Many Phoenix homeowners are confused or overwhelmed by the number of options for water features to suit their lifestyle, goals, and aspirations. There are so many choices! Let’s break it down a bit to help with the decision-making process.
Pool or Spa
This choice means that you prefer a sterile environment for swimming or soaking activities. A chemically-treated or salt-water pool or spa would suit your needs best.
Maintenance on this kind of water feature will consist of balancing your chemicals and skimming daily, but you won’t mind because you’ll get a lot of use out of it. And you can always hire a service — that might be a budget item you want to check out before you pull the trigger on the build.
Don’t choose a contractor just because they’re cheap or they’ve worked all over your neighborhood. Do your due diligence and choose someone who will help you create the outdoor environment that you’re dreaming of.
As with any contractor you hire, check their credentials, their licensing, ask for references, read testimonials, and of course, go out and see some of their work. There are actually a lot of options for pools and/or spas, so take your time – this is a fairly permanent addition to your yard, so make sure it’s right.
Price for this option ranges greatly, depending on the building material (fiberglass or concrete), size, filtration system (chemical or salt-water), etc. You’re looking at anywhere from $30k to over $100k.
Fountain or Fountainscape
This option is great for Phoenix homeowners who have limited space and maybe want something that can be turned off or on, as desired. There are also lots of DIY options at the big-box stores, or even for sale online.
If you’re looking for a more custom fountainscape, like an entry piece to wow visitors, you’ll need a professional contractor. Custom features can be as complex as you’d like, with cool night lighting – something that you don’t see in everyone else’s yard.
Maintenance on this type of feature will depend greatly on the style that you choose. It can range from just skimming debris occasionally to a complete drain & clean of the feature regularly. It may also require some chemical application for algae control.
Budgets for this option can run anywhere from $50 for a DIY project to several thousand dollars for a custom fountainscape.
Waterfall and/or Stream – Non-Living
If you’d like something that looks and feels natural, but without the “hassle” of plants and/or fish a non-living pondless waterfall and/or stream might be right up your alley. Maybe you travel a lot, or are in town only during certain times of the year, so you want something that you can turn off and on at your discretion, and when it’s on, it looks like a natural spring or brook. This means that the rock artistry needs to be spot-on, and you need to find a contractor who can create the look you’re after.
There are several options when it comes to building this type of non-living feature. You can go with artificial/faux rock, which is pretty much a pre-formed item that’s installed in your yard. Remember, our Arizona sun will eat up the aesthetics of this kind of thing within a few years.
You could go with boulders and rock that are mortared together, which requires more labor and some definite know-how to get the work done properly so that it doesn’t look like a volcano in your yard. This is what we call a rigid system, so when it starts to crack (and it’s guaranteed to do that eventually), there’s no option but to tear the whole thing out and start over.
Or you could go with a flexible system that uses natural rock and stone with a durable liner – basically, an ecosystem feature without the “living” components (plants and fish). This should last 20+ years without issues, but absolutely requires a contractor who knows what they’re doing.
Maintenance on this system may include cleaning it out occasionally, which task will depend on the construction process you’ve chosen.
Budgets for this option start at a couple of thousand and go up from there, depending on your choice of materials and the size of the feature.
Ecosystem Waterfall and Stream
This option is for people who want the sound of water in their yard, love the idea of aquatic plants in the feature, but aren’t interested in fishkeeping. A pondless waterfall, with or without the addition of a babbling brook, alive with lush aquatic plants is the aesthetic that you’re after. Not only will this kind of feature provide you with hours of enjoyment every day, but you’ll be providing a respite for local and migratory wildlife – a truly “green” home improvement option. And during the time of year when windows can be left open to enjoy the mid temperatures, you’ll also enjoy the sound of water from inside, as well as the positive energy flowing into your home from having living water in the yard. This kind of feature is ideal for both back yards and front yards.
Maintenance on this type of feature will be pretty minimal: gardening and occasionally picking debris out of the feature.
