep, choose a fountain or pondless waterfall over a pond. If your budget is below our smallest package, a self-installed fountain kit may be the smarter first step. If you mainly want to swim, look at a natural swim pond instead of a koi pond.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Our koi pond packages start at $9,195 for a 6' x 8' pond with a waterfall and step up through seven sizes to $122,500 for a 25' x 30' pond with a 3 foot waterfall, 10 foot stream, wetland filter and intake bay. Electrical is not included in any package. Your site sets the final price.
No. Electrical is never included in any package. The cost depends on the distance from your panel or an existing outdoor outlet to the pump, and a licensed electrician quotes it separately. We flag the likely run during the site visit so it doesn't surprise you.
Our spillway fountain and Mongolian basalt column fountain both start at $5,935, and the mini pondless waterfall starts at $6,000. All three give you moving water in a small footprint with low upkeep, but no fish.
Size, depth, soil, slope and the wetland filtration zone change every build too much to publish an honest starting number. Pricing is covered in the design conversation with Brian. As a rough frame, the build cost generally overlaps the range of a quality gunite pool.
Yes, financing is available on our packages. Mention it when you book your call and Brian will help you match a package to a comfortable payment. Financing spreads the cost over time; it does not lower the total price.
A pond holds open water that has to stay clear for fish, so it needs a skimmer, biological filtration, a larger liner and more excavation. A pondless waterfall stores its water underground in a gravel-covered basin, so there is less to build and less to clean. Our smallest pond starts at $9,195; our smallest pondless waterfall starts at $6,000.
Our annual maintenance packages run from $1,980 for The Basics on a pond up to 90 square feet, to $7,000 for Bi-Monthly service on a pond up to 330 square feet. Every package includes a spring drain and clean, mid-summer service, fall netting, plant care, water treatments and fish food.
Have a number in mind and a spot in the yard? Tell us about both. Brian will tell you which package fits, what your site will add, and whether there's a smarter way to spend the budget.