How Long Does It Take To Build A Pond In A Backyard?

Find Out How Long The Process Of Digging A Pond Can Take

It can take anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks to build a pond. How long it takes to build a pond depends on the options you choose and how complex it is.

Find out more in the post below-

My OCD Will Go Out Of Control

“If our yard stays messy for too long I’ll start cleaning up the dirt!”

Hunter laughs at the thought of Lauren shoveling and tamping dirt down. “I’m sorry, hon, but that mental image is hilarious!”

Lauren smiles and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, it kinda is haha. But, seriously, how long does it take to build a pond in someone’s backyard? A few days? A week? A month?! Better not be a month…”

Hunter strokes his beard thoughtfully. “Well, there are a few ways to find out. We can call contractors, ask anyone we know with a backyard pond, or look it up online. Hopefully, we can also find out how contractors build a pond.”

Lauren picks her phone up from the table. “Let’s try the Internet first.” She Googles how long it takes to dig a pond. Here is what she finds-

How Long It Takes To Build A Pond

The time it takes to build a pond is anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks or more. It depends on the size, complexity, and if any delays (like from weather or plan changes) spring up. It takes about 4 days for the average size pond.

“I wonder how long the steps take?” Lauren asks. She scrolls down to see.

Digging, Liner, Rocks, And More

The length of time it takes to dig a pond is usually one day. A huge factor is the type of dirt. Loose soil is easy to dig out but clay is tough to get through. If the ideal spot is near a tree then roots will get in the way, making things more difficult.

“So how long it takes to build a pond depends on what kind of pond we want and who we hire too. More experienced pond contractors can probably do it quicker and better,” Hunter reasons.

The filters and skimmers are set along with the digging. This usually takes a few hours.

Laying down the underlayment and protective liner takes about 3 hours. It needs to be the right size and set down the right way. Then it needs to be attached around the filters.

Adding rocks to the bottom and edges of the pond takes about a day. The size ranges from gravel to boulders. You can choose rocks so big we need machines to lift them!

Hunter smiles “I know there’s a Rolling Stones joke I can make here but I can’t think of one.” Lauren smiles even wider. “They’re going to rock our pond better than the Rolling Stones!”

Then comes installing any additions and cleaning up, which takes about 1 day. Additions can include:

And others. Organizing the site so it isn’t messy happens every day, but the last day is when we do our major clean up. This also includes adding mulch around the pond, potting plants, and just tidying up.

“And all of this usually happens with a 4-5 man crew for the average size ponds and up,” Hunter points out.

More Resources For You

“So, we’re looking at about 4 days to 1 week for building a pond in our backyard,” Lauren says. “Let’s see what else we can find about backyard ponds.”