Budgets for ecosystem pondless waterfalls and/or streams start around $12k. And there are some great options, like rainwater harvesting for folks who want to be more “green”!
Ecosystem Goldfish Pond
This water feature is truly a “green” home improvement option! An ecosystem pond, alive with lush aquatic plants and playful goldfish, will provide you with hours upon hours of enjoyment, while also providing local and migratory wildlife with a welcome respite. And during the time of year when windows can be left open to enjoy the mid temperatures, you’ll also enjoy the sound of water from inside, as well as the positive energy flowing into your home from having living water in the yard.
A goldfish pond can be as small as 7’x9’, making it a great budget-conscious choice. And, of course, they can be as large as you’d like. You don’t have to feed your fish in an ecosystem pond, as they can live off the pond life, making wet pets the easiest to keep! However, if you do choose to hand-feed them, you’ll soon discover that they each have distinct personalities, and this will add to the enjoyment of your pond.
Maintenance on this feature will consist of gardening (and what better place to garden in 100-degree temps?), emptying the skimmer basket occasionally, and possibly the addition of beneficial organic enzymes and bacteria once in a while. No chemicals to balance or add here.
Budgets for ecosystem goldfish ponds start around $12k. And there are some great options, like rainwater harvesting, lighting packages, etc.!
Ecosystem Koi Pond
Again, this water feature is truly a “green” home improvement option. An ecosystem pond alive with lush aquatic plants and playful Koi will provide you with hours upon hours of enjoyment, while also providing local and migratory wildlife with a welcome respite. And during the time of year when windows can be left open to enjoy the mid temperatures, you’ll also enjoy the sound of water from inside, as well as the positive energy flowing into your home from having living water in the yard.
A Koi pond should be a minimum of 15’x20’ in size to allow the Koi to grow to a healthy size, and should have appropriate filtration for this type of fish load. And, of course, they can be as large as you’d like. You don’t have to feed your Koi in an ecosystem pond, as they can live off the pond life, making wet pets the easiest to keep! However, if you do choose to hand-feed them, you’ll soon discover that they each have distinct personalities, and this will add to the enjoyment of your pond. Did you know that Koi can actually learn to recognize your voice if you talk to them while you feed them?
Maintenance on this feature will consist of gardening (and what better place to garden in 100-degree temps?), emptying the skimmer basket occasionally, and probably the addition of beneficial organic enzymes and bacteria once in a while. No chemicals to balance or add here.
Budgets for ecosystem Koi ponds start around $37k. And there are some great options, like rainwater harvesting, floor jets, lighting packages, etc.!
Swim Pond or Recreational Pond
If you’re ready to take the plunge, this is a brave choice, as you will be a pioneer among your friends, and we applaud you for that. Swim ponds are very popular in Europe, and their popularity is growing here in the US.
Many people think that this option will be less expensive than a traditional chemically-treated pool. It’s not. It’s actually about the same price. The benefit is that you will be soaking your body in natural water, like a lake, instead of submitting it to a chemical bath.
A traditional pool requires chemical treatments and balancing on almost a daily basis. A swim pond will need some gardening once in a while (and what better place to garden in 100-degree temps?), and the addition of organic enzymes & bacteria regularly to assist in water quality control.
Budgets for swim or recreational ponds start around $125k.
Hiring a Contractor
Don’t just hire a contractor because you saw a mock-up of their work at a home show or something. As with any contractor you hire for any home improvement or repair, check their credentials, their licensing, ask for references, read testimonials, and of course, go out and see some of their work in person, if appropriate. This particular home improvement is an investment in your landscape, your outdoor environment, and in some cases your curb appeal and home value. You want to be careful with whom you spend your hard-earned money. Our advice is to take your time and do your due diligence, not letting anyone pressure you into an impulse purchase.
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Arizona (AZ) & Surrounding Areas
For more information on Pond Construction: https://pondgnome.com/pond-construction-phoenix-az/