A swimming pond in your garden creates a pleasant atmosphere of well-being. There is no more beautiful place for refreshment than your own “wellness oasis of tranquility.” Simultaneously, the artificially created standing water can be a small biotope for plants (flora) and native animals (fauna) such as amphibians, water striders, frogs, and inserted fish.
What Influences the Cost of Building a Swimming Pond?
In addition to the natural pool conditions, such as size, construction, shape, planting, etc., it depends primarily on whether you want to do the swimming pond yourself or whether you would rather sit back and let a professional plan and implement it. So with your own contribution or “turnkey” contracting?
This results in large differences in costs. Almost as important is the warranty. A professional company implements the desired project in a set, shorter time frame and, of course, takes responsibility for the quality of the skilled work. After completion of the installation, the garden will be put back in order and can continue to be maintained and cared for over the creation period if desired.
However, you should realistically assess your craftsmanship qualities. And based on this, decide which partial services you can take on yourself. Only in isolated cases and with a lot of experience can it be advisable to take over the pond construction in self-performance. It makes absolute sense to sit down with a trusted landscape gardener and plan the concept for the garden pond together with a specialist’s advice. This results in the cost of materials and the amount of work that the professional company can then carry out. Within the desired framework, the client can do the work himself.
The Costs for a Swimming Pond in Detail
Depending on the natural swimming pond’s equipment and size, square feed prices between 80 – 250 $ can be expected. The property owner can reduce the costs for the swimming pond to 60 – 200 $ per square feet by the above mentioned personal contribution. Of course, it is a difficult matter here to define a binding total price. Because you must know the conditions on-site. Is the site easily accessible for large machines? What are the soil conditions like? Therefore, we understand this information as a guideline for your rough cost planning.
Basically, there are again two approaches how to proceed with the cost planning of a swimming pond. There is a fixed maximum budget, and you try to create “the best” out of it. Or you have your fixed ideas, i.e., the implementation of the natural pool is predefined and the price results from this.
What Should be the Minimum Size of a Swimming Pond?
A swimming pond should have an area of at least 400 square feet and a water depth of at least 6′ feed for natural bathing fun and the possibility of swimming. Natural pools with a smaller water surface, such as 200 square feet, on the other hand, are more for small cooling. However, it is necessary to pay attention to a higher proportion of the regeneration zone – in the best case, 1:1 to the swimming area.
What Do You Need for a Swimming Pond? Ideas, Wishes, and Expectations
Get clear about what you expect from your swimming pond. It is best to gather all wishes and ideas together with the whole family. In doing so, it is also important to clarify decisive questions:
There are aspects of taste to clarify, as well as technical, logical things to decide. For example, the same question can be asked in different ways: What shape should the pond get? What shape do I personally like best, purely in terms of design? What shape of the pond would make the most sense based on the circumstances? Here the difference becomes directly clear. Some decisions are already decided by the conditions on-site. The basic thing is to determine whether you are ready to spend your time in the swimming pond in harmony with nature and accordingly with toads, newts, and other animals?
What Questions Should Play a Role in Planning a Swimming Pond?
- The location: wherein the garden should the swimming pond be located? Is there anything to consider about the terrain, such as geographic relief of the property (level or sloping)? Do I want the pond to be in the sun or the shade?
- The size: How big should the swimming pond be? This is determined beyond your own desire, of course, primarily by the available land area?
- The water quality: Should the water be clear like in a pool, or may it also be close to nature with occasional cloudiness?
- The subsoil conditions: What conditions does the soil of the property offer – clay, sand, gravel, or even layers of rock in the ground?
- The access: will access into the swimming pond be solved via a walkway, ladder/stairs, a beach, or perhaps a combination of different options?
- The setting: Do they want a sunbathing area, a bridge, or a terrace right next to the pool?
- The inhabitants: Which planting and which animals should find their place in and around the natural pond?
- The budget: How much should the swimming pond cost? Is the budget more important or the 100% realization of the dream without compromises?
- Safety: How do we ensure the safety of (small) children, guests, and possible pets?
- Permitting: Do we need a building permit? It is best to check with the relevant building authority, as this is regulated differently from state to state.
In coordination with the selected garden and landscape builder, the client can take on previously defined personal contributions to reduce the total costs for implementing the swimming pond. Here, as already mentioned, it is important not to overestimate oneself in terms of craftsmanship. The main items in the implementation of the natural pool are:
Earthworks including removal or the distribution of the plot.
Purchase and planting of green/water plants, including the design of the shore zone
Pond liner and its processing
Design and restore the surrounding area such as natural stone walls, wooden terraces, lawns, etc.
Briefly, Explained – How Does a Swimming Pond Stay Clean?
The swimming pond, unlike the swimming pool, is an ecological system. Here, the treatment of water or regulation of nutrients is done by sedimentation, which is created by the two zones of the swimming pond: Within the pond, a distinction is made between the swimming zone and the regeneration zone. The swimming zone, as the name suggests, is the area for swimming fun. The regeneration zone is the space filled with aquatic plants, which serves to purify the contained water.
Which Personal Contributions Can the Builder Take on Himself When Building a Swimming Pond?
In consultation with the selected garden and landscape contractor, the client can undertake previously defined personal contributions to reduce the total costs for implementing the swimming pond. As already mentioned, it is important not to overestimate oneself in terms of craftsmanship. The main items in the implementation of the natural pool are:
- Earthworks including removal or the distribution of the plot.
- Purchase and planting of green/water plants, including the design of the shore zone
- Pond liner and its processing
- Creation and restoration of the surrounding area such as natural stone walls, wooden terraces, lawns, etc.
Conclusion
When building the swimming pond, it is essential to get proper advice from a professional garden and landscape contractor in advance. This will help to identify gross mistakes in advance. The better the natural pool is planned, the fewer problems the pond water will cause.
It is best to divide your large-scale project “Building a swimming pond” into exact individual items. Clarify with the commissioned specialist company which subtasks you would like to and can take on yourself. Also, define the timing to avoid delays or problems during the implementation.
We wish you much success and long-lasting fun during and after the implementation of your unique swimming pond!